Editorial policy and sources

What this site is

John Lennon Memorials is a database of public memorials to John Lennon and the Beatles: statues, busts, plaques, walls, museums and places people travel to see. Each record has a page with the facts we could confirm, the sources behind them and directions to the spot.

Where the data comes from

We start from open data and published reporting, never from other directory sites:

• Wikidata and Wikipedia in several languages, used as pointers. Where an article cites a news report or an official page, we follow the citation and check the original.
• OpenStreetMap, which usually has the most precise coordinates. When OpenStreetMap and Wikidata disagree on a position, we use OpenStreetMap.
• Local press, often in the local language: city newspapers, national broadcasters and news agencies that covered an unveiling, a theft or a relocation.
• Official sources: city councils, universities, museums, venues and tourism boards.
• Wikimedia Commons for photos, only under licences that allow commercial reuse, with the author credited under the image.

Every page lists the sources it relies on, with the date each one was checked.

How a fact gets onto a page

A field in the Key facts box (date, artist, material, height, address and so on) is filled only when at least one source supports it. If we cannot find a source, the field is left out rather than guessed.

When credible sources disagree, and neither is clearly better, we leave the field empty and describe the disagreement in the text: "reports give 1982 and 1985". When one side is clearly better supported, for example four contemporary news reports against a single later aside, we go with the stronger evidence and keep a note of the decision.

Photos

Photos without a credit line are the site's own. Other photos come from Wikimedia Commons, with the author and licence shown under the image. We do not use images licensed for non-commercial use only, and an illustration is labelled as an illustration.

What "last checked" means

The date at the bottom of a memorial page is when its facts were last compared against the sources listed. Memorials get moved, vandalised, stolen and restored, so a page can go out of date. If you have been there recently and something has changed, please tell us.

Corrections

Corrections are welcome and are the fastest way to keep the database accurate. Send the page address, what is wrong and, if possible, a link or a photo showing the current state. See Corrections. Confirmed corrections are applied to the record and the "last checked" date is updated.

Use of AI

We use AI tools to help gather sources, compare them and draft text. Every published fact has to trace back to a listed source, and the pages are reviewed before publishing. We do not publish invented visits, quotes or anecdotes.

Independence

This site is not affiliated with Apple Corps, the Beatles, Yoko Ono Lennon or the Lennon estate, or with any memorial, venue or museum listed here. No listing is paid for.

Last updated 13 September 2026.