Fabricating the market: The promotion of life assurance in the long nineteenth-century

Liz McFall, Francis Dodsworth

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The market for life assurance did not emerge "naturally" from a particular problem of the allocation of resources, it had to be made. Life insurance had to appear desirable and reliable. This involved the circulation of a variety of advertising media, one aspect of which was the fabrication of grand offices as headquarters for life assurance companies. These buildings and their widely-circulated images were part of a process of making life assurance appear prudent and proper, but more importantly secure. Through this fabrication of the liberal market, the City of London was transformed into a centre of commerce and finance.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)30-54
Number of pages25
JournalJournal of Historical Sociology
Volume22
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Feb 2009

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