The Tower of London’s moat is filling with hundreds of thousands of ceramic poppies, commemorating the members of British or colonial forces killed during the First World War.
‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ was unveiled during a visit by Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry on August 5th 2014. Each ‘planted’ a poppy.
The exhibition title was inspired by a line of poetry left with the will of a Derbyshire soldier who joined up in the earliest days of the war and died in Flanders.
The evolving installation will see 888,246 poppies encircle the Tower by November 11th 2014, some appearing to cascade into the moat from the walls.
Each represents a British or colonial military death during the First World War. The last of the poppies will be symbolically installed on Armistice Day.
The poppies are being sold in aid of six service charities; Combat Stress, Coming Home, the Confederation of Service Charities (COBSEO), Help for Heroes, the Royal British Legion and SSAFA.
‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ has been created by the ceramic artist, Paul Cummins, with setting by stage designer Tom Piper.
More details can be found here.
Source: Historic Royal Palaces
Images courtesy of Caroline Alhadeff
Posted by: Peter Alhadeff, Centenary News