Holidays are great things. You have the time to go and see all those exhibitions you’ve had to put off due to families, studies or work. I spent a recent holiday making the most of it, hot-footing it around London’s museums and galleries.

The Foundling Museum’s Threads of Feeling was a reflection on the tokens mothers left with their children when they delivered them to the Foundling Hospital orphanage during the 18th century. A memorable object was pinned to the inventory notes for each child. This was a form of identity for when mothers came to reclaim their children, and was necessary as the Hospital removed any trace of the child’s history once registered – even their names were changed.

Threads of Feeling explored the textiles-based tokens left behind in vast inventories. Embroidered poems urge a child never to give up on their mother returning. Swatches of plain navy wool remind us that, in the 18th century, most children’s clothing was made from the material of their parents’ cast-offs. Vivid ribbons and chintzes, colours still fresh after more than 200 years safely kept from harmful UV rays, are an ironic burst of brightness in an otherwise sad tale. Another irony: this is one of the best resources of 18th Century fabric in the world.

These fabric pieces are a gentle reminder that clothing in the 18th century wasn’t all about the finest silks and embroidery that money could buy, however beautiful the gowns displayed in museums are. The swatches are proof of the harsh reality of everyday living for millions of people who couldn’t afford new clothes, let alone the opportunity to keep their babies. These are the few material artefacts we have that stand testament to the reality of life for the majority of 18th century society.

Sadly, less than 1% of the children were ever collected by their mothers. It was a profoundly moving exhibition, using small scraps of material to tell huge stories.

(Image courtesy of the Foundling Museum, London)

BDW