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

Shakespeare's house - Blackfriars

Shakespeare's house - Blackfriars

EC4, 7 St Andrew's Hill, 7

Various sources identify Shakespeare's house, the gatehouse, as having been on the site of what is now the Cockpit pub at this junction, ...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Hugh McGlashon

Hugh McGlashon

E1, Hunton Street, McGlashon House

McGlashon House This block was built in 1961 by Stepney Borough Council and was named after Hugh William McGlashon (1872 - 1953) who serv...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Sir N. E. Waterhouse

Sir N. E. Waterhouse

EC2, Frederick's Place, 1

This stone was laid by Sir Nicholas Edwin Waterhouse, KBE, 21st January 1955.

1 subject commemorated
London Casino

London Casino

W1, Frith Street, 20

The doors are labelled "Prince Edward Theatre", whose main entrance is in Old Compton Street.

1 subject commemorated
Chiswick National School

Chiswick National School

W4, Sutton Court Road

The text suggests that the stone came from the original 1812 building but the style does not look old enough. Despite the layout, the ent...

1 subject commemorated

Previously viewed

Coachmakers' Hall

Coachmakers' Hall

The Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers received their charter in 1677 and initially did not have a hall of their own. Following the Great Fire the Worshipful Company of Scr...

Building, Liveries & Guilds

1 memorial
Andrew Young

Andrew Young

Andrew Young was born on 28 June 1848, a son of James Young (1808-1887) and Isabel Young née Ford (1813-1883). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1848 in the Westminster registration di...

Person, Politics & Administration, Property

1 memorial