Guilty Money: The City of London in Victorian and Edwardian Culture, 1815-1914 (Financial History)

This is an engaging socio-cultural study of the place occupied by the City of London within British cultural life during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Michie interrogates the dialectic nature of two traditional views of the City as a global financial centre: London as a theatre of corruption, fraud and scandal; and as a place of unbridled success and power for the ambitious elite. Rather than rely on the opinion of orthodox figures contemporaneous to the period under examination, Michie recognises the novel as a pertinent source of socio-economic representation. By comparing both literary and popular novels at different times, this work illustrates how the evidence for cultural shifts can rest upon the generality of the population. Marrying literary and economic analysis, Guilty Money foregrounds the limitless possibilities of the novel as a work of historical documentation. This Socio-cultural Study Of The Place Occupied By The City Of London Within British Cultural Life During The Victorian And Edwardian Periods Investigates The Two Traditional Views Of The City As A Global Financial Centre: London As A Theatre Of Corruption, Fraud And Scandal; And As A Place Of Success And Power For The Ambitious Elite. Cover -- Preface -- Introduction -- 1. Capitalism And Culture, 1800-1856 -- 2. Financiers And Merchants, 1856-1870 -- 3. Damnation And Forgiveness, 1870-1885 -- 4. Avarice And Honesty, 1885-1895 -- 5. Gold And Greed, 1895-1900 -- 6. Money And Mansions, 1900-1910 -- 7. Wealth And Power, 1910-1914 -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Works Cited -- Index. By Ranald C. Michie. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 263-274) And Index. Contents ......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 1. Capitalism and Culture......Page 24 2. Financiers and Merchants, 1856–1870......Page 48 3. Damnation and Forgiveness, 1870–1885......Page 88 4. Avarice and Honesty. 1885–1895......Page 114 5. Gold and Greed, 1895–1900......Page 142 6. Money and Mansions, 1900–1910......Page 174 7. Wealth and Power, 1910–1914......Page 202 Conclusion......Page 240 Notes......Page 258 Works Cited......Page 274 Index......Page 286 This is an engaging study of the place occupied by the City of London within British cultural life during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Michie uses both literary and popular novels to examine socio-economic representations during this period.