Uploaded April 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Waddesdon Manor stands as a visual archive, the most potent we have, of Ferdinand de Rothschild’s collecting practice. Created from 1874, its furnishings and art are a remarkable survival from over 40 Rothschild homes across Europe. While Ferdinand’s tastes in what he called ‘bric-a-brac’ are clear, precisely how he acquired the ‘rare…beautiful’ and ‘doubly desirable’ works of art referred to in his Reminiscences, is more of a mystery.
Join Dr Diana Davis as she explores Ferdinand’s account books at The Rothschild Archive, and sheds new light on his interaction with the art market and its relationship to the wider collecting practice of his day.
Waddesdon Manor stands as a visual archive, the most potent we have, of Ferdinand de Rothschild’s collecting practice. Created from 1874, its furnishings and art are a remarkable survival from over 40 Rothschild homes across Europe. While Ferdinand’s tastes in what he called ‘bric-a-brac’ are clear, precisely how he acquired the ‘rare…beautiful’ and ‘doubly desirable’ works of art referred to in his Reminiscences, is more of a mystery.
Join Dr Diana Davis as she explores Ferdinand’s account books at The Rothschild Archive, and sheds new light on his interaction with the art market and its relationship to the wider collecting practice of his day.
