From the private bank to the joint-stock bank: the case of France (second half of the 19th century)

Nicolas Stoskopf (1)

1 CRESAT - Centre de Recherches sur les Économies, les Sociétés, les Arts et les Techniques

This paper based on the results of a prosopographic study of Second-Empire Parisian Bankers, deals with the question of the banking revolution and the confrontation between the old banks and the new - between the private bank and the joint-stock banks. Three conclusions emerge: - There were two types of banker: the new managers were clearly distinguishable from their private banking colleagues by their cultural and social origins - most were French, Catholic and from modest backgrounds. - However, in exercising their functions they behaved exactly like the heads of the private banks - personalised management, a confusion between their private fortunes and the company's assets, membership of the same boards of directors. - Despite specialising, the banks followed mixed banking practices along the same lines as the private banks. French capitalism thus experienced a brief period of euphoria (1850-1880) which came to an abrupt halt with the Great Depression Published (CD-rom) : " From the Private Bank to the Joint-Stock-Bank : The Case of France (Second Half of the 19th Century ", Companies-Owners-Employees, Proceedings from the 6th Annual Congress ot the European Business History Association (EBHA), 22-24.8.2002, University of Helsinki, Department of Social Science History, 2003 (CD-rom).

Mots clés: banker; banking revolution; merchant bank; joint-stock bank; Second Empire; Banking

Domaines: Histoire

Nicolas Stoskopf. From the private bank to the joint-stock bank: the case of France (second half of the 19th century). 6th Annual Congress ot the European Business History Association (EBHA), Aug 2002, Helsinki, Finland. ⟨hal-00934946⟩