THE COLLECTION

Four generations of the Rothschild family have put their mark on Waddesdon and it is a coherent expression of their passions. Neither a museum nor an academic institution, it shares characteristics with both, including a strong commitment to research and disseminating knowledge, and an international outlook.

The core of all Waddesdon's academic activities is the house, its contents and the setting. This unique expression of Rothschild taste and patronage, bequeathed to the National Trust by James de Rothschild in 1957, is open to the public. His widow Dorothy, 'Mrs James', was the first chair of the Management Committee, maintaining the exceptional standards of collection care for which Waddesdon is famous and initiating research and the series of catalogues. It continues to flourish under a family charitable trust, chaired by Lord Rothschild OM.

The 45 rooms on view hold one of the most exceptional collections of French 18th century decorative arts and English portraits in the world. These include French royal furniture, porcelain and Savonnerie carpets, and portraits by Reynolds, Gainsborough and Romney. Other highlights include Dutch Golden Age paintings, 18th century books, drawings, textiles, 16th century limoges, enamel and majolica and a spectacular 18th century silver dinner service commissioned by George III.

The Academic Committee has overall responsibility for initiatives such as publishing projects, future exhibitions, requests for loans and strategy for research. The Collections Department manages some 25,000 items ranging from manuscripts to porcelain, furniture to contemporary sculpture, from ironwork to musical instruments, from tradecards to gold boxes.

Annual themed exhibitions explore aspects of the Collection and we interpret Collection, House and Garden through study days, trails and guided tours. The Aviary which breeds endangered species also contributes to interpretation of wildlife on the site. This year our major theme for exhibitions in the house is 18th-century shopping, inspired by a major research project to catalogue our collection of trade cards and in the Coach House we celebrate the role of the Rothschilds in popularising the autochrome, the earliest form of colour photography. We also have four major new acquisitions.