Subject: Isaac Moses

Oil - ISAAC Moses (1743-1818) circa 1805... Attributed..John Wesley Jarvis NYC. A similar portrait done about 5 years later is in the Museum; of the City of NY. That portrait has him wearing a fur cap but in the same pose, clothes look; similar & same chair. Deborah Waters, Head of Collections at the MCNY has been to our home and; looked at our portrait. She easily concluded that they are both by Jarvis but ours is a younger; sitting by 5 years. Theirs does not have an original frame and has had serious restoration. The Moses family of New York has been a prominent Jewish family since the American Revolution. Isaac Moses (1742-1818). born in Giessen, Germany, moved to New York in 1764. In 1766 he became a “freeman” of New York City. He worked in his uncle, Hayman Levy's, mercantile firm until he established Isaac Moses and Company with two business partners in 1775. His firm supported the Revolutionary army by accepting $20,000 Continental paper dollars in exchange for $20,000 in hard currency, thereby financing the war effort. The firm also traded for military supplies internationally and sold guns and ammunition to the army. When the British occupied New York, Isaac Moses left for Philadelphia and ran the firm from there. In 1783 he returned to New York City and continued his commercial enterprises. Despite a bankruptcy in 1786, he was generally financially successful, establishing Isaac Moses and & Sons, an international trading company. He was also a major stockholder in the Bank of New York. He was one of the founders of the NY Stock Exchange. Isaac Moses was very involved in his community. He was a Mason in New York City's Union Lodge, and an important member of the New York City Chamber of Commerce. He was also president of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York, and one of the principle organizers of the Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia. He married Reyna Levy in 1770. They had ten children together. FROM GRATZ COLLECTION IN CANADA..NATHAN FAMILY ARCHIVE