Thursday 2 February 2012

(London Museum #4) The Foundling Museum

This is No 4 on my list of museums I've never seen before. It is really 3 small museums in one. It was Britain's first public art gallery; it houses a collection of Handel's music and it tells the story of Coram's foundling children. These were the abandoned babies of the mid 1700s who were just left to die really until Thomas Coram opened a home for them. Really interesting museum with exhibits of tokens left by the mothers for their abandoned children. Can also listen to taped interviews with some of the children who were brought up there during the last 50 years or so. There is also a temporary exhibition of illustrations by Quentin Blake which are well worth a look.