The Legend of the Guggenheim Family, of German Jewish Descent, Becoming America's Second Richest Clan

Author: Ungar
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The wealth of the Guggenheim family initially came from their copper mining business. In the early 20th century, the Guggenheim family was at the height of their power, their mining operations making them one of the wealthiest families in the United States and the second-richest Jewish family in the world,. As members of New York's "Our Crowd," the Swiss immigrant Meyer and his seven sons built a vast commercial empire, later expanding into publishing, aviation, and horse racing. However, the family cohesion (as well as their wealth, power, and religious beliefs) that served as the cornerstone of their success collapsed in later generations. Meanwhile, members of the Guggenheim family also achieved remarkable and distinctive accomplishments in painting, architecture, publishing, and archaeology. They guided and propelled the modernist movement in art, leaving a fresh and brilliant mark on history. This is a legendary story of how a German-Jewish family became one of America's tycoons. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Owen Ungar and his wife Debbie Ungar, with their in-depth research, vivid and straightforward writing, and engaging narrative, describe the history of a family's rise, prosperity, and eventual decline, as well as their achievements in business, art, and aviation.