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

Exhibition - Rothschild Gardens

13: Pregny, Switzerland

Adolph de Rothschild bought Prégny near Lake Geneva in 1857, adding a large area of land the following year. He originally intended to employ a well-known French architect’s firm of Claret & Varé to build his château, but eventually entrusted the task to the English architect, Joseph Paxton, who had designed Mentmore, Ferrières and Aston Clinton for other members of the Rothschild family. The château was unusal in Geneva at the time, and marked the appearance of more ostentatious and eclectic private houses. The main entrance was highly decorative, while the façade on to the lake was softened by a central bowed bay.

The park and gardens

Paxton also designed the conservatories, a Paxton speciality. The aviary and the magnificent glass conservatory which was 50 metres long, covering over a hectare of ground, with fifteen smaller glasshouses opening into it. These were the pride and joy of Julie, Adolph’s wife, who filled them with espalier fruit trees.

The park at Pregny was redesigned under the influence of Julie, who introduced wild animals and tropical birds. She planned the arrangement and planting of the gigantic trees, emphasising the park’s hills and dales. 

The Empress Elizabeth of Austria was a frequent visitor to Pregny, where she was enthralled by the wonderful displays of flowers in the greenhouses, and described the garden as ‘a remote, enchanted world where tame miniature porcupines from Java and exotic coloured birds decorated a private park planted with cedars of Lebanon’

The house passed in 1907 to Maurice, Adolph’s cousin, who left it to Edmond. The property is still in family ownership. In the 1990s, the glasshouses were presented to the Jardin et Conservatoire Botanique of Geneva.

Glasshouses of the Chateau de Pregny

Glasshouses of the Chateau de Pregny