Foundlings Museum

The Foundling Museum in London, located in Brunswick Square, tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, the UK’s first children’s charity institution and London’s first public art gallery. Founded in 1739 by philanthropist Thomas Coram, the hospital was created to care for abandoned children. The museum, opened in 2004, is located on the site of the original hospital and incorporates many architectural features from the 18th century. The Foundling Hospital welcomed its first group of 30 infants on March 25, 1741. Over its more than two centuries of activity, it assisted around 25,000 children. Among its most illustrious supporters were artist William Hogarth and composer George Frideric Handel. Hogarth encouraged leading artists of his time to donate works to the hospital, turning it into an important art gallery. Handel, on the other hand, organized annual concerts of his “Messiah” in the hospital chapel to raise funds.Today, the museum houses an eclectic collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, furniture, and ceramics. The displayed works include those of contemporary artists such as Yinka Shonibare, Tracey Emin, and Michael Craig-Martin, as well as masterpieces by 18th-century masters like Hogarth, Thomas Gainsborough, and Joshua Reynolds. One of the most touching sections of the museum is dedicated to “tokens,” small objects that mothers left with their children when they entrusted them to the hospital. These tokens, which could be rings, ribbons, or coins, served as identification in case the mothers could one day reclaim their children. Today, these objects represent poignant testimonies of personal stories and the social reality of the time.The museum also offers a series of temporary exhibitions that explore various aspects of the history and culture related to the Foundling Hospital and its mission. One of the recent exhibitions, “Found,” brought together works selected by nearly seventy writers, musicians, and artists, creating a dialogue between past and present through art objects that evoke the concept of “lost and found.”The Gerald Coke Handel Collection is another valuable resource of the museum, comprising over 14,000 items including manuscripts, scores, books, artworks, and sound recordings. This collection offers a unique opportunity to delve into the life and work of Handel and his contemporaries, representing a fundamental resource for scholars and music enthusiasts.The Foundling Museum is not only a place of historical memory but also an active center for education and community engagement. It regularly organizes workshops, conferences, and activities for schools, families, and adults, aiming to inspire positive change through art and history. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum developed online initiatives to stay connected with communities and make its collections accessible.An interesting anecdote concerns the founding process of the Foundling Hospital. Thomas Coram spent 17 years lobbying influential figures of the time to obtain the necessary support to establish the hospital. In the end, he managed to obtain a royal charter from King George II in 1739, thanks also to the support of people like Hogarth and Handel.