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Monday 3 November 2014

Meet the unsung heroes of the glorious artwork captivating Britain at the Tower tribute to the WWI fallen

Meet the unsung heroes of the glorious artwork captivating Britain.
The sea of red commemorating the fallen that now surrounds the Tower of London is proving overwhelmingly popular with visitors.
As Remembrance Day approaches, the 888,246 ceramic poppies – one for each of the Commonwealth soldiers who died in he First World War – offer a focus for reflection on the horrors and sacrifice of conflict.
They have been progressively filling the Tower’s 16-acre dry moat over the summer, with the final one being put in place on November 11.
Scroll down for video 
Yeoman Serjeant Bob Loughlin walks through a mass of ceramic poppies which form the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red tribute at the Tower of London
Yeoman Serjeant Bob Loughlin walks through a mass of ceramic poppies which form the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red tribute at the Tower of London
A volunteer plants one of the 888,246 china poppies at the sea of red commemoration which has been visited by hundreds of thousands of people
A volunteer plants one of the 888,246 china poppies at the sea of red commemoration which has been visited by hundreds of thousands of people
It was the vision of artist Paul Cummins, inspired by an unknown soldier from his home town of Derby.
He said: ‘I read through wills of First World War soldiers and came across one man who said everyone he knew had been killed.
‘He wrote of “blood swept lands and seas of red, where angels dare to tread”. It read like a poem and it just seemed to fit.’


Paul, who is studying for a PhD at Derby University, added: ‘This is the biggest thing I have done.
‘I am amazed that people have taken it to heart.’
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s theatrical designer Tom Piper helped realise the vision, and each poppy has been sold for £25, raising millions for Service charities.
Respect: The Duchess of Cambridge plants a poppy at the Tower of London in August
Respect: The Duchess of Cambridge plants a poppy at the Tower of London in August

But how were they actually created? The Mail on Sunday was given a guided tour of the factory specially set up to make the poppies on an industrial estate in Derby. 
There, almost 50 workers, most of whom have relatives in the Armed Forces, make the flowers by hand... 
Step one: Sliced and squashed 
Step one is to slice the blocks of terracotta clay with a bow saw before it is squashed into thin 4mm sheets in an electronic rolling machine.
Worker Will Young slices clay so it can be put through a rolling machine and make it thin enough to mould into the correct shape
Worker Will Young slices clay so it can be put through a rolling machine and make it thin enough to mould into the correct shape

Step two: Cut like pastry   
The shape of the petals are stamped out with cutters, almost like pastry, in two different sizes for the two layers of the flower. Both are clover-like, with three petals.
 Michaela Prochazkova stamps petal shapes using cutters at the ceramic poppy factory in Derby
 Michaela Prochazkova stamps petal shapes using cutters at the ceramic poppy factory in Derby
The clay petals are carefully cut out at the factory to make them look as realistic as possible
The clay petals are carefully cut out at the factory to make them look as realistic as possible

Step three: A hole lot of work
The two petal shapes are then amalgamated to form the flowers. The workers use the tool above to make a hole manually in the centre of each shape, which are aligned as they connect the layers together. 
888,246 poppies - one for each WWI Commonwealth fatality - will be installed at the Tower of London memorial by November 11
888,246 poppies - one for each WWI Commonwealth fatality - will be installed at the Tower of London memorial by November 11
Next step: The two petal shapes are amalgamated and a hole in the centre of the poppy is cut out
Next step: The two petal shapes are amalgamated and a hole in the centre of the poppy is cut out

Step four: The flower blossoms 
The most difficult part of the process is making the final flower. Each one is different, depending on who makes it.
The petals on the top layer are lifted up, then those behind are manipulated to subtly support them.
Finally the edges of the top petals are squidged together and shaped to make them look more realistic.
Worker Nicki Dennett concentrates as she carefully moulds the petals into the shape of the flower
Worker Nicki Dennett concentrates as she carefully moulds the petals into the shape of the flower
Starting to take shape: The flat shapes are pinched and twisted to make the recognisable flowers
Starting to take shape: The flat shapes are pinched and twisted to make the recognisable flowers
Ms Dennett and Cherelle Bibby make trays of the flowers before popping them on to trays ahead of a blast in a kiln
Ms Dennett and Cherelle Bibby make trays of the flowers before popping them on to trays ahead of a blast in a kiln

Step five: You're fired! 
The clay flowers are then put on racks around the room for 24 hours until they are ‘leather hard’.
‘Because the kilns are on all the time, it’s always warm in here,’ says Paul. ‘So the ambient temperature dries them very quickly.
‘The flowers are then put into a kiln for up to eight hours where they are fired up to 1,000C.’
Hundreds of poppies go into the kiln at once, where temperatures will reach upwards of 1,000C
Hundreds of poppies go into the kiln at once, where temperatures will reach upwards of 1,000C
The fired flowers are then boxed before being sent to another facility to be glazed bright red
The fired flowers are then boxed before being sent to another facility to be glazed bright red

Step six: Double glazing 
Finally the flowers are dipped twice into a scarlet glaze – a base coat and a top coat – and placed back into the kiln where they are heated to 1,117C. 
When they have cooled, they are sent to the Tower of London, and put into place, mounted on metal stalks that are stuck into the ground. 
After the glaze, the clay flowers are dried before being sent to the Tower of London to be planted
After the glaze, the clay flowers are dried before being sent to the Tower of London to be planted
The finished works of art are fitted to metal stalks at the Tower before taking their place in the memorial
The finished works of art are fitted to metal stalks at the Tower before taking their place in the memorial
Paul Cummins, behind Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, holds up one of the finished masterpieces
Paul Cummins, behind Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, holds up one of the finished masterpieces



Via: Dailymail.

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