Did anyone watch it? I found the part about her Bavarian Jewish roots interesting, but it left me wanting more detail.
Helen's great-great grandfather William/Wolf Scholle emigrated from Bavaria in 1845 and settled in New York before heading to San Fransisco duing the Gold Rush to make his fortune - he became a millionaire - in the clothing trade.
I noticed that as well as William Scholle, Levi Strauss and the Lehman brothers also invested in the Nevada bank - though little was made of this. The Strauss's were a Bavarian Jewish family, as were the Lehman brothers (Henry Lehman emigrated from Bavaria in 1844).
Levi Strauss (came to the USA in 1847) also left New York for San Fransisco during the Gold Rush and made tough canvas work clothes for the gold miners. The miners liked the durability of the clothes made by Levi Strauss, but they were too rough. Strauss then used 'serge de Nimes' to make the clothing - this is where the word denim originates.
I wonder whether there were deeper connections between the Scholle family and the Strauss family. Was William Scholle selling Strauss's denims in his shops? The Lehman Brothers started out in the cotton business. How were they connected?
Didn't like the way she said Scholle, though - 'showllee'.
|