Industrial benefits. The firm Berenguer and Cia. of Artés in Catalan industrialization

Authors

  • Llorenç Ferrer i Alòs Universitat de Barcelona

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1344/rhi.v18i39.20056

Keywords:

Weaving, Industrial Accounting, Industrial Benefits, Catalan Bourgeoisie.

Abstract

This paper analyses, firstly, the role of weaving in Catalan industrialization. Around 1840, after the mechanization of spinning, there was an expansion of manual weaving in the form of weaving mills, some of which evolved towards mechanization, whereas others kept producing fabrics difficult to mechanize. Secondly, on the basis of an analysis of the family firm Berenguer in the town of Artés, the paper shows the high accumulation potential of the textile industry, as this family of simple hand weavers in 1840 ended up joining the Catalan bourgeoisie in the early twentieth century. Studies on profits in the textile industry have usually reported low profits, while this case study shows that the weaving industry was extremely profitable in the last third of the nineteenth century, allowing a family from a rural village to establish a fully mechanized factory in Artés, and an industrial “colony” in Cabrianes and to live with the luxury of the Catalan bourgeoisie in Barcelona.

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Published

2017-09-26

How to Cite

Ferrer i Alòs, Llorenç. 2017. “Industrial Benefits. The Firm Berenguer and Cia. Of Artés in Catalan Industrialization”. Revista De Historia Industrial — Industrial History Review 18 (39):37-75. https://doi.org/10.1344/rhi.v18i39.20056.

Issue

Section

Articles