Meyer Guggenheim
Meyer Guggenheim | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Lengnau, Switzerland |
| Died | March 15, 1905 (aged 77) Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Mining magnate, businessman |
| Known for | Founding figure of the Guggenheim family in America |
Meyer Guggenheim ( ; ; February 1, 1828 – March 15, 1905) was the founding figure of the Guggenheim family in America, which rose to become one of the most affluent families worldwide during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Early life
Born on February 1, 1828, in Lengnau, Switzerland, Meyer was the son of Simon Meyer Guggenheim and Schafeli (née Levinger), both of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. The family endured financial hardship after his father ceased working to care for Meyer's ailing grandmother, who passed away when Meyer was six years old. To help support the household, young Meyer sold merchandise directly to neighbors. Due to Swiss regulations that prevented his father from marrying Rachel Weil, a widow, the family decided to relocate to the United States.
Career
Upon arriving in America in 1847, Guggenheim initially engaged in import trade before amassing wealth through strategic investments in mining and smelting. His ventures began with silver mining operations in Colorado's Leadville mining district, later expanding into ore processing with smelters established throughout the United States and northern Mexico. Leadership of these mining and smelting enterprises was subsequently assumed by his sons.
Family
Around 1852, Guggenheim wed Barbara Weil (1834–1900), who was his stepmother’s daughter. Together they had ten children who survived infancy, five of whom played significant roles in managing the family's industrial ventures:
- Isaac Guggenheim (1854–1922), married Carrie Sonneborn in 1876.
- Daniel Guggenheim (1856–1930), succeeded his father as head of the family business and broadened their international mining operations.
- Maurice Guggenheim (1858–1939), initially involved in lace importing, transitioned to finance roles within mining and smelting by 1881.
- Solomon Robert Guggenheim (1861–1949), distinguished as an art benefactor through his foundation and contributions to the Museum of Modern Art.
- Benjamin Guggenheim (1865–1912), perished in the Titanic tragedy; husband to Florette Seligman.
- John Simon Guggenheim (1867–1941), served a term as U.S. senator representing Colorado.
- William Guggenheim (1868–1941), oversaw family mining interests in Mexico prior to retirement.
- Jeanette Guggenheim (1863–1889), died during childbirth.
- Rose Guggenheim (1871–1945), married three times including to Albert Loeb, former head of the New York Stock Exchange.
- Cora Gwendalyn Guggenheim (1873–1956), wife of Louis Frank Rothschild, founder of L.F. Rothschild.
After Barbara Weil’s passing in 1900, Meyer and his sons contributed $200,000 toward constructing a hospital at Mount Sinai in her memory. He died on March 15, 1905, in Palm Beach, Florida, and was laid to rest at Salem Fields Cemetery located in Brooklyn, New York.
Descendants
Meyer Guggenheim was the grandfather of renowned art collector and socialite Peggy Guggenheim through his son Benjamin.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1828 births
- 1905 deaths
- People from Zurzach District
- Swiss Ashkenazi Jews
- 19th-century Swiss Jews
- 19th-century American businesspeople
- American people of German-Jewish descent
- American people of Swiss-Jewish descent
- American businesspeople in metals
- American mining businesspeople
- Guggenheim family
- Swiss emigrants to the United States
- Burials at Salem Fields Cemetery