Four albums of typed memoranda, reports, and newspaper cuttings, relating to the stock market and economic situation, assembled by a firm of Anglo-German City of London stockbrokers, with memoranda of 'Things to be Kept in Mind' and other matter.
The collection of seven items is in fair condition, lightly-aged and with slight rust staining to a few pages. The material is from the archives of an Anglo-German firm of City of London stockbrokers (see the list of clients in Item One below, all with German names), and is valuable for the material it contains revealing the impact of the First World War on the firm's own business (see Item Two below, regarding the 'Enemy [i.e. German] Stocks' held by one of its clients) and on the world economy, in the short term (the period immediately following the War), on the eve of the Great Crash, and in the early years of the Depression. ONE. Mimeographed typed series of memoranda, made in 1918, headed 'Things to be Kept in Mind'. 8pp., 8vo, on four loose leaves from a ring binder, with one entry corrected in manuscript. Includes the holdings of eight named clients (C. T. Herrmann, Karl Martin, H. Wilbers, J. Goldenberg, Gottfried Herzfeld, Kaufmann & Pappenheim, Saemy, Vogeler) in Eastrand and Goldfields. The first entry reads: '5% Cuban Port Bonds 1914. $3,000. - were dealt at 90 ¼. in New York on the [blank] Referring to this sale to write to J. S. Bache & Co., New York.' Other entries read: 'To write to the Kjobenhavns Handelsbank, Copenhagen about one or two firms who deal in foreign Stocks; refer to dealings which have taken place in such Securities for Copenhagen account. (Wrote on the 15/2/18).', 'To BUY CONSOLS if low. | Are there any dealings in the 12 Year Exchequer Bonds issued by the Bank of England against the Russian Bills? Quoted unofficially 79 ¼ abt', 'After the War Stock Arbitrage on a scientific basis will only be possible if combined with Foreign Exchange.', 'Is it better for a country, as in the case of France, to be more idle and save and to retire comparatively young from actual business, or to spend more and to be more enterprising?', 'If we deal in shares such as PODEROSA to obtain the necessary authority (as Copper shares).' The last entry - 'Hahns Enke wrote on 29/11/18 about information of Svenska Diskontokassan, Stockholm. To reply by telegram.' - has been deleted, and replaced by the following, in pencil: 'Answered small instruction Kns 500,000'. TWO: Undated (First World War) mimeographed typed memorandum, headed 'Mr. Japhet's Enemy Stocks'. Three entries, totalling 235,000 Mks, the first reading: 'Mks. 155,000. - German 3% Loan with talon entitling to Coupons from after 1st July 1914 until 30th June 1924.' THREE (1918-1919): 41pp. on loose 8vo leaves removed from a ring binder, with around 42 typed notes, and 54 newspaper cuttings, dating from April 1918 to August 1919. 1923: Ring binder, 8vo, containing 61 typed notes, dating from October and November 1923, laid down on 57pp, in thumb-index alphabetical order. The indexes indicate that a few pages are lacking. Entires in the A and B indexes: America; Argentine; Bank News; Belgium; Britain - Financial matters; Britain - Debts Foreign; Brazil; Buenos Ayres. With loose leaf from the magazine Common Sense (pp.361-2), carrying the 'Money, Banking, and Finance' and 'Manufactures and Commerce' sections. FOUR (1929): Ring binder, 8vo, with stamp of the Oxford Street stationer Ryman, labelled 'Permanent Notes I', containing 105 typed notes, dating from August and September 1929, laid down on 43 pp., in thumb-index alphabetical order, A-G and R-Y. Lacking sections H-Q, and pp.6 and 7 of R. Entries in the A and B indexes: America Young Plan; S. America; Argentine; Amsterdam Disc. Market; America's Payment of British Merchant Marine; American Representative Railways; American Trade Figures; Agricultural Credits; American Income Tax; Bank of England; Bank Holidays; Brazil; Bank Policy; Britain, G.; Banks, London Clearing; Barometer of Trade U.S.A.; Bank Branches; Banking Law in Australia; Banks, English; Balance of Trade; Bank rate, London. With loose cutting from the Economist, 3 August 1929, pp.213-216, 'Tables relating to Reparations and Inter-Allied Debts'. FIVE (1931): Ring binder, 8vo, with label of the Barbican stationer Chisholm's Limited, containing 11pp. carrying 21 typed entries, dating from January 1931. Entries in the A and C indexes (there being no B): American Collapse in 1929; American Investments in Foreign Countries; Acreage; Capitalism; Commodities (Price Fluctuations). SIX (1933-1934): 84 cuttings from newspapers in English and German, with two mimeographed dated memorandums, the first dating from 20 December 1933 (Frankfurter Zeitung) and the last from 24 January 1934 (Times). Laid down on 70 pp. of an unbound stapled 4to exercise book, without covers. SEVEN: Undated (1920s) and untitled mimeographed typed list giving the financial specialities of 32 British cities, for the benefit of a foreign trader. First on the list is 'Aberdeen. North of Scotland. Woollen goods, Granite works, Shipbuilding.' Dundee is described as 'Commercially important, Jams, Gloves, Carpets, Linen goods'. Leicester is 'Centre of England, Woollen goods, boots, shoes'. A couple of noteworthy descriptions are 'Edinburgh, Distinguished seat of learning' and 'Whitby (Yorkshire) Favourite watering place'. See related item #12416.