“Britain's original home for abandoned children and London's first ever public art gallery”

            In the 1700s the life of an orphaned child in London was tough beyond all imagination.  Many lived on the streets and became involved in a life of crime just to survive.  Thousands died from pure abuse, neglect and disease. 

            Abandoned babies and children were common due to the stigma of illegitimacy.  The actions of one man were to begin the establishment an organisation which would care for thousands of these children, provide them with an education and ensure that they were trained ready for the workforce upon leaving the hospital.

            Thomas Coram was a sea captain/entrepreneur who travelled the world for many years and, upon his return to London, became shocked at the vast numbers of abandoned babies and incensed at the waste of humanity.

            Coram campaigned for the founding of a hospital to save these children.  In 1741 the first children were admitted to a temporary house in Hatton Garden.  In 1742 the foundations were laid for a new hospital in the Bloomsbury area.

            Coram forged a number of contacts in the world of music and arts.  The artist William Hogarth and composer Handel were central to the success of the Founding Hospital.  The mid-1700s were the golden age of philanthropy.  At this time morality and self-interest flowed together to the common good.

            Hogarth served as a Governor of The Foundling Hospital.  He encouraged artists to donate their work to the Hospital.  It became a popular pursuit of wealthy sectors of society to pay to view the exhibition of pictures and observe life in the hospital and the good work being done as a result of their donations.  At this time, there was nowhere for artists to display their work in London.  The success of the galleries at the Foundling Hospital led to the formation of the Royal Academy of Arts.

            Handel’s involvement may have come through his connection with the music publisher John Walsh who was elected Governor in 1748.  The proceeds from a number of his concerts helped to pay for the completion of the Hospital Chapel building.

            The Foundling Museum is an exhibition charting the history of the formation of The Foundling Hospital.  It’s a good idea to allow a couple of hours to look round and explore this fascinating place.

            The nearest tube station is Russell Square on the Piccadilly Line.

            The Museum contact details and opening hours are shown below:-

The Foundling Museum
40 Brunswick Square

London WC1N 1AZ
Telephone: 020 7841 3600 //
E-mail: enquiries@foundlingmuseum.org.uk

Tues–Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 12–6pm

Easter Weekend: CLOSED on Friday 21 and Sunday 23
Admission £5, Concessions £4, Children up to 16 years FREE
School visits are free. Special rates apply for groups

It’s a good idea to begin your visit at the ground floor exhibition which details the early history of The Foundling Hospital.  Here you can also see the register of the very first children admitted to the hospital and some of the uniforms which were designed by the artist William Hogarth.

The children were usually admitted as babies and farmed out to wet nurses in the country for the first 3-6 years of their lives.  Many children developed close attachments to the wet nurses and almost looked upon them as their mothers although there were some instances of cruelty to some orphans.  However, for those who had a good experience, it must have come as a shock to have to return to the hospital for some disciplined environment of the hospital for their education.  The girls were trained for a life in service and the boys for sea, agricultural and manual labour.

As places at the hospital were limited there were various admission procedures.  One of these procedures involved mothers picking a ball from a container.  The colour of the ball denoted if they were successful in getting their baby admitted, if the baby’s name went on a list or if it was rejected.  You can view pictures of this procedure taking place.  Eventually, the hospital was required to accept all babies and this ultimately led to the establishment of other hospitals in different parts of the country in order to cope with the large number of admissions.

On the second floor of the museum, you can view some of the portraits which were donated by various artists to the hospital.  Many of the portraits are of wealthy patrons and there are works by the artists Hogarth, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Wilson, Hayman, Highmore, Roubiliac and Rysbrack.  There is also a heart-rending display of the small tokens left by mothers with their children before leaving them.  Many are little trinkets and bracelets.  One mother also wrote a very touching poem which you can read.

On the third floor, there is an area devoted to the work of Handel and his connections to the hospital.  Apparently his early performances of the Messiah in London were not too successful as they took place in theatres which was considered not quite right by many of the public due to the religious connotations of the piece.  However, the performances at the Founding Hospital chapel were considered more appropriate were a resounding success.

Don’t leave without taking in the very interesting exhibition in the basement area on Crystal Palace.   Crystal Palace was originally built in 1851 in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of Works and Industry of all Nations.  The exhibition was aimed to educate people about the world and the complete history of civilisation. The phrase “Crystal Palace” was coined by Punch magazine.  Some 6 million people visited the exhibition.  This remarkable iron and glass building was later moved and re-erected in Sydenham, South London.  The building contained the first ever dinosaur park as well as numerous sculptures and fountains.  Sadly, Crystal Palace was destroyed by fire in 1936.  In this exhibition you can view pictures charting it’s construction and different performances and events held there.  There is also a selection of old tickets for various Handel concerts held there and old news cuttings telling the story of the sad destruction of the palace. 

All in all a trip to the Foundling Museum makes for a very informative afternoon out.  Afterwards, you can go to the nearby Brunswick centre for a coffee, some shopping or a trip to the cinema.

The Directory Administrator