The moat around the Tower of London has run dry for over 170 years but in honour of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War on August 5, Paul Cummins‘ installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red will see 888,246 ceramic poppies flood the Tower, to honour the number of British and Colonial soldiers who perished in the war.
Volunteers will periodically plant the ceramic flowers in the Towers’ moat, with the final one laid on November 11, the date that commemorates the armistice agreement that ended the war in 1918. Once the installation is taken down in November, each individual poppy will be available for purchase for £25 (roughly $42) and proceeds will be split among six different charities.
