Emanuel Snowman

Emanuel Snowman OBE MVO (25 January 1886 – 27 February 1970) was a British jeweller, local politician and Jewish community leader. He oversaw the opening of the London branch of the Llandudno jewellers Wartski, having married the daughter of its founder, Morris Wartski, and went on to become its chairman.

Early life Emanuel Snowman was born in Hampstead, London, the son of Abraham Snowman (1849–1918), a picture dealer, and his wife Rachel, both of whom were born in Poland. His elder brothers were the prominent mohel and medical doctor Jacob Snowman and the painter Isaac Snowman. As a teenager he acted as secretary to Israel Zangwill.

Career In 1911, Snowman managed the opening of the Regent Street, London, branch of his father-in-law's business, up until then only based in Llandudno, Wales. One of these was the 1913 Winter egg, which was the most expensive ever made, and which sold for a world record $9.6 million at Christie's in New York in 2002. Snowman's visits to the country continued until 1939.

There was some discomfort amongst Russian émigré circles in London about the purchase of items that had previously belonged to Russian aristocrats or the royal family as although property confiscated by the Soviets could be legally sold, as the Soviet Government was internationally recognised, some of the items were identifiably the personal property of living individuals or relatives of the recently deceased.

In 1927, Snowman acquired about 80 items that had been sold in Paris by the Soviets. The Times commented pointedly that the "haul" could "be comfortably stowed away in a Gladstone bag" and that these were "things which the owners would have handled and treasured as personal belongings.

Fabergé Imperial Easter eggs acquired by Emanuel Snowman

Snowman acquired nine Imperial eggs:

Personal life and death Snowman married Harriet Wartski (1891–1985) in 1909, and their son Kenneth Snowman (1919–2002) in turn became chairman of Wartski, as has Kenneth's son, Nicholas Snowman (born 1944). They also had two daughters, Flora Joyce Snowman (1911–1996) and Charlotte Snowman (1914–2013).

Snowman died on 27 February 1970, aged 84.