Nicole Smith

Professor Evenden

Arts & Arts Administration Internship Tutorial

21 October 2010

Assignment #1: The Foundling Museum

For the next two months I will be working in an internship position with the

Foundling Museum in London. The museum, which chronicles and celebrates the

founding and history of the Foundling Hospital in London is unique in that it is really

three museums in one. Firstly. The Foundling Museum tells the story of the work of

Captain Thomas Coram, his dream to establish a charitable hospital and home for

exposed or abandoned children and the subsequent founding of the hospital in 1739.

Secondly the museum is a preserve of Britain’s first great public art collection showcased

in original period interiors as the collection would have been displayed in the Foundling

Hospital, including works by Hograth, Reynolds and Gainsborough. Thirdly, the museum

is host to one of the most extensive private collections of 18th century composer George

Fredric Handel memorabilia, musical works and writings. The museum also strives to

work closely with the Coram Family, an independent modern day charity rooted in the

foundations of the original Foundling Hospital, to ensure that vulnerable and socially

excluded children and their families are continuously involved in the museum’s activities

as their stories become part of the ongoing history of charitable childcare in London. The

museum tells and fascinating and inspirational story of one of London’s proudest

achievements. It narrates the moving history of the lives of foundling children and their

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absent parents, celebrates the work and art of those who supported the hospital’s success,

and maintains an active role in supporting the welfare of children.

According to the museum’s mission statement, The Foundling Museum is faced

with the responsibility of “securing the long-term preservation of the historic Foundling

Hospital collection for the education and enjoyment of future generations”. This includes

the history of Thomas Coram and the hospital’s founding, the stories of the hospital’s

children and their absent families, the art collection and artists’ history, the period rooms,

décor and furniture of the original hospital, and the present day work of charity

organizations in London. As a private organization, the museum does not receive much in

the way of public funding, but instead relies on private sponsorship, donations and

revenue to keep the museum up and running. The sustainability of private funding is

dependent upon the museum’s dedication and adherence to the mission statement set

forth, and the successfulness of these undertakings. The museum must also maintain its

validity as a current and progressive body that in some way gives back to or enhances the

community and therefore, the Foundling Museum aims to highlight the importance of its

roles beyond the history of the hospital and into present day charity works. The museum

hosts a wide-range of family-friendly events and activities, runs education day programs

of school groups and adults, integrates contemporary works and stories into its temporary

exhibits and is heavily involved in supporting the works of the Coram Family children’s

charity.

The museum promotes itself as both a preservation of history and heritage as well

as an active community organization. By highlighting its ties to the community through

the Coram Family and other charitable institutions, the museum is in fact branding itself

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as a charitable institution itself. Naturally, the history of the hospital and its philanthropic

founders is an important part of this identity. However, its responsibilities are not limited

only to the preservation of these histories, but also the promotion of their themes. The

museum outs children first, offering them free admission and carting programs and

events to school groups and family activities. Children’s faces and images of foundlings

of the hospital are usually depicted on brochures and printed material, as they represent

the core of the museum’s purpose. In a way, the exhibitions, most specifically “Coram’s

Children” in the Social History gallery pull heavily on the emotional power of these

stories of exposed and abandoned children and their mothers. This heightened emotion is

then translated into the present day efforts of childcare charity and the current work that

is taking place in London. By showcasing these stories and highlighting the ties between

the hospital’s past and the museum’s present programs, the museum is establishing itself

as a vital part of the community and a living piece of heritage. As a member of the

Foundling team, I now have the responsibility to help promote this idea.

During my time with the Foundling Museum I will be working with both the

Front of House team and well as the Events Department. For half of the week I am

responsible for performing Front of House duties including gallery stewarding, operating

the front till for admission and shop sales and answering visitor’s questions via phone and

in person, as well as cash out and lock ups for the day. During this time I am also

preparing for a ten to fifteen minute gallery talk, which I will be presenting sometime

during the next few months. In order to prepare for this talk I have been grated use of the

museum’s small library as well any catalogues, books or materials available in the

bookstore. Although most of my time is spent researching, I also help out with any small

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tasks that need to be done in the museum in any department requiring my help. The

second half of the week I work with the Events Department, which is responsible for

organizing and facilitating any corporate, private, or museum engagements that take

place on the museum’s property. This includes meeting with clients, compiling invites

and guest lists, arrangement of catering and technical needs, creation and management of

time matrixes, and the set-up and tear down. Some examples of events include exhibition

openings, corporate dinners or receptions and evening lectures. My first few weeks with

the Foundling Museum have already been very eventful, demanding and exciting.

