The Foundling Museum in London

Back in February we went to London for one of Justin's Christmas present train trips. In between trains we checked out the Foundling Museum. 

Rebecca had watched some episodes of the historical fiction show Hetty Feather, about a foundling girl in the 19th century who lived in the Foundling Hospital the museum centered on. We all really enjoyed the museum, even Justin who was eager for his next train.

All the artwork, many by famous artists who donated works to the Hospital as benefactors, pictured children, often with Jesus helping them.

There were exhibits covering daily life for the foundlings, including a dress up station that Rebecca enjoyed. I'm glad she's not a foundling, but she does look pretty cute in the bonnet. If she were really a foundling, she wouldn't be wearing shoes, since they shared them between each other.

Handel served as one of the most famous benefactor-artists of the hospital. Indeed, his famous Messiah was performed every year to raise money for the foundlings. The top floor of the museum was dedicated to him and his contributions. Here, Justin holds open Handel's carefully preserved will. Both kids favorite part of the top floor were the listening chairs. Each chair had several selections by Handel in different categories of music (oratorios, sacred music, etc.) If you sat in the chair you could press a button to listen to the different pieces.

We probably spent a good half hour in these chairs, going in between them all to listen, and could easily have spent longer if we didn't have to leave to catch a train.

Although the museum is small relative to some of the bigger and more famous ones in London, we all found it well worth the visit and would even go back again if we were in the neighborhood.