The Tower of London’s ceramic poppies have been the topic of conversation since they were first installed in 2014. The art installation, known as “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red,” was created by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper. The installation consisted of 888,246 handmade ceramic poppies, each representing a British military fatality during World War I.
Origins
The idea for the installation came from Paul Cummins, who had previously created smaller installations using ceramic flowers. He initially proposed the idea to a local council in Derbyshire before it was brought to the attention of Historic Royal Palaces, who run the Tower of London.
Installation
Installation began on July 17th, 2014 with the help of over 16,000 volunteers. Each poppy was hand-planted into the Tower’s moat by volunteers from all over the world. By November 11th, all 888,246 poppies were in place.
Exhibition
The exhibition quickly became a major attraction, drawing in millions of visitors from around the world. People flocked to see the sea of red poppies spilling out from the Tower walls into its surrounding moat.
Sale and Distribution
After its display at the Tower ended on November 11th, 2014 (Remembrance Day), each individual poppy was sold for £25 (around $31 USD) with proceeds going towards six different military charities. Buyers were given the option to have their poppy shipped to them or left planted at the installation site until November 2015.
Legacy
The ceramic poppies quickly became an iconic symbol not only for Remembrance Day but also for World War I as a whole. The success of “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red” led to similar installations being created around the world, including in Australia and Canada.
Current State
As mentioned earlier, buyers had the option to leave their poppies planted at the Tower of London until November 2015. After that, all remaining poppies were removed and distributed among buyers. However, some poppies were left unclaimed and have since been sent to various museums and institutions for display.
The Imperial War Museums
A significant number of poppies were donated to the Imperial War Museums (IWM) in London. The IWM has displayed the poppies at various locations, including at their London location as well as at other sites around the UK.
The National WWI Museum and Memorial
The National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri also received a significant number of poppies. The museum even created an interactive exhibit allowing visitors to “plant” their own virtual poppy.
- Conclusion:
The ceramic poppies from the Tower of London’s “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red” installation have become a powerful symbol for Remembrance Day and World War I as a whole. While most individual poppies have been claimed by buyers, many have found new homes in museums around the world where they continue to be displayed today.