The Queen has opened the new headquarters of Schroders plc in the City of London. During the visit, The Queen was given a tour of the new building, including the investment team floor. She was also shown items from the company's archive demonstrating its 200 year history as well the latest innovative technologies.

Twitter feed @RoyalFamily: "An archivist showed Her Majesty artwork made out of old bonds and share certificates from Schroders 214 year history; the oldest from 1864 and the most recent from 1967." The Royal Family, November 7, 2018

Video: The Royal Family Channel - November 7, 2018 / Minute 0.40-1.05.

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+ info. commission Traces of Absence / Schroders:

Commissioned by Schroders, this work celebrates the history of a financial institution that has been in London for more than two centuries. Using traces of the past – documents ranging from 1864-1967, illustrating over a hundred years of the markets’ success, boom and bust – it is brought alive in the company’s boardroom. The elaborately bordered sheets of bond and share certificates, weighty in their lure of possible reward, are uncovered; opened after being deemed as no longer of any value. Their pictures – detailed drawings of a bridge, railway or gold mine – reveal the object of their investment, a history of projects that inspired endeavour and risk. Alongside each bond certificate are the payment coupons, exquisitely detailed miniature notes; unrecognisable to use now, these were once used to claim the gleaning from the half-year’s interest. Ranging from brown to blue to red, each colour is indicative of value – brown often the cheapest, red the richest – forming a rainbow of opportunity for those lucky enough to invest. Embossed with imprints, fingerprints and tax stamps, these were once working documents – a fluttering of dreams and hopes, the leaves of many livelihoods. A marbling of colour, with dark veins of commerce, venture and luck, these papers are the layers of a market over time; the building of businesses, the glint of gold flickering between.

SPANISH / ESPAÑOL

Como un encargo de Schroders, esta obra celebra la historia de una institución financiera con más de dos siglos en Londres. Usando rastros del pasado –documentos que datan de 1864 a 1967, ilustrando más de cien años de éxito en la bolsa, auge y ruina– son revividos en la sala del directorio. Los bordes elaborados en las hojas de bonos y acciones, cautivantes con la seducción de una posible recompensa, son revelados; expuestos después de haber sido considerados inservibles. Las imágenes –dibujos detallados de puentes, ferrocarriles o minas de oro– revelan el objetivo de la inversión, una historia de proyectos que inspiraron sacrificio y riesgo. Junto a los certificados de bonos se encuentran los cupones de pago, exquisitamente detallados billetes en miniatura; irreconocible su uso hoy, éstos fueron usados para cobrar los frutos de los intereses bianuales. Variando de café a azul y a rojo, cada color es una indicación de valor –café generalmente para los económicos, rojo para los valiosos– formando un arcoíris de oportunidades para los afortunados que pudieron invertir. Sellos en relieve, marcas y timbres de impuestos, éstos fueron un día documentos en funcionamiento –un revoloteo de sueños y anhelos, hojas de muchas vidas–. Como un marmoleado de colores, con venas oscuras de comercio, ventura y suerte, estos documentos son las capas de un mercado financiero en el tiempo; la construcción de negocios, el brillo del oro titilante en medio.