Max Rose (businessman)
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Max Rose | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1873 |
| Died | August 21, 1951 (aged 77–78) |
| Citizenship | South African |
| Occupations | Entrepreneur, ostrich farmer, industrialist |
| Years active | 1890s–1951 |
| Known for | Leading ostrich feather industry revival in South Africa; known as “ostrich feather king” |
Max Rose (1873–August 21, 1951) was a Russian-born, South African businessman and ostrich farmer who played a major role in the development and revival of the ostrich feather industry in the Cape region. He became known as the "ostrich feather king of South Africa."[1][2]
Max Rose was born to a large Jewish family in 1873 in Shavli (now Šiauliai), then part of the Russian Empire (present-day Lithuania). Along with some of his siblings, he immigrated to South Africa in 1890 at the age of 17, settling in the town of Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape.[1][3][4]
Career
Rose began as a feather buyer and quickly transitioned to ostrich farming.[5] He acquired his first farm in Ladismith[6] and studied the breeding and dietary habits of ostriches, notably planting and irrigating large tracts of lucerne (alfalfa) to feed them. He was one of the first farmers in the region to irrigate lucerne and shipped it by rail across South Africa to support the growing industry.[1][3][7]
Rose had extensive knowledge of the ostrich feather trade and a strong understanding of ostrich breeding and feather development, which was greater than that of many farmers in the Oudtshoorn region. He took a scientific interest in the behavior and life cycle of ostriches, was familiar with their desert origins, and studied their characteristics from hatching to old age. Rose was also well informed about international feather markets, and local farmers often consulted him during various phases of the industry's development.[8]: 21 [3][7]
By the early 1900s, Rose had become the leading feather buyer and farmer in Oudtshoorn and a very wealthy man. The collapse of the ostrich feather boom in 1914 caused financial ruin for many, including Rose. While most farmers slaughtered or released their ostriches, Rose continued feeding his birds, convinced the industry would recover.[1][3][6][9]
In recognition of his expertise, he was appointed by the South African government to a commission of inquiry tasked with examining the depressed state of the ostrich industry and proposing solutions.[1][3]