Merchant Princes and Charlatans or Makers of Money? : Decoding Icons of Nineteenth Century British and International Finance

This book provides a critical analysis of visual images of British and international finance during the nineteenth century. Its focus is on the financiers themselves, contrasting the depiction of the respectable Merchant Princes with the less than perfect charlatans (white-collar criminals) who defrauded investors of millions. The breakdown of trust between financiers and investors that evolved during this period is represented visually in depictions of the emotional response of investors to the uncertain financial climate.

Throughout the book a PEARL methodology has been used to critique the images reflecting the impact of any Publisher’s political bias, the Editorial and Artistic techniques used to convey the messages in the images, and the Legal context (especially a concern in countries such as France and Germany where censorship was strict).

Henry Sless is currently a Research Associate at Henley Business School at the University of Reading, UK. He received a Master’s in historical cartoons from the University of Kent, UK, and a doctorate in visual images of finance in the Victorian era from the University of Reading. For further details of his areas of interest, please see his site: www.figuringfinance.com