The City Adventurers visited the Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury, a site that powerfully blends social history with world-class art.
The UK’s First Children’s Charity
Established in 1739 by the philanthropist Thomas Coram, the original Foundling Hospital was the first home in the UK for children at risk of abandonment. Coram’s vision was brought to life through the extraordinary support of two cultural giants:
- William Hogarth: The celebrated artist who transformed the hospital into the UK’s first public art gallery by donating his own work and encouraging his contemporaries to do the same.
- George Frideric Handel: The composer who famously held benefit concerts of his Messiah in the hospital chapel, a tradition that continues to be celebrated today.
Poignant Treasures and Secrets
The museum today houses deeply moving collections that tell the stories of the 25,000 children who lived there over two centuries:
- The Tokens: Perhaps the most heart-wrenching exhibits are the small everyday objects—coins, buttons, or scraps of fabric—left by mothers with their babies. These were intended as unique identifiers in the hope that the mothers might one day be financially stable enough to reclaim their children.
- Historic Interiors: While the original hospital building was demolished in the 1920s, the museum (reconstructed in the 1930s) features stunning original 18th-century interiors, including the magnificent Rococo Court Room.
- The Handel Collection: Music lovers can explore the Gerald Coke Handel Collection, which includes Handel’s will and his own manuscript score of the Messiah.
Plan your visit at The Foundling Museum
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