Relief

Infants Hospital - baby 5

Site: Infants Hospital (6 memorials)

SW1, Udall Street

The two be-wreathed babies are on the building on the south-east side of the street, which was the 1914 nurses home; the others on the, photographed, north-west side. The arch at the left of our photo contains a nicely foliated cartouche "The Infants Hospital". Since the hospital closed in 1995 this building and the nurses home have been converted into flats.

These swaddled babies have their inspiration in work by Della Robbia. His bambini were installed on the Ospedale degli Innocenti (Hospital of the Innocents) in 1487 in Florence and the image of a swaddled baby has since become a symbol of paediatrics.

We can't get over the impression that these babies are semaphoring to each other, possibly asking when the sack race starts.

Note: Udall Street was known as Alfred Street until probably about 1930-40.

2019: We found another of these babies - at "130 Poplar High Street, built as a Roman Catholic Settlement of the Holy Child at No. 130(–132). This demure block was built, primarily as a youth club, in 1955–6, to designs by Adrian Gilbert Scott (1882–1963)" Text from British History Online. Photograph.

2022: We published another swaddled baby at Bonner Street WW1 memorial.

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Infants Hospital - baby 5

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Festival of Britain - Symbol

Festival of Britain - Symbol

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This building was put up in 1951 by architects Ronald Ward and Partners. Ornamental Passions has an excellent report on the building.

1 subject commemorated
Saville Theatre - Holmes

Saville Theatre - Holmes

WC2, Shaftesbury Avenue, Odeon Covent Garden

Ornamental Passions thinks this probably represents Tod Slaughter in the role, but we are not convinced. We can't find an image of Slaugh...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Faraday on the ICI building entrance doors

Faraday on the ICI building entrance doors

SW1, Millbank, 9, Imperial Chemical House

These doors are in the centre of the river frontage of the building. Mapping of sculptureĀ alerted us to this memorial: "The ground floor...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Tull, Samuel, & Co - Fenchurch Street

Tull, Samuel, & Co - Fenchurch Street

EC3, Fenchurch Street, 153

The building was designed by Osborn & Russel and erected in 1880.From Public Monument and Sculpture Association we learn: Small City ...

1 subject commemorated
Crest - National Bank Ltd

Crest - National Bank Ltd

W8, Notting Hill Gate, 78

Probably erected with the building in the 1960s.

1 subject commemorated