The Rothschild Archive was established in 1978 by Victor, 3rd Lord Rothschild. In 1999 the ownership of the Archive was transferred to The Rothschild Archive Trust, an independent body of family members and advisers committed to securing the future of the collection and to developing its use by the academic community.
When the Archive was established, a programme for arranging and describing the collections (largely the records of the London bank) began. In subsequent years, members of the Rothschild family started to view the Rothschild Archive as a suitable home for private papers, and the work programme was expanded to incorporate these collections.
The development of the Archive's services to the staff of the bank and to outside researchers embraced the establishment of a library of works written about the Rothschilds and family members' own works. This library continues to expand.
Staff of the Archive continue to develop projects and programmes to deepen the understanding of the collections and to promote academic study of the Rothschild businesses and family.
In 2012 a new Reading Room for The Rothschild Archive was opened at the premises of Rothschild in the City.
