The tokens from the abandoned children are part of an exhibit taking place now in Lisbon at the Historical Archive of Santa Casa da Misericórdia. It is a humbling experience to see through these objects the agony of the mother, or the parents of a child, having to make a decision that changed the child's life forever. The "expostos" were not only children of an illicit relationship as many could think today, but often they were from a family who could not take care of all of their children due to their poor economic life.
"These «tokens» are mostly composed of a ‘note’, i.e., a textual document, usually on paper, in which the parent, or someone designated thereby, recorded information regarding the child that was considered necessary or useful. The «token» essentially served as a mark and individualizing element of the child, but sometimes it was also used as a means of sharing anxieties, the causes of abandonment and also the conveyance of requests regarding the child’s future." Arquivo da Santa Casa de Misericórida, Lisboa - Portugal.
"Some of these documents, in addition to the ‘note’, were accompanied by other pieces that, from a symbolic point of view, aimed to place the abandoned child under the protection, shielding or intercession of the divine (through images of saints, medals, crucifixes, etc.), secular objects (charms, clovers, amulets, playing cards, etc.), or even affective items (ribbons, embroidery, socks, mother’s hair, etc.)." - Arquivo da Santa Casa de Misericórida, Lisboa - Portugal.
A video of the exhibit is on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/oPJdxn-5jTM
Address:
Santa Casa de Misericórida, Lisboa - Portugal
Largo Trindade Coelho
1200-470 Lisboa
The pdf "Os Expostos da Roda da Santa Casa de Misericórida de Lisboa - Museu de São Roque" is the catalog from a previous exhibit and can be download at
http://microsite.scml.pt/apoio/ah/os_expostos_da_roda_da_scml.pdf
Os Expostos da Roda da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa: uma exposição com catálogo, n.º 7, Ano IV, de 2001, pp. 108-115. Texto de Francisco d'Orey Manoel e Teresa Freitas Morna.
You can also read more about the foundling wheel at Wikipedia website:
"These «tokens» are mostly composed of a ‘note’, i.e., a textual document, usually on paper, in which the parent, or someone designated thereby, recorded information regarding the child that was considered necessary or useful. The «token» essentially served as a mark and individualizing element of the child, but sometimes it was also used as a means of sharing anxieties, the causes of abandonment and also the conveyance of requests regarding the child’s future." Arquivo da Santa Casa de Misericórida, Lisboa - Portugal.
Image from two of the tokens from the online exhibit "Sinais de Crianças Expostas", Arquivo da Santa Casa de Misericórida, Lisboa - Portugal - http://mais.scml.pt/sinaisdeexpostos/
Accessed on 29 Jan 2020.
In English: http://mais.scml.pt/sinaisdeexpostos/en/
Accessed on 29 Jan 2020.
"Some of these documents, in addition to the ‘note’, were accompanied by other pieces that, from a symbolic point of view, aimed to place the abandoned child under the protection, shielding or intercession of the divine (through images of saints, medals, crucifixes, etc.), secular objects (charms, clovers, amulets, playing cards, etc.), or even affective items (ribbons, embroidery, socks, mother’s hair, etc.)." - Arquivo da Santa Casa de Misericórida, Lisboa - Portugal.
A video of the exhibit is on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/oPJdxn-5jTM
Address:
Santa Casa de Misericórida, Lisboa - Portugal
Largo Trindade Coelho
1200-470 Lisboa
The pdf "Os Expostos da Roda da Santa Casa de Misericórida de Lisboa - Museu de São Roque" is the catalog from a previous exhibit and can be download at
http://microsite.scml.pt/apoio/ah/os_expostos_da_roda_da_scml.pdf
Os Expostos da Roda da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa: uma exposição com catálogo, n.º 7, Ano IV, de 2001, pp. 108-115. Texto de Francisco d'Orey Manoel e Teresa Freitas Morna.
You can also read more about the foundling wheel at Wikipedia website:
"In Brazil and Portugal, foundling wheels (roda dos expostos/enjeitados, literally "wheel for exposed/rejected ones") were also used after Queen Maria I proclaimed on May 24, 1783, that all towns should have a foundling hospital. One example was the wheel installed at the Santa Casa de Misericordia hospital in São Paulo on July 2, 1825. This was taken out of use on June 5, 1949, declared incompatible with the modern social system after five years' debate."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_hatch#History - accessed 29 Jan 2020.
