Tiny traces: African & Asian children at London's Foundling Hospital, Foundling Museum, London

Abstract

This review discusses the temporary exhibition, Tiny Traces: African & Asian Children at London's Foundling Hospital, which offers an insight into the lives of children from the African and Asian diasporas at the Foundling Hospital in Georgian London. Presenting the findings of new research undertaken in the Hospital's archive, the exhibition reveals the untold stories of fourteen African and Asian children. More broadly, the exhibition traces the history of diasporic communities in London from 1739 to 1820. By considering the role of empire and colonialism, Tiny Traces reflects upon the treatment of African and Asian diasporas and the circumstances that led to these children's mothers placing them into the care of the hospital. The inclusion of work by contemporary artists that responds to these stories and to the absences in the formal historical records enriches the exhibition by demonstrating the ways dominant histories are being challenged. The exhibition makes an important contribution to knowledge of diasporic life at the Foundling Hospital and across Georgian London more broadly. By revealing previously untold stories, Tiny Traces contributes to efforts to reveal hidden history and to challenge the absence of certain groups.