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==Biography==
==Biography==
Clore was of [[History of the Jews in Lithuania|Lithuanian Jewish]] background, the son of Israel Clore, a [[Whitechapel]] tailor who had emigrated to London, and later to [[Israel]].<ref name="times">{{cite news |title= Obituary: Sir Charles Clore |work=[[The Times]] |date=27 July 1979 |page=17 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,319327,00.html|location=London, UK|work=The Guardian|title=No sweet Charity}}</ref> Charles Clore owned, through [[Sears plc|Sears Holdings]], the British Shoe Corporation and [[Lewis's]] department stores (which included [[Selfridges]]), as well as investing heavily in property.<ref>[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30943 Richard Davenport-Hines, "Clore, Sir Charles (1904–1979)"], ''[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'', Oxford University Press, 2004.</ref>
Clore was of [[History of the Jews in Lithuania|Lithuanian Jewish]] background, the son of Israel Clore, a [[Whitechapel]] tailor who had emigrated to London, and later to [[Israel]].<ref name="times">{{cite news |title= Obituary: Sir Charles Clore |work=[[The Times]] |date=27 July 1979 |page=17 }}</ref><ref name=guardian>{{cite news|url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,319327,00.html|location=London, UK|newspaper=[[The Observer]]|first=Tim|last=Adams|title=No sweet Charity|date=28 May 2000|access-date=24 August 2024}}</ref> Clore made money buying and selling South African film rights to a fight between [[Gene Tunney]] and [[Jack Dempsey]] in the 1920s. He bought [[Cricklewood]] ice rink in 1926,<ref name=guardian/> the [[Prince of Wales Theatre]] near [[Leicester Square]] before acquiring the [[Furness Shipbuilding Company]]. He owned [[Jowett|Jowett Cars Ltd]] from 1945 to 1947 where he was known as "Santa Clore" for his much anticipated financial investment. In 1954, Clore bought [[Sears plc|J. Sears & Co]] for £4 million.<ref name=magic>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Times]]|date=14 January 1997|title=Sears needs the Clore magic to step back into City favour|page=31|last=Cunningham|first=Sarah}}</ref> Through Sears, Clore came to form the British Shoe Corporation, which became the biggest shoe retailer in the United Kingdom, and owned [[Lewis's]] department stores (which included [[Selfridges]]), jewellers [[Mappin & Webb]] and [[Garrard & Co]], as well as investing heavily in property.<ref>[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30943 Richard Davenport-Hines, "Clore, Sir Charles (1904–1979)"], ''[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'', Oxford University Press, 2004.</ref>

He owned [[Jowett|Jowett Cars Ltd]] from 1945 to 1947 where he was known as "Santa Clore" for his much anticipated financial investment.


Sir Charles and his wife Francine had two children, [[Vivien Louise Duffield|Vivien]] and Alan Evelyn Clore. Clore Shipping Company had two oil tankers, the ''Vivien Louise'' and the ''Alan Evelyn''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9AwjAQAAMAAJ&q=%22vivien+louise%22+%22charles+clore%22+|title=Shipbuilding & Shipping Record: A Journal of Shipbuilding, Marine Engineering, Dock, Harbours & Shipping|date=1956|pages=372|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A0jlAAAAMAAJ&q=%22alan+evelyn%22+charles+clore+%22tanker%22|title=Petroleum Times|date=1959|language=en}}</ref>
Sir Charles and his wife Francine had two children, [[Vivien Louise Duffield|Vivien]] and Alan Evelyn Clore. Clore Shipping Company had two oil tankers, the ''Vivien Louise'' and the ''Alan Evelyn''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9AwjAQAAMAAJ&q=%22vivien+louise%22+%22charles+clore%22+|title=Shipbuilding & Shipping Record: A Journal of Shipbuilding, Marine Engineering, Dock, Harbours & Shipping|date=1956|pages=372|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A0jlAAAAMAAJ&q=%22alan+evelyn%22+charles+clore+%22tanker%22|title=Petroleum Times|date=1959|language=en}}</ref>

Revision as of 13:14, 24 August 2024

Sir
Charles Clore
Born(1904-12-26)26 December 1904[1][2][3]
London, England
Died26 July 1979(1979-07-26) (aged 74)
Westminster, London, England[4]
NationalityBritish
OccupationFinancier

Sir Charles Clore (26 December 1904 – 26 July 1979) was a British financier, retail and property magnate, and philanthropist.

