of the eleventh day of the eleventh month is when we commemorate Armistice Day. I'm a bit ashamed to say that I never really knew what it was, or why my grandmother called it Armistice Day but I knew it as Veteran's Day. This year I felt it was time to finally find out.
What prompted my interest this year was the poppies installation at the Tower of London. My neighbor is from England and shared this photo taken by her cousin.
In this view it really lives up to its official name, "Blood Swept Lands And Seas Of Red". This is an installation of 888,246 ceramic poppies by artist Paul Cummins and stage designer Tom Piper to mark the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. Each poppy represents a British soldier that died between 1914 and 1921. Cummins' inspiration was the unsigned will of a man who died fighting in Flanders.
“I don’t know his name or where he was buried or anything about him. But this line he wrote, when everyone he knew was dead and everywhere around him was covered in blood, jumped out at me. The line was, “The blood-swept lands and seas of red, where angels fear to tread.”
The BBC has more incredible photos that help to better appreciate the scope and effect of this extraordinary yet terrible art.
Would that it had really been the war to end all wars.
I saw pictures of the poppies this week - what an amazing tribute!
ReplyDeleteThat installation is INCREDIBLE! I've been fascinated by the photos all week. Just . . . so powerful. Thanks for sharing it today.
ReplyDeleteWow! I've seen a photo or two, but didn't know the background. Thank you for doing the research...and sharing it. It's beautiful and heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mary, thank you for sharing more of the history that just the snippets I heard. It is a powerful image and reminder of a terrible war. Thank you for sharing more about the story.
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