Historical marker
A
commemorative plaque
, or simply
plaque
, or in other places referred to as a
historical marker
,
historic marker
, or
historic plaque
, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text or an image in
relief
, or both, to commemorate one or more persons, an event, a former use of the place, or some other thing. Many modern plaques and markers are used to associate the location where the plaque or marker is installed with the person, event, or item commemorated as a place worthy of visit.
[1]
A monumental plaque or tablet commemorating a deceased person or persons, can be a simple form of
church monument
. Most modern plaques affixed in this way are commemorative of something, but this is not always the case, and there are purely religious plaques, or those signifying ownership or affiliation of some sort. A
plaquette
is a small plaque, but in English, unlike many European languages, the term is not typically used for outdoor plaques fixed to walls.
Historical
[
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]
Benin Kingdom
[
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]
The
Benin Empire
, which flourished in present-day
Nigeria
between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries, had an exceedingly rich sculptural tradition. One of the kingdom's chief sites of cultural production was the elaborate ceremonial court of the
Oba
(divine king) at the palace in Benin. Among the wide range of artistic forms produced at the court were rectangular brass or bronze plaques. At least a portion of these plaques, which were mainly created from the thirteenth through sixteenth centuries, commemorate significant persons and events associated with the Oba's court,
[2]
[3]
including important battles during Benin's sixteenth century expansionary period.
[4]
Medieval Europe
[
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]
Brass or bronze memorial plaques were produced throughout medieval Europe from at least the early thirteenth through the sixteenth centuries as a form of
sepulchral memorial
generally inset into the walls of churches or surfaces of tombs. Surviving in great numbers, they were manufactured from sheet brass or
latten
, very occasionally coloured with enamels, and tend to depict highly conventional figures with brief inscriptions.
[5]
[6]
Modern
[
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]
Historical markers are put on display by the owners of sites listed by national agencies concerned with
historic preservation
such as the
National Trust for Historic Preservation
and the
National Register of Historic Places
[7]
(in the United States), the
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
[8]
(in the United Kingdom),
An Taisce
[9]
(in Ireland),
National Historical Commission of the Philippines
(in the Philippines), and the National Trusts of other countries.
Other historical markers are created by local
municipalities
,
non-profit organizations
,
companies
, or individuals. In addition to geographically defined regions, individual organizations, such as
E Clampus Vitus
or the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
, can choose to maintain a national set of historical markers that fit a certain theme.
[10]
The
Royal Society of Arts
established the first scheme in the world for historical commemoration on plaques in 1866.
[11]
The scheme was established under the influence of the British politician
William Ewart
and the
civil servant
Henry Cole
.
[12]
The first plaque was unveiled in 1867 to commemorate
Lord Byron
at his birthplace, 24 Holles Street,
Cavendish Square
. The earliest historical marker to survive, commemorates
Napoleon III
in King Street,
St James's
, and was also put up in 1867.
[13]
The original plaque colour was blue, but this was changed by the manufacturer
Minton, Hollins & Co
to chocolate brown to save money.
[14]
In 1901, the scheme was first taken over by the local government authority - the
London County Council
.
[15]
Australia
[
edit
]
- Halley Park plaque
- Heritage NSW - in April 2022 Heritage Minister, announced 17 Blue Plaques to celebrate NSW heritage by recognising noteworthy people and events from the state's history. Inspired by the famous London Blue Plaques program run by English Heritage which originally started in 1866, and similar programs around the world, these plaques were selected from over 750 nominations received in November 2021 from community members, organisations and local councils. People and places recognised by the first batch of plaques to be erected include Bessie Robinson of
Canowindra
and
Duke Kahanamoku
and Camden Red Cross.
[16]
In November 2023 it was announced that a further 14 people, places and events would be commemorated in the second round of blue plaques sponsored by the Government of New South Wales, chosen from 117 public nominations:
Kathleen Butler
, godmother of
Sydney Harbour Bridge
;
Emma Jane Callaghan
, an Aboriginal midwife and activist;
Susan Katherina Schardt
; journalist
Dorothy Drain
; writer
Charmian Clift
;
Beryl Mary McLaughlin
, one of the first three women to graduate in architecture from the University of Sydney;
Grace Emily Munro
, Sir
William Dobell
,
Ioannis
(Jack) and Antonios (Tony) Notaras;
Syms Covington
; Ken Thomas of
Thomas Nationwide Transport
,
Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club
and the first release of
myxomatosis
.
