Waddesdon manor part II

A few more images from my trip to Waddesdon manor the home of the Rothschild’s now in the care of the national trust. You can find part one here:

https://blurt.blog/photography/@ultravioletmag/waddesdon-manor-the-home-of-the-rothschild-s-part-i

Every room of this house drips with opulence and it is the National trusts most visited property. The house was built for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild (1839–1898) and wasn’t even his main home but rather a weekend residence for entertaining and to house his collection of arts and antiquities! It served as something of a museum. The manor and estate have passed through three generations of the Rothschild family and each member has added more and more rare artifacts , meaning the house has expanded to become the home of one of the most rare and valuable collections in the world. In 1957, James de Rothschild bequeathed the house and its contents to the National Trust, opening the house and gardens for the benefit of the general public. Unusually for a National Trust property, the family of James Rothschild still manage the house. The Rothschild Foundation, chaired by Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, acts as custodian and continues to invest in the property to this day.

A lot of people think the trust takes on houses but it actually often only takes them on if there is a bursary for their upkeep. A lot of people don’t realise it takes millions and millions to repair and upkeep these huge properties from falling into disrepair many owners simply cannot afford it as it passes down the family. A lot of the time you see one hugely wealthy owner and then as it gets passed down at some point the money runs out of the family members who follow don’t hVr that same ability to generate wealth. In the case of the Rothchild’s however I don’t think they are going bankrupt any time soon as they still own a huge amount of properties around the world I actually know someone who ended up in one of their New York ones after a blockchain meetup a few months years ago! Apparently it was just gold everywhere like this!

I absolutely love this bottom sculpture it was one of my favourite things there hidden in a little corner of the stair case. It’s inspired me for a painting.

I loved the Rothschild Treasury – which, celebrated the tradition of ‘Schatzkammer’ or ‘treasure rooms’. First seen in the European courts of the 16th century, these spaces celebrated the riches of the earth and the natural world and inspired Baron Ferdinand to create his own Aladdin’s Cave of Renaissance pieces in his former Smoking Room.

Just some of the beautiful commissioned pieces of family jewellery from the 1920s – 1930s. The Rothschild family has a personal connection to each item on display.