Conservation of the 1948 Olympic Roll of Honour Plaques: Fid-Bau Portal

Conservation of the 1948 Olympic Roll of Honour Plaques

Pretty, Tim / Foster, Alison

The original Wembley Stadium in London was built in the mid-1920s for the British Empire Exhibition, subsequently becoming the national football stadium and a centre for national sport in the UK. Following its use as one of the venues for the 1948 Olympic Games, two monumental plaques, later known as ‘The Olympic Roll of Honour’, were commissioned from sculptor Hugo Powell to commemorate the names of the gold medal winners. The plaques were set within the concrete walls to either side of the Royal Tunnel entrance. When the stadium was demolished in 2003, the plaques were extracted, conserved and stored until a suitable home could be found for them—a lengthy process that significantly affected the conservation programme. The conservators were able to meet Powell and gain unique insights into the context, design and manufacture of the plaques. The plaques have finally been returned to Wembley, in time for a new London Olympics, as part of an exhibition display within the new stadium.