Beyond the Typewriter: Gender, Work and Technological Change in City of London Banks, 1870-1939
This paper examines the relationship between women's employment and technological change in the City of London banks during a pivotal period of financial and technological transformation. Through archival research at institutions such as Baring Brothers and Lloyds, it challenges simplistic technological determinist narratives, arguing that women's entry into banking and technological advancement were concurrent and related but not causally linked phenomena. The research reveals three key findings: women's entry into City banks before 1900 predated widespread technological adoption, with early roles focusing on tasks like coupon and banknote sorting; by the interwar period, women's roles became more closely tied to banking mechanisation, though this shift reflected broader trends of banking expansion and efficiency drives rather than a simple cause-and-effect relationship with technology; and while mechanization created new opportunities for women, it ultimately consolidated pre-existing occupational sex-typing in the sector. These findings contribute to our understanding of women's labour history, the professionalisation of banking, and the complex interplay between gender, technology, and work in the financial sector.
Kirsty Peacock is a third-year DPhil candidate in Modern British History at the University of Oxford, working on a Collaborative Doctoral Award project titled ‘Women and Work in the City of London 1870-1970’ with the Baring Archive. She is on X as @ka_peacock and Bluesky as @ka-peacock.bsky.social.
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This page was last updated on 17 December 2024
