The Foundling Museum celebrates the history of the first shelter for orphaned children and its major contributors: Thomas Coram, William Hogarth, and George Frideric Handel. The museum displays donated art and focuses on the lives of orphans. It hosts concerts, workshops, and private events. The museum is built on the original hospital site and offers educational activities for children.
The Foundling Museum celebrates the history of the hospital of the same name and its three major contributors: philanthropist Thomas Coram, noted painter William Hogarth, and famed composer George Frideric Handel. This hospital used to be a shelter for orphaned children and was the first of its kind. Its story has been enriched by the help of the three men who brought the arts and the attention of several socially significant figures to the hospital and their cause. The museum’s main focus is on the contributions of these men, the art donated to the hospital, and the lives of orphans. It’s a popular venue for concerts, book signings, and private events.
One of the factors that made the Foundling Hospital and its subsequent museum unique was the men involved who helped raise awareness and distinguish it by linking the hospital to the arts. Thomas Coram, who founded the Foundling Hospital, worked for nearly 20 years prior to its opening to raise awareness and interest, as well as secure government funding. William Hogarth became one of the hospital’s first governors and also used it to open the first public art gallery in England. George Frideric Handel also ran the hospital and held fundraising concerts for his cause.
The Foundling Museum site is on the same tract of land as the original hospital and is located next to Coram Fields, which is a playground dedicated to Coram. The Foundling Museum is built with parts of the original hospital incorporated into it, including a grand staircase that used to be in the boys’ hospital wing. Many of the donated original paintings are also in the museum, as are the newly donated works. Many of the rooms in the Museo degli Innocenti are restorations of what the hospital looked like with the artwork on display.
As of 2011, the Museo degli Innocenti still holds several concerts throughout the year. From time to time, former Foundling Hospital children come to the museum to chat about their time there and their lives afterward. Several free workshops are also sometimes held at the museum to help support the creativity of potential artists. Private events ranging from luncheons to weddings are also often held at the museum. In line with the original aim of helping children, the museum regularly offers different educational paths and activities to promote children’s knowledge.
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