Blue plaques | English Heritage

Blue plaques | English Heritage
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Blue Plaques
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.
More than 1,000 plaques across the capital, on buildings humble and grand, honour the notable women and men 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.
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Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin in the Maria Mitchell Observatory c.1930
© Courtesy of the United States Naval Observatory Library
New Plaques in 2026
Blue plaques in 2026 will celebrate individuals whose lives and work helped shape London’s intellectual, cultural and social landscape.
Recipients will include Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, whose groundbreaking discoveries transformed our understanding of the stars; Laurence Olivier, whose stage and screen performances defined modern acting; and Kamal Chunchie, a tireless advocate for racial equality and community cohesion.
Recently unveiled blue plaques have celebrated people whose creative achievements helped shape the capital,
including poet and broadcaster
Una Marson
, actress
Audrey Hepburn
, and musician
Marc Bolan
.
Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas at Oxford in 1893
© Hulton Archive/Stringer/Getty Images
London Pride: LGBTQ+ stories
Explore more than 100 years of London’s LGBTQ+ history through the stories associated with the city’s blue plaques.
Explore London’s LGBTQ+ history
Plaques for women
Only 15 per cent of London’s blue plaques
celebrate women
. We don't think that’s good enough, but the picture is improving. Since 2016, when we first launched our ‘plaques for women’ campaign, more than half of the people awarded plaques have been women. Nominations are the life blood of the London blue plaques scheme. If you know of a woman who deserves a blue plaque and meets the
selection criteria
, nominate her now.
Propose a woman for a blue plaque
Ira Aldridge, ‘the Celebrated American Tragedian‘, in the role of Othello
© Dea Picture Library / Getty Images
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 History
At the age of 15, Elizabeth Barrett Browning suffered the onset of a mystery illness which also affected two of her sisters
© National Portrait Gallery London
Living with disability
We commemorate people from all walks of life, some of whom lived with disability. For some, their disability was a difficulty to be navigated, often in a hostile environment. For others, it changed the course of their lives, and was in some cases central to the achievement for which they're celebrated.
We explore stories of people with both visible and hidden impairments, and consider the impact disability had on their lives.
Read the article
A 19th-century engraving of Florence Nightingale in a Crimean hospital holding a lamp
Heroes of Health
Advances in the control, treatment and cure of illness and disease have depended on the work of many talented individuals. The London blue plaques scheme celebrates figures of outstanding achievement in this area. We explore their significant medical breakthroughs and public health reforms.
Read the article
Emmeline Pankhurst being arrested in front of Buckingham Palace in May 1914
Blue plaque stories
Behind every plaque is a story. From the creative output of international composers to campaigns for women’s rights, discover the personal stories and historic achievements of London’s notable former residents with our series of in-depth stories.
Discover the stories behind the plaques
More about Blue plaques
About Blue Plaques
Propose a New Plaque
Top 10 Blue Plaque Facts
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