This year’s Summer Event takes the form of a private viewing of the Foundling Museum the evening of Monday 13th July. It offers privileged access to some of London’s best preserved period interiors, and its collections of art and music which showcase the history of abandoned children in England. Hosted in an exclusive venue, the Friends of Bulgaria Summer Event brings together two charities concerned with childcare, past and present.
Between 6.30 – 9.00 pm. drinks will be served in the stately Picture Gallery.
Guests will have the opportunity of participating in guided visits of the museum’s collections.
Tickets cost £30 and due to security requirements will only be issued in advance.
You can buy tickets using our donations page HERE.
Please consider filling in the GiftAid form when you buy your tickets.
Email christev@hotmail.com in case if any problems.
The Foundling Museum
40 Brunswick Square
London WC1N 1AZ
Map: http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk/documents/Mapandopeningtimes.pdf
Rail: Euston // St Pancras // King’s Cross (10 mins walk)
Tube: Russell Square (2 mins walk) // King’s Cross // St Pancras
Bus: 59, 68, 91, 168, 188 to Southampton Row // Russell Square
Parking: Limited metered parking or at the National Car Park at the Brunswick Centre (entrance on Marchmont Street).
There is no parking outside the Museum.
The Foundling Museum occupies the site of the first home for abandoned children in England, founded by a merchant captain with a social conscience, the childless Captain Coram. It tells the story of his campaign for the plight of children abandoned in the streets of London-‘foundlings’ – and of his successful award of a Royal charter in 1739. The purpose-built Foundling Hospital became a curiosity in its day and attracted the attention of society at large, including artists and musicians in London, many of whom became Governors.
Following Hogarth’s example, several other painters donated their work and Handel dedicated a performance of his popular Messiah annually for the benefit of the Hospital. As in effect the first public art gallery in London anticipating the Royal Academy, the Foundling Hospital acquired a unique collection of works of art and music now conserved for the public in the Museum, which attest to the reciprocal benefits of enlightened philanthropy and the arts.
The tradition of the Foundling Hospital continues today at Coram, a separate charity promoting the welfare of socially disturbed children by pioneering programmes of adoption and fostering, parent relationships and integration into adult life. Coram is located in a modern campus adjoining the Museum enabling the neighbourly interplay between social welfare and the arts to continue to set an example for greater social awareness and cooperation.