See 1994.265.291 in the Walker Evans Archive for a book on George Peabody, published in Boston, 1856
Massachusetts-born investment banker George Peabody (1795-1896)came from a modest background with little education, and is today considered a founder of modern philanthropy in that he aimed to improve society rather than promote religious beliefs. After the War of 1812, he and Elisha Riggs of Baltimore founded the wholesale dry goods firm of Peabody, Riggs & Co., moving to Baltimore and later establishing branches in New York and Philadelphia. Peabody settled in London in 1837, where he began a prosperous brokerage firm, and in 1851 funded the American exhibits at the Crystal Palace Exhibition. During his lifetime, he provided more than $8 million in contribution to the U.S. and England.
