Medical Services sponsors Hidden Treasures exhibition

Antique Roadshow toys expert Bunny Campione, will be the guest of honour at the launch of the 30th art exhibition at Homerton Hospital.

The new exhibition called “hidden treasures” is a collection of photographs of toys throughout the ages and is result of a collaborative project between the hospital and the Museum of Childhood at Bethnal Green (a division of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London). The main sponsor is Medical Services Limited, a leading provider of patient transport and emergency courier services to the NHS.

The photographs have been taken by the hospital’s arts curator, Shaun Caton. Shaun gained exclusive access to the Museum’s  basement to seek out his subjects.

Shaun said: “Hidden treasures is a photographic journey through the store room cupboards and cabinets beneath the museum - a visual record of some extraordinary objects and items related to the history of childhood.”

The exhibition comprises 64 colour photographs that reveal close up details about historic toys housed in the collections, ranging from ancient Roman and Syrian grave goods - including glass phials used to collect children’s tears - to dolls and other toys through the ages.

It also includes some references to healthcare, with the inclusion of Victorian porcelain feeding bottles and inhalers.

Shaun added:“Taking the concept of concealment and storage as a starting point, the photographs evince a world in suspended animation, in which toys await imaginative discovery and exploration (we have boxes of sleeping dolls and piled up teddy bears). In creating this exhibition, we hope to commemorate the unseen, boxed and wrapped up world of the Museum’s rich heritage, opening up this world to the hospital’s diverse culture and community.”

Note to editors: Bunny Campione will be launching the exhibition in the Education Centre at Homerton Hospital at 5.30pm on Wednesday October 21. Reporters and photographers are welcome to attend and should report to Mark Purcell.