Commemorative plaque facts for kids
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate made of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material. It is usually placed on a wall or a large stone. It usually has text and sometimes an image in memory of one or more persons, an event, a former use of the place, or some other thing. A plaquette is a small plaque. The word plaquette is not usually used for outdoor plaques fixed to walls.
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United Kingdom
In England there is the Blue Plaques scheme. Plaques are put on to buildings to commemorate their links with important people or events. The scheme has been run by English Heritage for over 140 years and is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the world.
Other commemorative plaque schemes are run by local councils and charities throughout the United Kingdom. These use their own rules for deciding when to put up a plaque. A list of schemes in England can be found on the English Heritage website.
Theft
As the price of scrap metal has increased plaques have been stolen by thieves wishing to sell the metal for cash.
Awards
Plaques or, more often, plaquettes, are also given as awards instead of trophies or ribbons. Such plaques usually have text describing the reason for the award and, often, the date of the award.
Images for kids
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Plaque in tribute to Claude Bernard, at Collège de France in Paris, France.
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An example of a lightbox used as a commemorative plaque
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This sign in Dickson, Australian Capital Territory commemorates the establishment of Canberra's first aerodrome and its first fatality in the 1920s.
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Sir Henry Cole helped set up the first historical marker scheme in 1866.
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Löwenberger Land (Germany)
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This Greater London Council blue plaque at Alexandra Palace commemorates the launch of BBC Television there in 1936.
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These historical markers indicate the location of Francis Parkman House, a National Historic Landmark on Beacon Hill in Boston, Massachusetts.
See also
In Spanish: Placa conmemorativa para niños
