Died of Cholera Here: Visit London! campaign faces criticism from marketing department
English Heritage Reveals Uncomfortable Truth About Memorial Strategy
English Heritage has confirmed that approximately 73% of London’s historical plaques commemorate locations where people experienced “spectacularly unpleasant deaths” and that framing mass death sites as cultural attractions has been “surprisingly lucrative.” The revelation came during a strategy meeting when someone asked why tourists enthusiastically photograph markers indicating plague victims, cholera outbreaks, and various Victorian-era industrial accidents.
Plague Pit Tourism Generates £2.3 Million Annually
“We’ve monetised mass graves,” explained Heritage Committee chairman Gerald Pemberton-Smythe with unexpected candour. “That blue plaque saying ’47 people died here of preventable disease in 1854′? Tourists love it. They take selfies. It’s gruesome, but it pays for the gift shop.” The committee noted that plaques marking “someone important lived here” generate minimal interest compared to those indicating “someone important died here, probably screaming.”
New Plaque Categories Include “Genuinely Horrifying” Tier
The committee has introduced subcategories to help tourists navigate London’s catalogue of historical unpleasantness. Bronze plaques indicate “routine death,” silver marks “noteworthy suffering,” while the new platinum tier reserves special recognition for locations where “multiple forms of death occurred simultaneously.” Highgate Cemetery has requested its own postal code for efficiency purposes.
John Snow Pub Plaque Celebrates Man Who Discovered Sewage Was Bad
“We’ve got a plaque near Broad Street commemorating the exact pump that killed hundreds of people,” noted plaque historian Dr. Margaret Thornbury. “Then we’ve got a pub named after the doctor who figured out drinking sewage was inadvisable. The whole area is essentially a cholera theme park, and tour groups queue for photos.” When asked if this was inappropriate, Thornbury pointed out that London’s entire tourism industry relies on people finding historical suffering “charmingly educational.”
Marketing Department Proposes “Died Here” Walking Tours
Visit London has announced plans for themed routes including “Plague and Pestilence,” “Industrial Accidents of Note,” and the premium “Spectacularly Preventable Deaths” experience. “People want authenticity,” explained tourism director James Morrison. “Nothing says authentic London quite like standing where hundreds of people died because Victorian sewage systems were essentially decorative.” Early bookings suggest strong international interest, particularly from tourists who find modern London insufficiently Gothic.
SOURCE: https://www.thepoke.com/?london-death-plaques
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