See Handel's original will as well as portraits, documents and musical scores relating to his bequest.
See Handel's original will as well as portraits, documents and musical scores relating to his bequest.
In 1750 Handel wrote two copies of his will, and over his remaining nine years he added four codicils. They offer a rare glimpse of his personal as well as his professional life, naming friends as well as colleagues, placing his servants at the head of his list of beneficiaries, and reflecting his compassion for those who had not achieved the comfort and status which he enjoyed.
Handel’s Will: Love and Legacy investigates the people who benefited from his will, as well as the charities he endowed. As well as the original will, the display includes portraits, documents and musical scores relating to the bequests, the beneficiaries and those preparation of the documents themselves, placing it in the context of other musicians’ wills and exploring the context for Handel’s support of two charities, the Society of Musicians and the Foundling Hospital.

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Foundling Museum
40 Brunswick Square, London, Greater London, WC1N 1AZ
020 7841 3600
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