This blog post was updated on October 22, 2018.
Today, Tuesday November 11th, is Remembrance Day, the day to remember the men and women who lost their lives serving in World Wars One and Two and later conflicts. Also known as Armistice Day or Poppy Day, many official commemorations occur on “Remembrance Sunday” (the weekend before the 1th). Remembering those who gave their lives for their country has especially poignant significance this year as 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the start of World War One.
A number of Remembrance events take place in London every year. Here’s a look at a few special exhibitions marking the sombre occasion in the British capital.
In London, an installation at the Tower of London named Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red (after the In Flanders Fields poem by John McCrae) fills much of the historic attraction’s grounds with hundreds of thousands of ceramic poppies “planted” to mark the centenary of World War One. There are only a few days left to view the installation by ceramicist Paul Cummins of Derbyshire at the Tower. After Remembrance Day (Wednesday 11 November), all 888,246 poppies (one for each British fatality in WWI) will be picked by volunteers and sent to poppy purchasers. However, there is some talk of extending the installation’s run at the Tower and for it to go on tour. Find out more here.
Across the Thames from the Tower, at City Hall, is an exhibition “Exploring London’s First World War Memorials” which runs until the 20th of this month and features a series of new photographs showing the range of London’s First World War memorials while also highlighting the work of agencies such as the War Memorials Trust, English Heritage and Imperial War Museum and offering advice on how to find out more about the memorials as well as other centenary events in London. More details here.
Located in the Elephant & Castle area of South London, the Imperial War Museum’s First World War Galleries are home to a major (an free to attend) exhibition offering the chance to “discover the story of the First World War through the lives of those who experienced it both on the front line and at home.” Visit the museum online.