800,000 ceramic poppies turn the Tower of London’s moat red

Remembering the First World War’s fallen soldiers

by Aaron Souppouris

Aug 4, 2014, 11:38 AM UTC

Image credit: Jim Crossley / Creative Commons.

As the world remembers the centenary of the First World War, London’s Tower of London is being covered by ceramic poppies to commemorate the lives lost in the conflict. Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red is an evolving installation that will see 888,246 of the artificial flowers “planted,” at the tower, each representing a British or Colonial death during the war.

The first poppy was planted by YS Crawford Butler, the oldest serving of the site’s Yeoman Warders (popularly known as Beefeaters) back in June. Since then, hundreds of thousands have been added, cascading down from the Tower’s windows and out across its dry moat. More will be planted through to the installation’s final day, November 11th, which will be the 96th anniversary of the war’s end.

‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ pictures

1/4YS Crawford Butler, the Tower of London’s longest-serving Yeoman Warder, plants the first ceramic poppy last June (image credit: Richard Lea-Hair / Historical Royal Palaces).

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