Lived in London: The Stories Behind the Blue Plaques by Emily Cole (Editor), Stephen Fry

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Synopsis

Described by Disraeli as “a roost for every bird,” London has been home to figures as varied as Winston Churchill, Virginia Woolf, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jimi Hendrix. Since 1866 the city has commemorated the link between notable figures and the buildings in which they lived and work through a series of blue plaques. Lived in London provides an introduction to the many people and buildings honored through this program that connects people and place, drawing out the human element of the historic environment and helping to save a number of London’s buildings from demolition.

Library Journal

Commemorating an unexpectedly inclusive set of individuals who lived and worked in particular buildings in London, the hundreds of blue plaques affixed since 1866 to a variety of points on facades highlight the link among people, events, and the architecture that enclosed them. Arranging contributions by borough, Cole, senior investigator and head of the blue plaques division of English Heritage, begins each section with a short social and architectural history as well as a street map to which the text is helpfully keyed. More than simply an architectural guidebook, this volume offers short biographical essays based on English Heritage's files on the honorees, whom the general public can nominate. A blend of historic photographs of people and contemporary photographs of buildings results in a rich set of illustrations (250 color and 200 b&w). VERDICT Far too large to serve as an on-site reference during architectural walks, this handsomely produced labor of love might have more utility were it published in multiple volumes. For staunch architecture and urban history readers.—Paul Glassman, Felician Coll. Lib., Lodi, NJ

Biography

Emily Cole is Senior Investigator at English Heritage and Head of the Blue Plaques Division