Poster for the Red Cross Interflora Flower Relief for Columbia Appeal
Production date
1985
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Description
Poster for the Red Cross 'Flower Relief for Colombia' appeal in collaboration with Interflora, with all proceeds going to the campaign.
The poster shows a drawing of a mountain with flowers in red flowing down its side. It dates from 1985.
Close to midnight on the 13th of November 1985, the volcano Nevado del Ruíz erupted and began sending devastating mudflows, consisting of melted ice from its glaciers, rocks and debris down its slopes.
The volcano is located in the Andes mountains in the department of Tolima in central Colombia, around 30 miles from the town of Armero. The entire town was covered in the mud, and over 20,000 of the 29,000 inhabitants were killed. Another estimated 3,000 people were killed in nearby towns. It is the deadliest volcanic disruption of its kind in recorded history, and the disaster is now known as the 'Armero Tragedy.'
The Columbian Red Cross, along with the civil defence and the military, were first on site, but they were soon joined by the International disaster relief community and individual incentives from more than 40 foreign countries.
The tragedy of Armero remains one of the single biggest disasters in a country with many tragic events throughout its history. I was particularly drawn to this object because I have visited what is left of Armero. The remaining ruins stand as an abandoned ghost town, with crosses scattered all over in commemoration of the victims.
Audio recording by Maria Gundestrup-Larsen (Volunteer), Edinburgh.
The poster shows a drawing of a mountain with flowers in red flowing down its side. It dates from 1985.
Close to midnight on the 13th of November 1985, the volcano Nevado del Ruíz erupted and began sending devastating mudflows, consisting of melted ice from its glaciers, rocks and debris down its slopes.
The volcano is located in the Andes mountains in the department of Tolima in central Colombia, around 30 miles from the town of Armero. The entire town was covered in the mud, and over 20,000 of the 29,000 inhabitants were killed. Another estimated 3,000 people were killed in nearby towns. It is the deadliest volcanic disruption of its kind in recorded history, and the disaster is now known as the 'Armero Tragedy.'
The Columbian Red Cross, along with the civil defence and the military, were first on site, but they were soon joined by the International disaster relief community and individual incentives from more than 40 foreign countries.
The tragedy of Armero remains one of the single biggest disasters in a country with many tragic events throughout its history. I was particularly drawn to this object because I have visited what is left of Armero. The remaining ruins stand as an abandoned ghost town, with crosses scattered all over in commemoration of the victims.
Audio recording by Maria Gundestrup-Larsen (Volunteer), Edinburgh.
Collection Type
Objects
Media/Materials
Catalogue Number
97(10)/3
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Subject auto tags
Object Types
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