One of the most moving London attractions on offer to tourists is the Foundling Museum, which tells the story of the Foundling Hospital - an institute that once took in abandoned children and raised them.

The Dickens and the Foundling exhibition, which is running until October 28th, reveals the special relationship of Oliver Twist author Charles Dickens with the Foundling Museum.

Between 1837 and 1839, the world-renowned writer lived next door to the Foundling Hospital estate, and supported the Hospital both financially and through his writing, referring to the institute in his stories novels and plays.

To mark the 200th anniversary of his birth, six Dickens experts have selected objects from the Charles Dickens Museum and placed them within the context of the Foundling Museum.

These personal items are designed to highlight Dickens' philanthropy, his relationship to the Foundling Hospital and his continuing social relevance.

Those choosing the objects include actress, Gillian Anderson; Dickens descendent Mark Dickens; comedian, Armando Iannucci; Camden Councillor, Tulip Siddiq; poet, Lemn Sissay and journalist, Jon Snow.

Discover more for less with a London sightseeing pass.

Posted by Georgina Black