London’s Blue Plaques
London’s famous blue plaques link the people of the past with the buildings of the present. Now run by English Heritage, the London blue plaques scheme was started in 1866 and is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the world.
Across the capital over 950 plaques, on buildings humble and grand, honour the notable men and women who have lived or worked in them. Discover some of the people commemorated with blue plaques, or search for a plaque, below.
The English Heritage London blue plaques scheme is generously supported by David Pearl and members of the public.
Celebrating London’s Black History
From musicians to politicians, discover some of the pioneering black figures whose achievements are celebrated with London’s blue plaques.
Find out more about London’s Black HistoryNEW BLUE PLAQUE TO DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES
English Heritage has unveiled a new blue plaque to Lady Diana Spencer, later Princess of Wales. The plaque marks her former home at Flat 60, Coleherne Court, in Kensington, where she was living just before and during her courtship with Prince Charles.
So far in 2021, English Heritage has also unveiled new plaques to Jean Muir, Ardaseer Cursetjee Wadia, John Osborne, Arthur Ransome, Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, Caroline Norton, JS Risien Russell, Kenneth Clark and Jim Henson.
PEOPLE OF FASHION
To celebrate the unveiling of our plaque to the dressmaker Jean Muir earlier this year, we spoke to Joanna Lumley about her experience of working as a model and muse for the inimitable ‘Miss Muir’.
Watch the video here and then explore some of the other blue plaque recipients who contributed to the world of fashion and costume design.
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Anna Maria Garthwaite
Garthwaite was one of the most celebrated designers of floral silk patterns in England in the 18th century.
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Lee Miller
Lee Miller had experience on either side of the lens – as both a model and photographer for Vogue. However, it's for her wartime photojournalism that she is now most famous.
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Experiments in Gender
In the early 20th century many women expressed increasingly fluid ideas about gender indentity and sexuality through dress. Find out more about their playful and exploratory fashion experiments.
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Beau Brummel
Beau Brummell set the standards for the Regency style known as dandyism, which relied on fine-quality cloth, precise cutting and understated elegance.
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Cecil Beaton
Most famous as a photographer, Cecil Beaton also designed scenery and costumes for film and theatre. He won Oscars for his work on the films Gigi (1958) and My Fair Lady (1963).
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Willy Clarkson
Willy Clarkson designed theatrical wigs and costumes for some of the most famous actors of his day, with his blue plaque proposal being supported by Sir Laurence Olivier and Dame Sybil Thorndike.
Plaques for women
Today only 14 per cent of London’s blue plaques celebrate women. We don't think that’s good enough. Since 2016 when we first launched our ‘plaques for women’ campaign, more than half of the people awarded plaques have been women, but only a third of the public nominations were for women. Nominations are the life blood of the London blue plaques scheme and if we are to see a significant increase in the number of blue plaques for women, we will need more female suggestions.
If you know of a woman who deserves a blue plaque and meets the selection criteria, nominate her now and help us address the gender imbalance in London's blue plaques.
Propose a woman for a blue plaqueBlue Plaque Stories
Behind every plaque is a story. From the creative output of international composers to the campaigns for women’s rights, discover the personal journeys and historic achievements of London’s notable former residents with our series of in depth articles.
Discover the stories behind the plaquesHistory’s Heroes of Health
Advances in the control, treatment and cure of illness and disease have depended on the work of many talented individuals, working in a variety of different fields.
The London blue plaques scheme celebrates many figures of outstanding achievement in this crucially important area. We explore some of their most significant medical breakthroughs and public health reforms.
Read the article
Blue Plaques App
The official blue plaques app is now available to download for free for iPhone and Android. Use the app to follow guided walks around Soho and Kensington, or explore all of the 900 plaques by finding ones nearby and searching for your favourite figures from history.
From Sylvia Pankhurst’s former home in Chelsea to Jimi Hendrix’s flat in Mayfair, let English Heritage’s blue plaques guide you through the streets of London.
Download the free app now from the Apple App Store for iPhone or the Google Play Store for Android.