Biography

Clore was of Lithuanian Jewish background, the son of Israel Clore, a Whitechapel tailor who had emigrated to London, and later to Israel.[5][6] Clore made money buying and selling South African film rights to a fight between Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey in the 1920s. He bought Cricklewood ice rink in 1926,[6] the Prince of Wales Theatre near Leicester Square before acquiring the Furness Shipbuilding Company. He owned Jowett Cars Ltd from 1945 to 1947 where he was known as "Santa Clore" for his much anticipated financial investment. In 1954, Clore bought J. Sears & Co for £4 million.[7] Through Sears, Clore came to form the British Shoe Corporation, which became the biggest shoe retailer in the United Kingdom, and owned Lewis's department stores (which included Selfridges), jewellers Mappin & Webb and Garrard & Co, as well as investing heavily in property.[8]

Sir Charles and his wife Francine had two children, Vivien and Alan Evelyn Clore. Clore Shipping Company had two oil tankers, the Vivien Louise and the Alan Evelyn.[9][10]

Philanthropy

His philanthropic trust, since 2000 the Clore Duffield Foundation, is a donor to arts and Jewish community projects in Britain and abroad. The Clore Gallery at Tate Britain in London, which houses the world's largest collection of the works of J. M. W. Turner, was built in 1980–87 with £6 million from Clore and his daughter and £1.8 million from the British government.[11] He was knighted in the 1971 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his philanthropic work.[12] Upon Sir Charles' death, Inland Revenue sued, claiming he was British domiciled (he had claimed Monaco domicile), in order to collect inheritance taxes. The court upheld the Inland Revenue position.[13][14][15]

Legacy and commemoration

Charles Clore Park, Tel Aviv

The beachfront Charles Clore Park in Tel Aviv is named after Clore.[16] It stretches across 30 acres, and families use the seaside park to celebrate birthdays and host barbecues, or even attend city-wide events such as Tel Aviv Pride. His father, who died in 1933, is buried in nearby Petah Tikvah.[citation needed]

In September 1980 thieves stole 19 paintings from Clore's Monaco apartment, including works by Renoir, Monet, Pissarro and Utrillo. Clore's butler was found lying on the floor of the apartment after the theft, claiming that he had been attacked by the thieves, but was later found to have collaborated with them. The butler later committed suicide in Monaco's prison.[17]

Clore was loosely connected to the Profumo affair, being a client of Christine Keeler.[18] Clore was depicted in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical based on the affair, Stephen Ward the Musical. In 2014 Clore's daughter, Vivien Duffield, saw the musical with William Astor, whose father, William Astor, 3rd Viscount Astor, was also depicted.[19] Clore owned several good racehorses, notably Valoris which won the Epsom Oaks in 1966.[20]

References

  1. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
  2. ^ Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Immigration Cards, 1900-1965
  3. ^ New York State, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1917-1967
  4. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
  5. ^ "Obituary: Sir Charles Clore". The Times. 27 July 1979. p. 17.
  6. ^ a b Adams, Tim (28 May 2000). "No sweet Charity". The Observer. London, UK. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  7. ^ Cunningham, Sarah (14 January 1997). "Sears needs the Clore magic to step back into City favour". The Times. p. 31.
  8. ^ Richard Davenport-Hines, "Clore, Sir Charles (1904–1979)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004.
  9. ^ Shipbuilding & Shipping Record: A Journal of Shipbuilding, Marine Engineering, Dock, Harbours & Shipping. 1956. p. 372.
  10. ^ Petroleum Times. 1959.
  11. ^ "Critiques of the Clore Gallery". Archived from the original on 15 June 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2006.
  12. ^ "SIR CHARLES CLORE, FINANCIER, DIES AT 74". New York Times. 27 July 1979. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  13. ^ Judgment in BTC-8101
  14. ^ "Re Clore (deceased). [1984] BTC 8101 | Croner-i Tax and Accounting". library.croneri.co.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  15. ^ "In re Clore, decd". uniset.ca. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  16. ^ s.r.o, Tripomatic. "Charles Clore Park in Tel Aviv, Israel". travel.sygic.com. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  17. ^ "Butler's suicide". The Guardian, August 6, 1981.
  18. ^ "An English Affair: Sex, Class and Power in the Age of Profumo by Richard Davenport-Hines – review". The Guardian. 4 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  19. ^ "William Astor: My father, his swimming pool and the Profumo scandal". The Spectator. 11 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  20. ^ O'Brien, Jacqueline; Herbert, Ivor (2006). Vincent O'Brien: The Official Biography. Transworld Publishers Limited. ISBN 9780553817393 – via Google Books.

See also


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