Lessing J. Rosenwald

Lessing Julius Rosenwald, Lessing J. Rosenwald shortened ( born February 10, 1891 in Chicago, † June 24, 1979 ) was an American businessman, a collector of rare books and art and a patron.

Life

He was the son of Julius Rosenwald, a clothier. This was part-owner and was president of the mail-order company Sears, Roebuck and Company, 1908-1923 and Chairman, 1923 until 1932. From 1909 to 1911 he attended Cornell University, Ithaca, NY He had started in 1911 as a shipping clerk and went through all the stations of the company in Chicago. In 1913 he married Edith Goodkind.

1919 sales totaled nearly $ 239 million in Chicago (about $ 3,010,000,000 in 2010), and was significantly higher than in the previous year. Rosenwald agreed to the construction of a new office in Philadelphia Sears and entrusted his son Lessing the management of the branch. He found a home in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, which he had demolish and rebuild.

Giant Bible of Mainz

Mid-1920s, he established a professional relationship with the famous book antiquarian and rare books dealer Abraham Simon Wolf Rosenbach of Philadelphia. Rosenwald called Rosenbach " the godfather of my collection ... was traded for 30 years as a mentor ... and super seller. "

After the death of his father in 1932, Lessing was Chairman of the Board at Sears. But in 1939 at the age of 48, he retired from Sears all the way back to exclusively he had purchased an estate in Jenkintown, which he called Alverthorpe Manor his art collection to widmen.1928. Later, when he extended his collection of books and printing, he added a new wing to the house, which was then adjusted in humidity and room temperature of its collection.

There are more than 2,600 rare books in the Rosenwald Collection at the Library of Congress, who are open to scientists and historians, according to Daniel DeSimone, the curator of the collection. " The common thread of this priceless collection is the history of book illustration " DeSimone said in a recent interview.

The Graphic Collection of Rosenwald is one of 24,000 pieces, including important woodcuts and engravings by Dürer, Rembrandt, Whistler and Cassatt.

In 1943, he promised to donate his collection to the Library of Congress and the National Gallery of Art. As early as 1952 he gave the Congress the Giant Bible of Mainz.

He was also an avid chess enthusiast and donated money to support the chess. He supported the U.S. Championship in the 1950s.

In 1969 Rosenwald donated his house " Alverthorpe " of Abington Township. He lived then with his wife in " The Meadows ", a smaller house on the site., But He kept the wing with the gallery in his hands for guided tours and exhibitions. The property now houses the Abington Art Center.

Political Activities

Rosenwald was a supporter of the " America First Committee ", which is primarily American neutrality in World War II advocated before the attack on Pearl Harbor happened. His friend and successor at Sears Roebuck was Robert Elkin Wood ( 1879-1969 ). In 1943 Rosenwald was president of the " American Council for Judaism " until 1955, after which he remained chairman of the board. During this time, Rosenwald was active for rescue of persecuted European Jews.

Fame

Episodes from his life are portrayed in the novel The Camel Club by David Baldacci.