Career
This firm was active in two fields: the introduction of American securities on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange and securities arbitrage between Amsterdam, New York and London. In 1888, in order to improve his position, he founded (in cooperation with his American partners, the Blake Brothers) the London-based company Blake, Boissevain & Company Together the three companies were a strong alliance in the 3 main financial centers.
The firm Boissevain & Company was trading in 1913 (evidenced by March 6, 1913 purchase of shares in Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America held in the name of Boissevain & Company).
A few years after Adolphe retired the name of the firm was changed to Pierson & Company, predecessor of the present well-known investment bank MeesPierson. Adolphe‘s business became, beside purely Dutch, ever more transatlantic.
In the United States. he acquired an outstanding reputation in financing companies, particularly railway companies, e.g. the transport Canadian Pacific Railways. Along this line is situated, in Manitoba, the town of Boissevain, Manitoba, named after Adolphe and carrying the family coat of arms.
In Virginia, too, there is a small town Boissevain also named after Adolphe because of his involvement in financing the Norfolk & Western Railways.
Adolphe was also active in other an countries. In 1887 he was cofounder of one of the largest international banks in Switzerland the Schweizerischer Bankverein (now Union Bank of Switzerland). Later on his London firm Blake, Boissevain & Company was sold to this bank.
Of course Adolphe traveled a lot.
He often took the Friday night boat from Harwich to Hoek van Holland, stayed a week-end in his country estate Prins Hendriksoord in the Netherlands and on Sunday he took the night boat back to England.