On my first day I was asked to report to the Front of House Manager Shelly

Mullane. The day was to be primarily devoted to getting acquainted with the museum and

my responsibilities. In the morning Emma, one of the museum’s volunteers, gave me a

tour of the permanent collection. This was the second tour I had been given of the

museum, yet it was still a new experience since each guide seems to have an individual

take on the museum collection and can point out new or different things. Since the

opening of the museum’s newest exhibition, “Threads of Feeling”, was only a few days

away, the staff and museum spaces were very hectic and a bit out of order. For this same

reason, I did not see much of my supervisor on Tuesday, or throughout most of the week.

Instead, I was left in the care of other volunteers and interns who helped as a learned

more about the museum’s history and was introduced to workings of the Front of House

staff. I was given a volunteers pack which included general information about the

Foundling Museum as well as outlining daily duties and responsibilities, rules and

regulations, safety and health guidelines and operating procedures. Most of my morning

was spent in Gallery steward positions throughout the museum, As a steward, you are

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encouraged to engage and interact with museum visitors, and to act as a point of further

information. Also, you are responsibly for monitoring the galleries for added security for

the collection and visitor’s safety. After lunch I was then placed on Front of house till

duty, were I learned how to work the cash register and interact with visitors as the are

arriving and leaving. My responsibilities for the afternoon included selling admission and

shop items, answering phones, answering visitor inquires, managing the coat check and

keeping the shop and museum entrance tidy.

Throughout the week, it was requested that I spend the day helping in the Events

Department since a Trustee of the museum was in need of help in organizing an event for

the end of November. Therefore, after a short gallery steward shift, I was sent to the

archives library where I was introduced to Carolyn Steen, a Trustee of the Foundling

Museum. I was given the task of helping Carolyn organize, write, assemble and send over

250 letters to past present and hopefully future museum donors inviting them to a dinner

to celebrate the inauguration of the new President and Vice Presidents of the Foundling

Museum. While the work itself was mundane, the purpose behind the event and its

significance to the museum was not lost to me. Carolyn explained that the positions of

President and Vice Presidents were new to the museum and that this event was not only a

way to keep supported updated and involved in the museum but to also ask that they

might continue to support the museum finically. Care was taken to individually address

and sign each letter and invitation. I spent most the afternoons continuing to help with

this task and would later help to prepare for evening events, such as the opening reception

and private viewing the brand new exhibition.

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There have been a number of events in the museum within the past few weeks.

My work with the Events Department, while still connected to my front of House duties,

is very different. For instance, there were over 250 people in attendance for the official

opening of the “Threads of Feeling” exhibition and the reception. I was responsible for

helping to set up audio systems and lecterns beforehand and during the event I was asked

to hand out exhibition guides, help visitors find there way around the museum, promote

donation opportunities and answer any inquires about the museum and the exhibition.

The atmosphere and be extremely hectic and demanding, but it is a great way to promote

the exhibition and engage with the visitors. It was wonderful to see some of the first

reactions and responses to the “Threads of Feeling” exhibition and everyone seemed very

pleases with the results of the evening. Other events throughout the last few weeks have

included a corporate meeting and reception in which Princess Anne was in attendance

and other breakfast meetings and events for Foundling members.

Throughout the week I continued to serve as a gallery steward when needed and

took time to work on my research for my upcoming gallery talk. Researching works in

the collection has been a wonderful way for me to become more familiar with the history

of the hospital, it founders and its collection. Although my presentation will focus on

specific works, I am also seeking to gain a greater knowledge of Thomas Coram and

William Hogarath and the history of the foundlings. My work with Carolyn and a few

other museum trustees has also helped me expand my knowledge of the museum in both

its heritage as well as its present functions and needs. Organizing huge events for donors

and sponsors has helped me understand how a private museum like the Foundling

survives through fundraising and self-promotion.

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My second week has so far been just as exciting and engaging. I am continuing

my research and learning more about the museum everyday. I have been given more

responsibilities in Front of House operations and am learning more about cashing out and

locking up the museum. I am learning first hand how an event is organized from

inception to execution through my work with Carolyn as we begin to compile a guest list

for the upcoming event and initiate questions of budget, scheduling and follow-up

communications. One of the events this week even included a visit from royalty, HRH

Princess Anne and require intense management and communication with royal security

and police officers. There are many elements which come into play when organizing a

successful event, and in the past week I have had the chance to witness some of these in

action. I look forward to continuing to help with the organization of this event as well as

others in the coming months.

The Foundling Museum has so far been a wonderful place to work. The staff,

volunteers, interns and even the museum guest are all very friendly. I have found the

projects interesting and engaging and feel that I am learning more with each day. One

thing that has stuck me about the museum is the sense of ownership and community that

staff and visitors feel towards the museum and its history. The story of the hospital’s

founding and mission, as well and the lives it affected is a moving one, and in a way, I

believe this is one respect in which the museum remains relevant to community. It builds

a tie between the social work and charity of today and the past.