[17]
[18]
Austria
[
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]
Belgium
[
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]
Canada
[
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]
Chile
[
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]
France
[
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]
Germany
[
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]
Hong Kong
[
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]
India
[
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]
Italy
[
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]
Netherlands
[
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]
New Zealand
[
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]
Philippines
[
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]
Historical markers (
Filipino
:
panandang pangkasaysayan
;
Spanish
:
marcador historico
) are cast-iron plaques installed all over the Philippines that commemorate people, places, personalities, structures, and events. They are installed by the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines
. This practice started in 1933, with NHCP's predecessor, the Philippine Historical Research and Markers Committee, which initially only marked antiquities in
Manila
.
[19]
The initial markers were placed in 1934.
Markers have their texts primarily in
Filipino
, while there are also markers in the English language, especially for markers that were installed during the
American colonial era
. Markers in regional languages such as
Cebuano
,
Ilocano
, and
Kapampangan
, are also available and issued by the NHCP. Markers are found all over the country, and there have been
markers installed outside
the country. The plaques themselves are permanent signs installed in publicly visible locations on buildings, monuments, or in special locations. There are more than 1,690 markers to date. Most markers are located within
Luzon
, especially in
Metro Manila
(with more than 500), which has prompted the NHCP to install more markers in
Visayas
and
Mindanao
, for their greater inclusion in the national historical narrative.
[20]
Issues and controversies
have also been the concern of several individual markers, from the commemoration of former
Philippine President
Ferdinand Marcos
to the reaction of the Japanese embassy to the
comfort women
statue and marker
. There have also been some markers replaced by new ones because of rectified information, theft, or loss due to war or disasters. Many American-era markers have been destroyed or were lost as casualties of World War II.
Local municipalities and cities can also install markers of figures and events of local significance. Though they may have the permission of the NHCP, these markers are barred from using the
seal of the Republic of the Philippines
.
[21]
From March to October 2021, quincentennial historical markers were unveiled by the NHCP and the
National Quincentennial Committee
as part of the
2021 Quincentennial Commemorations
in the Philippines (QCP). As part of the 125th anniversary of the
Philippine declaration of independence
celebrations, the agency then started unveiling
Philippine Nationhood Trail historical markers
since 2023.
- Historical markers of the Philippines
-
-
-
-
-
-
Singapore
[
edit
]
Switzerland
[
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]
- Kulturguterschutz
? or:
Protection des biens culturels
;
Cultural heritage protection in Switzerland
; or
Protezione dei beni culturali
United Kingdom
[
edit
]
Blue plaques
are the principal type of historical markers found throughout England and are the closest thing there is to a historical marker system in the UK. An example is the blue plaque scheme run by
English Heritage
in
London
, although these were originally erected in a variety of shapes and colors. This has been running for over 140 years and is thought to be the oldest system of its kind in the world. Plaques are attached to buildings to commemorate their association with important occupants or events.
[22]
The
National Trust
(which is a
non-profit charity organization
unlike English Heritage and English Heritage properties) has its own similar markers as well.
[23]
[24]
The
Dead Comics' Society
installs blue plaques to commemorate the former residences of well-known comedians, including those of
Sid James
and
John Le Mesurier
.
However, not all historical markers in the United Kingdom are blue, and many are not ceramic. A range of other commemorative plaque schemes, which are typically run by local councils and charitable bodies, exists throughout the United Kingdom. These tend to use their own criteria for determining the eligibility to put up a plaque. There are commemorative plaque schemes in
Bath
,
Edinburgh
,
Brighton
,
Liverpool
,
Loughton
, and elsewhere?some of which differ from the familiar blue plaque. A scheme in
Manchester
uses color-coded plaques to commemorate figures, with each of the colors corresponding to the person's occupation. The
Purple Plaques
/Placiau Porffor scheme in Wales uses purple to commemorate significant women.
[25]
In 2003, the
London Borough
of
Southwark
started a plaque scheme which included living people in the awards. Even in London, the
Westminster City Council
runs a green plaque scheme which is run alongside that of the blue plaque scheme administered by English Heritage. Other schemes are run by civic societies, district or town councils, or
local history
groups, and often operate with different criteria.
[23]
[24]
After the
First World War
, the families of British and British Empire (now Commonwealth) service men and women killed during the conflict were presented with bronze
Memorial Plaques
. The plaques, of about 125 millimetres (4.9 in) in diameter, were designed by the eminent
sculptor
and
medallist
,
Edward Carter Preston
.
