The Solomon Brothers was a prominent investment banking firm founded in 1910 by Solomon Brothers. It became well-known for its expertise in underwriting and trading government securities, particularly U.S. Treasury bonds. The firm played a significant role in the development of the modern bond market and was a pioneer in the use of mortgage-backed securities. In 1997, Solomon Brothers was acquired by Salomon Smith Barney, which was part of Citigroup. The firm continued to operate under the Solomon Brothers name for a time, but eventually, it was fully integrated into Citigroup's operations, marking the end of its independent identity in the financial industry.