Treasure of the Month for April 2018
Through their philanthropy and patronage, the Rothschild family supported many causes. These included social enterprises such as schools, hospitals and other charities, but their interests were broad ranging, and they gave their support to the great heroic endeavours of their time. In November 1914, Marie, Mrs Leopold de Rothschild (1862-1937) received this heartfelt thank-you letter from the polar explorer Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922).
Posted on the 1st April 2018 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for March 2018
Subscription ledger for the Prussian loan, 1818: The Rothschild Archive holds the evidence of a banking history dating from the early 19th century, documenting the innovations and evolution of the business of international finance. March 2018 marks 200 years since the House of Rothschild issued the Prussian loan of 1818, business considered a watershed in the history of the European capital market.
Posted on the 1st March 2018 | Read more…
EABH announces New Scholars Fast-Track Workshop: 13 June 2018, Torino
The Financial History Review invites submissions of research papers from advanced PhD students and recent postdoctoral researchers (with less than five years from completing their PhD) in banking, financial and monetary history for a New Scholars Fast-Track Workshop, 13 June 2018, Torino, Italy.
Posted on the 2nd February 2018 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for February 2018
By 1821, the Rothschilds had established their banking houses in Frankfurt, London, Paris, Vienna and Naples. It was crucial that the family should have a representative in each of the places where they were doing business, and the Rothschilds established a network of agencies, carefully chosen from among their family, friends and intimates. This gave the Rothschilds access to the most up-to-date business, political and social intelligence. One hundred and seventy years ago this February, Mr Benjamin Davidson arrived in Valparaíso, Chile, en route to San Francisco, presenting a ‘Letter of Introduction’ from the London Rothschild bank.
Posted on the 1st February 2018 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for January 2018
The Rothschild Archive is not just about paper. We hold thousands of photographs, ranging from formal images created by the business to intimate family snapshots. January's treasure is a photograph from a large family collection recently deposited with the Archive. Cataloguing and sorting this collection presented us with some challenges, and this month we ponder some thought-provoking issues about how we preserve memories and history.
Posted on the 1st January 2018 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for December 2017
From their earliest days, global trade in goods and commodities from one part of the world to another was part of the daily life of the Rothschild businesses. As we approach the festive season with its vibrant colours and rich tastes, we reflect on the trade in exotic spices, dyes and textiles 200 years ago, with a price list of East India Company goods from 1815.
Posted on the 1st December 2017 | Read more…
EABH Annual Meeting 2018: The Social Aims of Finance
The eabh (The European Association for Banking and Financial History) 2018 Annual Meeting will be held in Turin on 14 and 15 June 2018. The event will be hosted in cooperation Fondazione 1563 per l'Arte e la Cultura della Compagnia di San Paolo.
The conference topic is: Social aims of finance: exploring alternative business forms for durable and financial services. This conference will explore how financial institutions have tackled it by developing alternative goals and business forms for durable financial services. The archival workshop topic is 'Good' archives. This workshop is designed for financial institutions' archivists, researchers and potential users and will reflect on the legacy of the social purposes that inspired the origins of many financial institutions and the role banks and finance played in society.
Posted on the 29th November 2017 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for November 2017
November 2017 is the centenary year of the passing of Major Evelyn Achille de Rothschild. The second of three sons of Leopold (1845-1917) and Marie (1862-1937), Evelyn served in the Bucks Yeomanry. He was mobilised with his regiment on the outbreak of the First World War, served in Egypt and Gallipoli, and later fought and fell in the charge on El Mughar in November 1917.
Posted on the 1st November 2017 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for October 2017
From their roots in the Judengasse in Frankfurt, The Rothschild family were imbued with a strong sense of the tradition of Zedaka, which places expectations on members of the community to work for social justice by offering material support for those in need. The education, encouragement and support of young people has been a core strand of Rothschild philanthropic activity for over 200 years. In March 1915, Nathaniel Mayer (‘Natty’), 1st Lord Rothschild (1840-1915) received this thank-you letter from Robert Baden Powell, concerning a donation he had made to the Endowment Fund of the Boy Scout Movement.
Posted on the 1st October 2017 | Read more…
Treasure of the Month for September 2017
The Rothschilds were dedicated collectors, and vied among themselves to develop the most spectacular collections. The great Rothschild houses were perfect settings for art, silverware, and porcelain. Some of the most priceless and stunning collections were of jewels. This month we take a look at designs for jewellery commisisoned by Adelheide von Rothschild (1853-1935) from Maurice Tripier of Paris.
Posted on the 1st September 2017 | Read more…