Henry Hottinger

Background

Henry was the first-born son of Baron Rodolphe Hottinguer.

Education

At the age of 20 Baron Henri Hottinguer started studying finance at Oxford University.

Career

After completing his education, he went to the United States of America. Henri Hottinguer took control of Hottinger and Cie around the age of 52, following the death of his father. Under his direction, Hottinger & Cie participated in the creation of Banque de l'Union Parisienne, which then merged with the Crédit du Nord. He was one of the leading parties in the funding of the Trans-Siberian Railway.

He had an early interest in the violin, and bought his first Stradivari in 1935. His ambition after the war was to acquire one outstanding example of each of the old Cremonese masters, and in the case of Stradivari and Guarneri ‘del Gesù’, one example from each significant period of their production. An illustrated catalogue (R Wurlitzer: The Henry Hottinger Collection, 1967) was published following the collection"s sale to Rembert Wurlitzer Company, Incorporated.(the most highly regarded string instrument dealership of its day). The instruments (about 30 violins in all) were subsequently dispersed all over the world.

Achievements

• Henry Hottinger was a founder and member of Wertheim & Company, a firm of Investment Bankers, who was also very much interested in Musical Instruments and subsequently he amassed the best-known collection of rare violins of the mid-20th century.

Views

Quotations: "... One of the great violin collectors of all time." - Cozio.com.

Connections

Married Marian Hall Munroe, daughter of Wall Street banker John Munroe.