Symposium | The Greenwich and Foundling Hospitals

Posted in conferences (to attend) by Editor on October 10, 2017

Art, Charity, and the Navy: The Greenwich and Foundling Hospitals
Greenwich and London, 30 October 2017

In this one-day symposium explore similarities in the origins, artistic involvement, and philanthropic purpose of the Foundling Hospital and the Greenwich Royal Hospital for Seamen.

The Foundling Hospital and the Greenwich Royal Hospital are eighteenth-century institutions with many similarities, both charitable hospitals with strong ties to maritime Britain. The Foundling Hospital was the first children’s charity in Britain, established by Royal Charter in 1739 by Captain Thomas Coram, a shipwright in the American colonies. The Royal Hospital for Seamen, Greenwich, was established by Royal Charter in 1694 and from 1712 also incorporated a naval school.

Along with presentations and discussion with expert speakers, the day includes:
• A tour of the Chapel at the Old Royal Naval College, formerly the place of worship for the inhabitants of the Royal Hospital for Seamen
• The opportunity to see the Foundling Museum’s historic Court Room and Picture Gallery, displaying works of art by Hogarth, Gainsborough, Highmore, Ramsay, and many others
• A visit to the exhibition Basic Instincts
• Lunch, tea and coffee, and early evening drinks reception

Speakers include Will Palin (Director of Conservation, Old Royal Naval College), Christine Riding (Head of Arts and Curator of the Queen’s House), Caro Howell (Director of the Foundling Museum), and Jacqueline Riding (Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London, and Curator of the exhibition Basic Instincts).

Morning, Queen’s House, Royal Museums Greenwich and the Old Royal Naval College; afternoon, Foundling Museum. Participants will make their own way between the two sites. Tickets £50, £40 concessions and Foundling Friends.

The programme is available here»