United States
[
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]
In the
United States
, various state governments have commemorative plaque schemes usually using the name historical markers. The
National Trust for Historic Preservation
or the U.S. Government, through the National Register of Historic Places, can bestow historical status.
State programmes, such as the
California Register of Historical Resources
, allow designated sites to place their own markers.
[26]
The criteria and circumstances through which a party administers the distribution of historical markers varies. For example, the "Preservation Worcester" program in
Worcester, Massachusetts
, allows a person to register their house or other structure of least fifty years of age if the building is well preserved, with retention of its original character and importance to the architectural, cultural or historical nature of the local
neighborhood
. One then pays a fee ($185 to $225) to receive the historical marker itself.
[27]
In the same state, the Boston neighborhood
Charlestown
has its own local association to administer historical markers.
[28]
Other historical markers in and around Boston are administered by agencies such as
The Bostonian Society
[29]
or are associated with sites such as those along the
Freedom Trail
, the
Black Heritage Trail
, and the
Emerald Necklace
.
[30]
Other examples of mostly locally generated historical markers in the United States include the plaque outside the
Alaska Governor's Mansion
made by the Alaska Centennial Commission's historical markers program,
[31]
the historical markers of State Historic Marker Council in Florida,
[32]
the markers placed by various agencies in Georgia (of which one source mentions 3,292 different historical markers
[1]
), in Indiana, where it is illegal to create a historical marker in the "state format" without first getting official approval from that state's historical bureau,
[33]
historical markers in Kansas erected by the Kansas Historical Society and the
Kansas Department of Transportation
,
[34]
the Roadside Historic Marker Program in Maryland administered by the Maryland Historical Trust,
[35]
the State Historic Marker Program of New York (begun in 1926 to commemorate the Sequicentennial of the
American Revolution
),
[36]
the historic markers placed as recently as 2008 in
Sussex County, New Jersey
,
[37]
the New Mexico historical markers printed in white letters on a brown background by the
New Mexico Department of Transportation
,
[38]
the historical markers of North Carolina (the Historical Publications Section of the state Office of Archives and History publishes a
Guide to North Carolina Highway Historical Markers
),
[39]
the more than 1200 historical markers of Ohio (all of which are now made in a
Marietta, Ohio
, workshop),
[40]
and over 550 official state markers in Wisconsin.
[41]
See also:
- Historical markers posted at
U.S. state
and/or municipal levels (examples):
Theft
[
edit
]
As the price of scrap metal has increased plaques have been the target of
metal thieves
wishing to resell the metal for cash.
[42]
Awards
[
edit
]
Plaques or, more often, plaquettes, are also given as
awards
instead of
trophies
or
ribbons
. Such plaques usually bear text describing the reason for the award and, often, the date of the award.
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"Historic Markers Across Georgia"
. Latitude 34 North. Archived from
the original
on 24 December 2013
. Retrieved
31 October
2008
.
- ^
Ezra, Kate (1992).
Royal Art of Benin: The Perls Collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art.
ISBN
0810964147
.
- ^
"Benin plaque: the oba with Europeans"
. The British Museum
. Retrieved
27 June
2015
.
- ^
Plankensteiner, Barbara (22 December 2007).
"Benin?Kings and Rituals: Court Arts from Nigeria"
.
African Arts
.
40
(4). University of California: 74?87.
doi
:
10.1162/afar.2007.40.4.74
.
ISSN
0001-9933
.
S2CID
57571805
. Retrieved
27 June
2015
.
- ^
Chisholm, Hugh
, ed. (1911).
"Brasses, Monumental"
.
Encyclopædia Britannica
. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- ^
Badham, Sally; Norris, Malcolm (1999).
Early Incised Slabs and Brasses
. London: Society of Antiquaries.
- ^
"National Register of Historic Places"
.
National Park Service
. Archived from
the original
on 9 July 2008
. Retrieved
31 October
2008
.
- ^
"The National Trust"
. Retrieved
31 October
2008
.
- ^
"
An Taisce
"
.
National Trust for Ireland
. Retrieved
31 October
2008
.
- ^
"Making their markers"
.
The News & Observer
. Archived from
the original
on 10 February 2009
. Retrieved
31 October
2008
.
- ^
"Blue Plaques"
. English Heritage
. Retrieved
16 June
2011
.
