'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red'

Alan Taylor
November 11, 2014
16 Photos
In Focus

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I in 1914. On this year's Armistice Day in London, a massive work of art dedicated to commonwealth servicemen and women lost a century ago reached its conclusion. The evolving installation, titled "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red", began back on July 17, with the placing of a single ceramic poppy in the moat of the Tower of London. In the months since, another 888,245 poppies were added, each representing a military fatality from World War I. The poppies were arranged to appear as a flowing sea of blood pouring from the Tower's "Weeping Window". More than four million visitors have already viewed the installation, which will start to come down soon.

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"Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" by artist Paul Cummins, under construction in the moat of the Tower of London on September 10, 2014. Each of the 888,246 ceramic poppies represents an allied victim of the First World War. Starting tomorrow, each poppy from the installation will be available to buy for 25 GBP. #

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Red ceramic poppies that form part of the art installation "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" at the Tower of London, viewed from the top of the Shard on October 27, 2014. #

Reuters/Suzanne Plunkett

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The first of hundreds of thousands. On July 17, 2014, Crawford Butler, the longest serving Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London, with the first ceramic poppy to be planted as part of the evolving "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" installation in the dry moat of the tower in London. #

AP Photo/Matt Dunham

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People take pictures of "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" after its official unveiling in the dry moat of the Tower of London on August 5, 2014. #

AP Photo/Matt Dunham

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Volunteers plant ceramic poppies for the art installation called "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" at the Tower of London on September 20, 2014. #

Reuters/Toby Melville

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Ceramic poppies covered in rainwater at the Tower of London on October 16, 2014. #

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A rain-covered ceramic poppy, part of the art installation "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" in London on October 29, 2014. #

Reuters/Peter Nicholls

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A photograph of Corporal Thomas William Belton of the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry, who died in Belgium in World War One at the age of 25, is placed on railings surrounding the "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" installation on November 9, 2014. #

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Visitors photograph the "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red", illuminated at the Tower of London on November 9, 2014. #

Reuters/Neil Hall

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A detail of "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" on November 7, 2014. #

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II walks through a field of ceramic poppies at The Tower of London on October 16, 2014. #

AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

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"Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red", illuminated at night, on November 9, 2014. #

Reuters/Neil Hall

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Visitors view "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" on October 30, 2014. #

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Large crowds view a sea of ceramic poppies in the Tower of London moat on November 2, 2014. #

Reuters/Toby Melville

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Chelsea Pensioner Albert Willis plants a ceramic poppy amongst other poppies, part of "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" at the Tower of London on October 9, 2014. #

Reuters/Luke MacGregor

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On Armistice Day, November 11, 2014, as the last of the 888,246 poppies were placed, Britain's General Sir Francis Richard Dannatt reads out the names of service personnel killed in World War I, in the moat area of the Tower of London. #

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