Nov 12, 2014

One down….888,245 to go.

The poppy exhibition at the Tower of London has become a national sensation, with some 4 million people expected to have seen it by the time the last of the 888,246 poppies — one for every Commonwealth soldier who died in the First World War — was planted on Nov. 11, the day the war ended in 1918.

The removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks.

: Volunteers begin removing 888,246 hand-made poppies, representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war at Tower of London on November 12, 2014 in London, England. Around five million people are thought to have visited the artwork entitled ‘Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ by artist Paul Cummins and Tom Piper and removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

: Visitors view the ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ installation at Tower of London on October 30, 2014 in London, England. The installation by artists Paul Cummins and Tom Piper will eventually consist of 888,246 ceramic poppies – representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

: John Mould, who has worked at Hampton Court Palace for over fifty years, removes the first of 888,246 hand-made poppies, representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war at Tower of London on November 12, 2014 in London, England. Around five million people are thought to have visited the artwork entitled ‘Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ by artist Paul Cummins and Tom Piper and removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

: A volunteer begins removing 888,246 hand-made poppies, representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war at Tower of London on November 12, 2014 in London, England. Around five million people are thought to have visited the artwork entitled ‘Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ by artist Paul Cummins and Tom Piper and removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

: A volunteer begins removing 888,246 hand-made poppies, representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war at Tower of London on November 12, 2014 in London, England. Around five million people are thought to have visited the artwork entitled ‘Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ by artist Paul Cummins and Tom Piper and removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

: Volunteers begin removing 888,246 hand-made poppies, representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war at Tower of London on November 12, 2014 in London, England. Around five million people are thought to have visited the artwork entitled ‘Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ by artist Paul Cummins and Tom Piper and removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

: A volunteer begins removing 888,246 hand-made poppies, representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war at Tower of London on November 12, 2014 in London, England. Around five million people are thought to have visited the artwork entitled ‘Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ by artist Paul Cummins and Tom Piper and removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

: A volunteer begins removing 888,246 hand-made poppies, representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war at Tower of London on November 12, 2014 in London, England. Around five million people are thought to have visited the artwork entitled ‘Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ by artist Paul Cummins and Tom Piper and removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

: Volunteers begin removing 888,246 hand-made poppies, representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war at Tower of London on November 12, 2014 in London, England. Around five million people are thought to have visited the artwork entitled ‘Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ by artist Paul Cummins and Tom Piper and removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

: Volunteers begin removing 888,246 hand-made poppies, representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war at Tower of London on November 12, 2014 in London, England. Around five million people are thought to have visited the artwork entitled ‘Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ by artist Paul Cummins and Tom Piper and removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

: Volunteers begin removing 888,246 hand-made poppies, representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war at Tower of London on November 12, 2014 in London, England. Around five million people are thought to have visited the artwork entitled ‘Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ by artist Paul Cummins and Tom Piper and removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

: A volunteer begins removing 888,246 hand-made poppies, representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war at Tower of London on November 12, 2014 in London, England. Around five million people are thought to have visited the artwork entitled ‘Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ by artist Paul Cummins and Tom Piper and removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

: Volunteers begin removing 888,246 hand-made poppies, representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war at Tower of London on November 12, 2014 in London, England. Around five million people are thought to have visited the artwork entitled ‘Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ by artist Paul Cummins and Tom Piper and removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

: Volunteers begin removing 888,246 hand-made poppies, representing each of the commonwealth servicemen and women killed in the first world war at Tower of London on November 12, 2014 in London, England. Around five million people are thought to have visited the artwork entitled ‘Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ by artist Paul Cummins and Tom Piper and removal is estimated to take 8,000 volunteers around two weeks. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Since its royal opening in August, the installation has become a must-see on the tourist trail. At any given hour — the artwork is floodlit at night — onlookers are pressed against the black iron railings at the Tower of London peering down at the moat, many pausing in reflective silence before snapping photos: one of the most arresting images is of the “Weeping Window,” where poppies cascade out of a Yeoman Warder’s window, spilling out onto the moat like an ever-expanding river of blood.- Reuters reports

Workers remove 888,245 poppies from the Tower of London by hand

Leave a Reply Cancel