Foundling Museum facts for kids
The museum's façade, Brunswick Square. A statue of Thomas Coram is to the far right.
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| Established | 2004 |
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| Location | Brunswick Square London, WC1 United Kingdom |
| Type | Art gallery, Museum |
| Visitors | c. 40,000 per year |
| Public transit access |  Russell Square |
The Foundling Museum in London tells an important story. It's about the Foundling Hospital, which was Britain's very first home for babies whose parents couldn't care for them. The museum keeps two special collections. One is the Foundling Hospital Collection, full of items from the hospital's past. The other is the Gerald Coke Handel Collection, which has many things about the famous composer George Frideric Handel.
The museum reopened in 2004 after a big makeover. It shows how artists like William Hogarth and musicians like Handel helped children for over 275 years. The Foundling Hospital is now a children's charity called Coram. The museum is part of The London Museums of Health & Medicine group.
Contents
History of the Foundling Hospital
The Foundling Hospital was started by a kind man named Thomas Coram in 1739. He spent 17 years working hard to make it happen. Finally, King George II gave him permission to open Britain's first children's charity. It was located in Bloomsbury, London.
By the 1920s, London had grown a lot. The hospital was no longer in a quiet area. So, the people in charge decided to move the hospital. They built a new, modern place in Berkhamsted. The old building in Bloomsbury was sold and torn down in 1926.
Later, between 1935 and 1937, the Thomas Coram Foundation built a new main office. This new building at 40 Brunswick Square used parts of the old hospital's design. It even included some fancy Rococo style rooms.
How the Museum Started
The Foundling Museum became its own charity in 1998. To protect and show the collections, a plan was made in 2002. The Coram charity lent the artworks to the museum. This allowed the museum to raise money to buy them over 25 years.
The museum building was updated between 2003 and 2004. It was designed by the company Jestico + Whiles.
Exploring the Collections
The museum looks after two main collections. These are the Foundling Hospital Collection and the Foundling Museum Collection. The second one includes the Gerald Coke Handel Collection. These collections show things from the 1700s all the way to the 1900s. They help visitors see how the past connects to today.
The Foundling Hospital Collection has art by famous British artists from the 1700s. These include William Hogarth, Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds, and Louis-Francois Roubiliac. These artists gave their paintings and sculptures to help the hospital. This made the hospital like Britain's first public art gallery.
The museum also has everyday items from the Foundling Hospital. You can see old books, documents, music, photos, and even recordings of people's stories. There are also clocks, furniture, and parts of rooms. Many of these were made just for the hospital.
Special Tokens and Memories
Some of the most touching items are the Foundling Hospital tokens. These were small things like coins, buttons, jewelry, or poems. Mothers left them with their babies when they brought them to the hospital. The tokens were a way for the hospital to identify a child if the mother ever came back to claim them. Most mothers never saw their children again. These tokens are now carefully kept by the museum.
The Committee Room
The Committee Room looks like one of the original hospital rooms. This is where mothers would be interviewed to see if their baby could be admitted. Today, it shows paintings, sculptures, and furniture. You can see Hogarth's funny painting, The March of the Guards to Finchley. There are also paintings by Emma Brownlow from the 1800s. These show scenes from the lives of the children at the hospital.
The Picture Gallery
The Picture Gallery is a copy of the original gallery in the hospital's West Wing. On the walls, you'll see paintings of the hospital's leaders over the years. These include William Hogarth's amazing painting of Thomas Coram. There's also Allan Ramsay’s portrait of Dr Richard Mead. You can also see portraits by Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Hudson.
The Court Room
The Court Room was where the hospital's leaders held meetings. They also entertained important guests here. This room has one of the best examples of Rococo style in London. It has a beautiful plaster ceiling. This ceiling was a gift to the hospital from a plasterer named William Wilton. Paintings here include Hogarth's Moses before Pharaoh’s Daughter. You can also see Gainsborough's picture of London's Charterhouse.
The Gerald Coke Handel Collection
The top floor of the Foundling Museum holds the Gerald Coke Handel Collection. Here, you can learn about Handel's connection to the Foundling Hospital. You can see his will and many of his music papers. There are also books, artworks, and old concert programs. A special copy of Handel's famous Messiah music is also on display. You can even sit in special chairs that play nine hours of Handel's music.
See also
In Spanish: Museo Foundling para niños
