WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN 18TH-CENTURY LONDON: CHANGE OR CONTINUITY?

University of Cambridge

Dr Amy Erickson talking about Women Entrepreneurs in 18th-century London: change or continuity? and her exhibition: City Women in the 18th Century at the Cambridge Festival of Ideas. The outdoor exhibition City Women in the 18th Century (Cheapside, London, 21 September – 18 October 2019) highlights the extraordinary number of women who ran manufacturing and commercial businesses in the heart of 18th-century London. Then, as now, the Cheapside area was known for its luxury goods. Unlike now, most of those goods were made on the premises. It is often assumed today that women did not enter the labour force before the 20th century. What is the significance of the discovery that in the 18th century women were not only central to the labour market but also ran businesses? Amy Erickson discusses her research and reflects on the experience of mounting a public exhibition with private sector support.