The success of the Rothschild family business owes much to the solidity of the original partnership of the five sons of Mayer Amschel Rothschild, who developed businesses in five European capitals: Frankfurt, London, Paris, Vienna and Naples. Working in close harmony, the family rose to prominence in a number of business sectors including bullion, government bonds, railway and mining finance.

The records of the London firm, N M Rothschild & Sons, form the core of the Archive, reflecting the activities of the other banks through many series of correspondence and accounts that circulated between them. Records of many of the Rothschild family's activities were maintained by the bank, including accounts for the management of their estates and some correspondence.

The family's other interests are reflected in the growing collections of personal papers that the Archive has been fortunate enough to attract. Of particular significance are two deposits of papers relating to the family in France, dating from the late 19^th century to the 1930s. These two collections record the involvement of family members in areas such as the theatre, philanthropic organisations, the development of Jewish colonies in Palestine and the management of estates and art collections.