Holding the Baby

A travelling oral history exhibition and podcast sharing stories of childcare and parenting from London's East End. Exhibition tour took place from March 2018 - March 2019. It was displayed in every library in Newham and in the Whitechapel Idea Store.

The exhibition allowed visitors to sit comfortably and listen to short stories from the Holding the Baby archive on a specially adapted 1950s radio. Toys were provided for young children to play with while their carers listened.

Visitors have told us

“This is a very interesting exhibition, me and my children enjoyed it very much.”

“Beautiful experience to stop and listen”

“The whole set up of the exhibition is amazing. It really transported me to the East London of the past”.

Exhibition design by Fuzzy Duck.

If you would like to host the exhibition please contact us.

Holding the Baby was funded by Gilda Street Trust in memory of Gilda O'Neill. The archive is held at Bishopsgate Institute and the project has been supported by Newham Bookshop and the London Borough of Newham's Libraries.