Plaque

Infants Hospital - plaque

Inscription

This memorial stone was laid by HRH the Duchess of Albany on May 2nd 1907.

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.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Infants Hospital - plaque

Subjects commemorated i

Infants Hospital

From the always useful Lost Hospitals of London: "The St Francis Hospital for...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Infants Hospital - plaque

Created by i

Helena, Duchess of Albany

Born in Arolsen as Helena Frederica Augusta of Waldeck & Pyrmont. Married...

Read More

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

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Howard Staunton

Howard Staunton

W11, Lansdowne Road, 117

Howard Staunton, 1810 - 1874, British World Chess Champion, lived here, 1871 - 1874. English Heritage

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Lionism in the British Isles

Lionism in the British Isles

W1, Park Lane

The wall this plaque is on possibly belongs to the Inter-Continental Hotel but there was another building here in 1950; probably a hotel ...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Fred Haines

Fred Haines

W6, Furnivall Gardens

The tree-less plaque is in the lawn some distance to the right, outside our photo, which was taken from inside the garden. Concerning Fu...

1 subject commemorated
Swedish Chamber of Commerce

Swedish Chamber of Commerce

EC3, Trinity Square, 14

In our photo the plaque is on the wall facing left. The original front door was almost certainly on the corner of the building, facing th...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
PP - 3G - Maconoghu

PP - 3G - Maconoghu

EC1, Edward Street

This plaque was created specifically to fill the gap left by the corrected Pumping Works plaque which was reerected in 2H. The hero's sur...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators