Treasure of the Month for December 2016
December's treasure is taken from the collections of the Banque Rothschild Frères à Paris et Famille Rothschild, held on behalf of the Archive by the Archives Nationales du Monde du Travail, Roubaix, France. Among the papers is a small book which has an interesting history to reveal. Roughly covered in brown paper, the book is a ‘Livre des comptes de cuisine’ (Kitchen Account Book), covering the period 15 October 1832 to 15 September 1833. The book records all the ingredients of the meals eaten by James de Rothschild and his family for a period of just under a year between 1832 and 1833. Read more to discover the 'Rothschild' art of hospitality.
Posted on the 1st December 2016 | Read more…
Launch of new microsite 'My Dear Cousins'
Building on the 'Nathaniel 100' Transcription Project, the Archive is pleased to launch a new website dedicated to an in depth study of the business correspondence written by the 1st Lord Rothschild, and the Rothschild Partners between 1906 and 1914, unlocking an important new resource for researchers. A Rothschild Research Forum account is required to access this site; exsiting Forum members automatically have access.
Posted on the 3rd November 2016 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for November 2016
For November, as the world awaits the outcome of the 2016 US Presidential election, we look back to correspondence between Nathaniel, 1st Lord Rothschild and the American statesman Theodore Roosevelt. In the election of 1904, Roosevelt famously promised to give every American a "square deal". In November 1904, The White House sent this note to Natty, “with hearty thanks for your congratulations” which was presumably sent in reply to a telegram from Natty to the President on his re-election earlier that month.
Posted on the 2nd November 2016 | Read more…
EABH Conference: Innovative Solutions for Archives and Financial Crises, St Louis, 11-12 May 2017: Call for Papers
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the eabh (The European Association for Banking and Financial History) will host a two-day conference for archivists and economic historians to present their current work in bank archives, including central bank archives, and banking and financial history. Archivists will present innovations in archival work and undiscovered gems in their collections. Financial historians will present their research based on materials from commercial bank, government, and central bank archives. The conference will provide both groups the opportunity to learn about the unique materials held in central bank archives, the current state of archival work, and insights into how scholars use these collections. Confirmed speakers include Harold James, Princeton University, who will give the keynote address, and Gary Richardson, University of California-Irvine and Federal Reserve System Historian.
Posted on the 1st November 2016 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for October 2016
For October, we look back to the life of New Court clerks over 100 years ago. This month's ‘treasure’ is a file from the Staff Department of N M Rothschild & Sons, concerning staff matters 1874-1915. It contains lists of employees, dates of service, positions held, salaries, wages, allowances and bonuses paid to staff, details of pension payments and income tax payments, and details of terms and conditions of employment. Find out what life was like for a Rothschild clerk in Victorian London!
Posted on the 1st October 2016 | Read more…
EABH Lunch Hour lecture, The rate of return on everything, Frankfurt am Main, 4 November 2016
The European Association for Banking History (EABH) in co-operation with AllianzGI announces the first of a season of 'lunch hour' lectures and discussions: The rate of return on everything. This talk will be the premiere presentation of Moritz Schularick's (Professor at Bonn Graduate School of Economics) recent study on the development of all asset returns during the 20th century in all industrial countries. Discussion with the audience is planned and all participants are kindly invited to join the discussants for a networking lunch kindly sponsored by AllianzGI.
Posted on the 1st September 2016 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for September 2016
This month we take a look at the golden age of elegant motoring in the 1930s and explore Lionel de Rothschild's relationship with John Davenport Siddeley, and Armstrong Siddeley Motors.
Posted on the 1st September 2016 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for August 2016
This month we take a look at the vast ironworks at Witkowitz (Vítkovice) in Ostrava, purchased by Salomon Mayer von Rothschild in August 1842 to provide the resources for the Rothschild's ambitious railway building activities.
Posted on the 1st August 2016 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for July 2016
This month we take a look at the fabulous Rothschild residence Waddesdon Manor, and open the pages of Ferdinand de Rothschild's 'Red Book' of 1897, which records the lavish interiors and collections of this most elegant of Rothschild properties.
