Welcome toThe Rothschild Archive'swebsite

Sources for business history: plans of New Court

Sources for art history: Catalogue of the pictures of Alfred de Rothschild 1901

Sources for yachting history: Plans for Nathaniel von Rothschild's yacht Veglia 1905

Sources for natural history: Walter 2nd Lord Rothschild and his zebra carriage: c.1910

Sources for global financial history: Map of lines of the Brazil Railway Company: c.1920

Sources for business history: index cards to bank files

Sources for social history: Rothschild Hospital Paris: 1920s

Sources for business history: detail of a Rothschild bond coupon

Sources for architectural history: Halton House: 1890s

Sources for the history of travel: Lionel de Rothschild's tours of Spain: 1909

Sources for local history: Tring Park: c.1900

Sources for Royal history: shooting party with Edward Prince of Wales: 1893

Sources for political history: Lionel de Rothschild: first Jewish MP: 1858

Sources for sporting history: St Amant winner of the Derby: 1904

Sources for local history: gardeners at Aston Clinton: 1899

Sources for Rothschild family history: Lionel de Rothschild's yacht Rhodora: 1927

Sources for London history: entrance to New Court: 1965

Sources for design history: plans for Lionel de Rothschild's Rolls-Royce: 1930

Sources for business history: Rothschild gold bars produced by the Royal Mint Refinery: 1930s

Sources for business history: letters of August Belmont Rothschild Agent in New York: 1860s

Rothschild Bonds microsite

The Rothschild Research Forum is a resource for those engaged in scholarly research into any of the many facets of Rothschild business and family history. The Forum contains different microsites, dedicated to a particular aspect of Rothschild history and research. The microsites contain guides to sources, transcripts, digital documents and more detailed information.

A research resource for the history of international lending

Throughout the 19th century, the primary and best known area of business of the London house was the issuing of bonds as a means of raising loans, largely for sovereign governments. The bond was one of the most important instruments of international business. The bond, enshrining the contract between borrower and banker, was a valuable document: its holders were entitled to present attached coupons at prescribed intervals to receive interest on their investment, and present the bond itself for return of the principal on maturity.

The Rothschild Archive has significant holdings which document the Rothschild banks' involvement in bond issues. These include signed and sealed parchment contracts with borrowing governments; correspondence with governments concerning the procurement, negotiation and servicing of loans; ledgers recording purchases of bonds and the accounts for their repayment; and, of course, the prospectuses, scrip and bonds themselves.

Open to Research Forum members, researchers can now browse through the following sections of the Rothschild Bonds microsite:

List of loans - A list of loans issued by, or contracted for, by Rothschild business houses:

  • Loans business of the Frankfurt house, 1817-1865
  • Loans business of the London house, 1818-1945
  • Loans bsuoiness of the Paris house, 1823-1894

Archive sources - A Guide to sources for bonds and loans in the collections of The Rothschild Archive London, inlcuding correspondence series and records of the Loans Department, and mini-guides, arranged by name of country.

Digital Archive - Loan Prospectuses and Bond certificates for issues by the London house.

Bonds gallery - A gallery of bonds and other documentation relating to the loans business.

Existing Rothschild Research Forum members Go to The Rothschild Bonds microsite »

Apply for membership of the Rothschild Research Forum »

Bond for the State of San Paolo 'coffee loan' of 1930

Bond for the State of San Paolo 'coffee loan' of 1930

Detail from the United States of Brazil Government 5% Loan of 1913

Detail from the United States of Brazil Government 5% Loan of 1913