Cultural CapitalWalk through almost any part of London and sooner or later you will spot a round blue plaque on a wall, marking the building where a notable person lived or worked. The scheme feels timeless, yet it has a traceable history. This short article draws on the Royal Society for the Arts (RSA), whose predecessor, the Society of Arts, ran the scheme first. It is educational content only.
A suggestion in Parliament
The RSA's archive says the scheme followed a suggestion in Parliament by William Ewart MP in 1866. The Society of Arts' Treasurer at the time, George Bartley, then proposed that the Society should take the idea forward.
Why the scheme began
The RSA says its Treasurer, George Bartley, feared that old London was being torn down, and saw a plaque scheme as a way to mark the homes of famous people before they vanished.
The first plaques
The first plaques were made by the Staffordshire potter Herbert Minton as round blue ceramic discs. According to the RSA, two were fixed in 1867: one for Lord Byron's birthplace on Holles Street, and one for Napoleon III's former home on King Street. The plaque for Napoleon III is the oldest to survive.
Who has run the scheme
Most of the Society's later plaques were terracotta brown rather than blue. It secured permission from property owners and published a list of other historic residences that might deserve one.
- The Society of Arts (now the RSA) ran the scheme first. It added more plaques, secured the permission of property owners and affixed 35 in total.
- London County Council took the scheme over in 1901, after the RSA persuaded it to do so.
- English Heritage has run it since 1986, and the scheme has since spread well beyond London.
Why plaques matter to cultural capital
In Bourdieu's sense, cultural capital includes the knowledge and familiarity a person builds up over time. Blue plaques are a small but useful example of how public spaces can carry that knowledge. A plaque gives a passer-by a short piece of information, a name and a connection to the place, without needing a ticket, a book or a guide. It is a way of learning that is open to anyone who looks up.
Ways to explore
- Pick a street you know well and look for plaques you have never noticed.
- Choose one name and read a short biography from a reliable library or museum source.
- Ask which people or places in your own area you think are worth remembering, and how you might find out whether they are already recorded.
A note on sources
This article summarises one source, the RSA's account of its blue plaque scheme, and does not cover every plaque scheme in the UK. For current details on eligibility and how plaques are chosen today, see the website of the organisation that runs the scheme. Cultural Capital provides educational and research content only. It does not provide financial promotions, financial advice or regulated services.