- ^
Hansard vol 172 17 July 1863 quoted in 'The commemoration of historians under the blue plaque scheme in London' by author
Howard Spencer
- ^
"History of the Blue Plaques Scheme"
. English Heritage
. Retrieved
16 June
2011
.
- ^
"About blue plaques"
. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Archived from
the original
on 3 October 2023
. Retrieved
16 June
2011
.
- ^
"The Blue Plaque Design"
. English Heritage
. Retrieved
16 June
2011
.
- ^
"Blue Plaques NSW"
.
Heritage NSW
. Retrieved
12 May
2022
.
- ^
Plaques, Blue (20 November 2023).
"New round of Blue Plaques recognises the stories of NSW"
.
Blue Plaques
. Retrieved
22 November
2023
.
- ^
Power, Julie (19 November 2023).
"The 'clever girl' who helped build the Harbour Bridge"
.
The Sydney Morning Herald
. Retrieved
22 November
2023
.
- ^
Historical Markers Placed by the Philippine Historical Committee
. Manila: Bureau of Printing. 1958.
- ^
"2011-2012.pdf"
.
Google Docs
. Retrieved
2 February
2018
.
- ^
"GUIDELINES_IDENTIF CLASSIF AND RECOG OF HIST SITES & STRUCTS IN THE PHIL.pdf"
.
Google Docs
. Retrieved
2 February
2018
.
- ^
"History of the Blue Plaques Scheme"
. Retrieved
30 July
2012
.
- ^
a
b
Markeroni.com
Archived
15 January 2016 at the
Wayback Machine
, Information about historical markers and historical plaques, and historic preservation in England, British Isles.
- ^
a
b
"English Heritage"
. English Heritage. 26 October 2011
. Retrieved
30 November
2011
.
- ^
"Purple plaque stories"
.
Purple plaques
. Retrieved
2 July
2021
.
- ^
Chung, Yun Shun Susie. "Collections of Historical Markers and Signage and Public Programming Online at Public History Institutions Such as Museums and Archives."
Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals
13, no. 3-4 (2017): 243+.
- ^
"Preservationworcester.org"
. Preservationworcester.org. Archived from
the original
on 6 November 2011
. Retrieved
30 November
2011
.
- ^
"Charlestownpreservation.org"
. Charlestownpreservation.org. Archived from
the original
on 5 October 2011
. Retrieved
30 November
2011
.
- ^
2007 Catalogue For Philanthropy
- ^
"Boston National Historic Park"
. Nps.gov. 17 November 2011
. Retrieved
30 November
2011
.
- ^
"Alaska Historic Markers"
. Waymarking.com. 31 January 2011
. Retrieved
30 November
2011
.
- ^
"Florida Heritage & Preservation"
(PDF)
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 20 August 2006.
- ^
"Historical Marker FAQs"
. In.gov. 16 June 2009. Archived from
the original
on 15 February 2009
. Retrieved
30 November
2011
.
- ^
"Kansas Historical Markers"
. Kshs.org
. Retrieved
30 November
2011
.
- ^
"Maryland Historical Trust"
.
mht.maryland.gov
.
- ^
"New York State Museum"
. Nysm.nysed.gov. 1 December 1998. Archived from
the original
on 5 September 2015
. Retrieved
30 November
2011
.
- ^
"Sussex County News and Information"
. Sussex.nj.us. 14 May 2008. Archived from
the original
on 27 September 2011
. Retrieved
30 November
2011
.
- ^
New Mexico Department of Transportation
[
dead link
]
- ^
News Observer
Archived
10 February 2009 at the
Wayback Machine
(26 July 2006)
- ^
"Manufacturing Ohio's Historic Markers"
. Touring-ohio.com. Archived from
the original
on 2 October 2011
. Retrieved
30 November
2011
.
- ^
"Wisconsin Historical Society"
. Wisconsinhistory.org. Archived from
the original
on 1 December 2017
. Retrieved
30 November
2011
.
- ^
Hightower, Eve (13 December 2007).
"Stanislaus supervisor wants recycling ordinance used to fight metal theft regionally"
. The Modesto Bee. Archived from
the original
on 23 February 2008
. Retrieved
17 November
2010
.
References
[
edit
]
- James Loewen,
Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong
, 1999.
- English Heritage,
Blue Plaques: A Guide to the Scheme
, 2002
- Nick Rennison,
The London Blue Plaque Guide
, 2003
- Derek Sumeray,
Discovering London Plaques
- Derek Sumeray,
Track the Plaque
, 2003
External links
[
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]
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