Posted on the 1st July 2016 | Read more…
EABH Summer School 2016: Transparency & information management in financial institutions
The European Association for Banking History (EABH) in co-operation with Banco de España announces its 2016 Summer School for archivists, to be held in Madrid, Spain, 14 September 2016.
Posted on the 24th June 2016 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for June 2016
This month we take a look at the Rothschild family at leisure. This jockey’s cap by Hermès of Paris is believed to have been worn by jockeys riding the horses of James Armand de Rothschild (1878-1957).The Rothschilds’ successes and conduct within the Sport of Kings helped strengthen their position in a society where Jewish members could often count on an uphill struggle for acceptance.
Posted on the 6th June 2016 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for May 2016
'Belmont' correspondence, 1837. On the 14th May 1837, an ambitious young German called August Schönberg arrived in New York en route to Havana via Paris and London. He was to become known as August Belmont and he was to play a crucial role in the development of Rothschild business in the United States.
Posted on the 3rd May 2016 | Read more…
Recent Acquisitions: Expedition photographs of George Forrest, China
The Rothschild Archive has recently acquired a small collection of exquisite early photographs of the flora of China, taken by the renowned plant hunter George Forrest (1873-1932), c.1919. The ‘Indiana Jones’ of the plant world, Forrest’s expeditions brought him to the attention of Lionel de Rothschild (1882-1942). Forrest eventually became perhaps the foremost collector of Yunnan flora, amassing hundreds of species of rhododendron, and other shrubs and perennials. Lionel de Rothschild went on to create the great Rhododendron gardens at his estate at Exbury, Hampshire.
Posted on the 30th April 2016 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for April 2016
This silver-gilt badge of office of the Alliance British and Foreign Life and Fire Assurance Company, was worn by Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777-1836), founder of the London Rothschild bank. The Alliance Assurance Company, (today part of the RSA Group of insurance companies) can trace its origins back to St Swithin's Lane in the early 1820s.
Posted on the 1st April 2016 | Read more…
EABH Annual Meeting: Vienna
The European Association for Banking History (EABH) Annual Meeting will be held in Vienna, Austria, 28-29 April 2016.
Posted on the 3rd March 2016 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for March 2016
In March 1809, the lease for property in New Court, St Swithin's Lane in the City of London was assigned to Nathan Mayer Rothschild. From these beginnings, Nathan's London house, N M Rothschild, dealt in bullion and foreign exchange and issued British and foreign government loans. Over the past 200 years New Court has been re-built, but St Swithin’s Lane remains home to the London bank. This month we look at Nathan's bill-case, which he carried' on Exchange', c.1831.
Posted on the 3rd March 2016 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for February 2016
On 6 February 1907, (Nathaniel) Charles Rothschild (1877-1923) married Rozsika von Wertheimstein (1870-1940) in Vienna. The couple honeymooned in Venice. This month we look at an elegant portrait of Rozsika Rothschild, by Philip de László, c.1910.
Posted on the 3rd March 2016 | Read more…
Funding increased for Archive Research Bursaries
The Trustees of the Rothschild Archive are pleased to announce that with immediate effect, the maximum sum available for Archive Research Bursaries for international researchers has been doubled to a maximum of £2,000 per applicant.
Posted on the 15th January 2016 | Read more…
Launch of new microsite 'Rothschild Collections'
The Rothschild Archive is pleased to announce the launch of a new microsite as part of the Rothschild Research Forum. Dedicated to aspects of Rothschild collecting and collections, the microsite contains new pages of information about historic Rothschild collections across Europe, including details of important Rothschild sales, inventories and catalogues and restitution. New researchers will need to apply for a Research Forum account to access these pages.
Posted on the 5th January 2016 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for January 2016
This month we look at the story behind a New Year card sent to the first Lord Rothschild from the Japanese financier and politician Viscount Takahashi Korekiyo in January 1909.
Posted on the 1st January 2016 | Read more…