The Foundling Museum tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, London's first home for abandoned children and of three major figures in British history: its campaigning founder the philanthropist Thomas Coram, the artist William Hogarth, and the composer George Frideric Handel. These pioneering men never had any children of their own but dedicated themselves to London’s foundlings. This remarkable collection of art and social history is now housed in a restored and refurbished building adjacent to the original site of the Hospital, which was demolished in 1926. Over 3 centuries, the Foundling Hospital cared for 27,000 children. It was also Britain’s first art gallery as artists gave their work so wealthy benefactors would visit and pledge donations to the Hospital.
The Foundling Museum opened in 2004 and is housed in a fully-restored 1930s building with many of the fixtures salvaged from the original hospital.
Find out more about the history of the Foundling Museum.
Coram Boy is a book by Jamila Gavin and tells the story of a boy brought up in the Foundling Hospital School.
Coram Boy is a play based on the book and has played at the National Theater in London and on Broadway.
