Places to Explore
Amazing places to learn about the history of midwives and childbirth
1 FOUNDLING MUSEUM
In 1739 Thomas Coram founded a hospital dedicated to children who were abandoned – what at the time were termed ‘foundlings’. Despite London being a place packed with opportunities and through which masses of wealth f lowed, it also had a vast population gripped by poverty. The museum states that around 1,000 babies were abandoned in the city every year. Since then the hospital has evolved into the children’s charity Coram, still dedicated to helping vulnerable children, while the building itself has been converted into a museum.
The exhibitions in the museum change with some regularity, but a recurring theme of its display and events is motherhood and childbirth, both in terms of historical objects and more contemporary art shows. The museum also hosts talks with experts and workshops for children that offer interactive opportunities for learning. It’s a great place to see history and the modern world come together in a historic building that’s deeply connected to the topic.
Open 10am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday and from 11am on Sundays. Tickets start at £9.50 for adults.
2 MUSEUM OF MOTHERHOOD
Dedicated to expanding people’s understanding of pregnancy, birth and caregiving, the Museum of Motherhood was founded in 2019. Its history goes back to 2003 when it was first conceived by Martha Joy Rose and started as exhibits displayed in the Mommy Girl Go-Go Store in Dobbs Ferry, New York.
It then moved to an exhibition space in Manhattan in 2011 before relocating to Florida in 2016. It is the first exhibition and education centre dedicated to art, science and history around this topic.
While the museum mostly covers the last 250 years or so of North American history regarding motherhood and the care of children, it has a number of international partners as well. Exhibits include art celebrating motherhood, historical studies of the role of the mother in society during different time periods, and various artefacts associated with being a mother from US history. It also hosts events, talks and does workshops and internships for students wanting to learn more.
Open Wednesday to Saturday from 12pm-6pm. Entrance is free, but donations are welcome.
3 VALENCE HOUSE MUSEUM
Valence House is a fascinating building in its own right, being the only surviving manor house of five that originally stood in Dagenham, East London, with a history dating back to the 13th century. It has housed a number of influential families over the centuries, but since 1938
