I have been researching more adoption information since the completion of this year’s semester and the subject is so broad it is difficult to stay on a particular track; although I will have to at some point.
I have been reading about the trauma of forced adoption and the endless repercussions. With this in mind I have found it useful to work on a series of small projects in order to process some of the information I have gleaned.
For example, I have looked at a website written and produced by Rose Bell who shares her research on mother and baby homes in the mid twentieth century. http://www.motherandbabyhomes.com/. Rose writes about what life was like in the homes as well as quoting some of the mothers personal stories. The homes Bell refers to are not the infamous homes run by nuns, but nevertheless they convey the torment and guilt many of the young unmarried mothers suffered as a result of being inside them. Bell states; ‘I feel so honoured to bear witness to these stories, and hope that by sharing them others can develop a greater understanding for an historical phenomenon which continues to have a very real impact on women and their children today.’
These stories are still current and the pain continues as mothers search for their children and children search for their birth mothers. But at the same time there are mothers who would rather wipe the memory from their lives and so they shun all contact with the children they gave away for adoption.
1950s and 60s images of nursery/hospital cots lined up containing babies inspired me to make miniature cots… 20 in all, made with matchsticks and card to correspond in size to the miniature babies I had used for the chocolate box.
The single baby suggests the one baby left at the hospital or home and awaiting adoption.
