Welcome toThe Rothschild Archive'swebsite

Sources for business history

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

Current and past projects

A list of current and past projects of The Rothschild Archive London.

Note that a Rothschild Research Forum account is required to access some of these resources. Apply for membership of the Rothschild Research Forum here.

The Rothschild Archive Annual Review of the year

Between 1999 and 2014, the Archive published an Annual Review, containing articles by staff of the Archive and researchers about their work, and the collections. Browse articles and download complete PDF copies of editions of The Rothschild Archive Annual Review here »

Bullion: Centenary of the Gold Fixing

To coincide with the centenary of the Gold Fixing in September 2019, The Rothschild Archive created a new microsite dedicated to the history of Rothschild and Bullion. The site features pages on Gold Trading, Gold Mining, and Gold Refining (focusing on the activities of the Rothschild Royal Mint Refinery). The site includes a history of the Gold Fixing, and for the first time, a comprehensive list of the daily Gold Prices 1919-1968 is available to researchers.  Go to the Bullion microsite »

Rothschild bonds

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. The Rothschild Archive digitised key documents concerning the loans business, beginning with all surviving prospectuses and most bond certificates. Go to Rothschild Bonds »

My Dear Cousins: writing the new century

Launched in November 2016, this project breaks new ground for The Rothschild Archive. Building on the 'Nathaniel 100' Transcription Project, the Archive launched a website dedicated to an in depth study of the business correspondence written by the 1st Lord Rothschild, unlocking an important new resource for researchers. Between 1906 and 1914 Natty and the Rothschild Partners personally wrote or dictated over 2,000 letters to their French cousins in the Paris bank, M M de Rothschild Frères in the rue Laffitte. The letters reveal much about Natty and his world, and are crucial for understanding the business of the bank during this period. The letters shed new light upon business priorities and world events. Go to My dear Cousins: writing the new century »

Rothschild Collections

The Rothschild Collectipons microsite contains pages of information about historic Rothschild collections across Europe, including details of important Rothschild sales, inventories and catalogues and information about restitution after the Second World War. Go to Rothschild Collections » 

The Rothschild Family Tree

The Rothschild Archive is responsible for maintaining the family tree of the male lines of the Rothschild banking family descended from Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812), and the Archive also keeps records of the female lines. A Rothschild Research Forum membership is not required to access these pages. Go to The Rothschild Family Tree »

Rothschild Biographies

Historical information about the Rothschild family has been brought together in this microsite, containing information about Rothschild biographies, Rothschild estates and a Rothschild bibliography. The Rothschild archive has compiled short biographies of 168 members of the Rothschild family descended from Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812) of Frankfurt. A Rothschild Research Forum membership is not required to access these pages. Go to The Rothschild Family: Biographies »

Rothschild Estates

The Rothschild Archive maintains historical information about principal residences of the Rothschild family in England, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. A Rothschild Research Forum membership is not required to access these pages. Go to The Rothschild Family: Estates »

Guide to the Collections of The Rothschild Archive

A Guide to the business records of the the five Rothschild banks, together with other important collections held by the Rothschild Archive. A Rothschild Research Forum account is required to access the online Guide. Go to The Guide to the Collections of The Rothschild Archive »

Rothschild and Philanthropy

Jewish Philanthropy and Social Development in Europe, c. 1800-1940: The Case of the Rothschilds. This project aimed to examine the scale and impact of Jewish charitable activity across Europe, centred upon a study of the Rothschild family's practice and contribution. The Project was generously funded by the Hanadiv Charitable Foundation (London) and the research foundation Fritz Thyssen Stifftung (Cologne). The project partners were The Rothschild Archive, The University of London and The University of Southampton. Research from the project was published was published in Religion und Philanthropie, Rainer Liedkte & Klaus Weber (Ferdinand Schoeningh, 2009).

Rothschild and Brazil

N M Rothschild and Sons in London has a long history of involvement in Brazil dating back to the early nineteenth century. Extensive documentation of this history is preserved in The Rothschild Archive in London. The Rothschild Archive has made over 25,000 digital images documenting the history of Rothschilds and Brazil available online. Key series, with material dating from 1815-1940, have been scanned and made available online to allow access to researchers regardless of their geographic location. Go to Rothschild and Brazil »

Judendeutsch Letters

This is the Rothschild Archive's long programme of work to transcribe and translate the Judendeutsch letters of the five Rothschild brothers. The correspondence, written in the German language and committed to paper in Hebrew letters, remains impenetrable to most people. The Archive aims to open them up to the wider world of scholarship. The letters date from 1811 to 1868, and Judendeutsch letters are scattered among some 142 boxes of correspondence in the Rothschild Archive in London. No precise assessment of their number has yet been made, though an estimate suggests a total of some 20,000. In 1989 work began on the transcription of the letters. So far, some 2,500 letters have been fully translated. Contact us for further information about these sources.

Rothschild Bibliography

A comprehensive list of books, articles and other published works by members of the Rothschild family. Go to The Rothschild Family: Bibliography »