Hillary Vipond
@hillaryvipond.bsky.social
Economic History, LSE ||
Technological Unemployment in Victorian Britain || Postdoc @CSH Vienna. Senior @atlanticfellows
Technological Unemployment in Victorian Britain || Postdoc @CSH Vienna. Senior @atlanticfellows
I do love flying in to Boston, it's like a city of sails on the water. Weekend is all prep for NBER SI, reading econ history paper, good times.
July 5, 2025 at 2:06 PM
I do love flying in to Boston, it's like a city of sails on the water. Weekend is all prep for NBER SI, reading econ history paper, good times.
And today a swan's nest, right on the banks of the river
May 29, 2025 at 6:38 PM
And today a swan's nest, right on the banks of the river
Vienna. Wildflowers on the walk to the train
May 24, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Vienna. Wildflowers on the walk to the train
Industrial Revolution probably improved living standards more than any other revolution before or since.
It'd be neat to quantify this, and without overlooking the many people who were harmed in the churn
It'd be neat to quantify this, and without overlooking the many people who were harmed in the churn
May 20, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Industrial Revolution probably improved living standards more than any other revolution before or since.
It'd be neat to quantify this, and without overlooking the many people who were harmed in the churn
It'd be neat to quantify this, and without overlooking the many people who were harmed in the churn
Have come to terms with the fact that I don't really understand or remember much until I write it out & work through it.
So I'm going to blog. Primarily for myself. Would love it to be a little useful for others. Many thanks to @johanfourieza.bsky.social, whose conference on this was inspiring
So I'm going to blog. Primarily for myself. Would love it to be a little useful for others. Many thanks to @johanfourieza.bsky.social, whose conference on this was inspiring
May 19, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Have come to terms with the fact that I don't really understand or remember much until I write it out & work through it.
So I'm going to blog. Primarily for myself. Would love it to be a little useful for others. Many thanks to @johanfourieza.bsky.social, whose conference on this was inspiring
So I'm going to blog. Primarily for myself. Would love it to be a little useful for others. Many thanks to @johanfourieza.bsky.social, whose conference on this was inspiring
Vienna at sundown
May 16, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Vienna at sundown
Thousands of books have just arrived at CSH and I can't help myself, I've nabbed a few just for the cover art and title. Any Booth map will do for me I guess #econhistory
May 15, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Thousands of books have just arrived at CSH and I can't help myself, I've nabbed a few just for the cover art and title. Any Booth map will do for me I guess #econhistory
Good discussion taking place on whether researchers should be responsible for sharing their findings, or whether it should be someone else. Specialization etc.
Someone said "the researcher might not be the one who shares the story, but they should know why it matters"
Someone said "the researcher might not be the one who shares the story, but they should know why it matters"
May 9, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Good discussion taking place on whether researchers should be responsible for sharing their findings, or whether it should be someone else. Specialization etc.
Someone said "the researcher might not be the one who shares the story, but they should know why it matters"
Someone said "the researcher might not be the one who shares the story, but they should know why it matters"
@delong.social sharing thoughts on the use and abuse of economic history
May 8, 2025 at 7:33 AM
@delong.social sharing thoughts on the use and abuse of economic history
Really delighted to have arrived in Stellenbosch for this workshop on disseminating Economic History. Organized by @johanfourieza.bsky.social with keynote from @delong.social
May 5, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Really delighted to have arrived in Stellenbosch for this workshop on disseminating Economic History. Organized by @johanfourieza.bsky.social with keynote from @delong.social
Look at the decline in entry into the elite over time!
After the Black Death, quite a lot of opportunity.
Once the Medici had become the super rich, they gained control of central government, and entry disappeared.
After the Black Death, quite a lot of opportunity.
Once the Medici had become the super rich, they gained control of central government, and entry disappeared.
April 6, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Look at the decline in entry into the elite over time!
After the Black Death, quite a lot of opportunity.
Once the Medici had become the super rich, they gained control of central government, and entry disappeared.
After the Black Death, quite a lot of opportunity.
Once the Medici had become the super rich, they gained control of central government, and entry disappeared.
He then accumulated a lot of support and power by redistributing his wealth. In the form of contributions to society.
April 6, 2025 at 2:09 PM
He then accumulated a lot of support and power by redistributing his wealth. In the form of contributions to society.
But business as usual is keeping wealth and influence in.
He tells us the story of the Medici family. They were newcomers after the Black Death. But they got to power by Cosimo. He was initially expelled by Florence. Then Florence needed money. They brought him back...
He tells us the story of the Medici family. They were newcomers after the Black Death. But they got to power by Cosimo. He was initially expelled by Florence. Then Florence needed money. They brought him back...
April 6, 2025 at 2:09 PM
But business as usual is keeping wealth and influence in.
He tells us the story of the Medici family. They were newcomers after the Black Death. But they got to power by Cosimo. He was initially expelled by Florence. Then Florence needed money. They brought him back...
He tells us the story of the Medici family. They were newcomers after the Black Death. But they got to power by Cosimo. He was initially expelled by Florence. Then Florence needed money. They brought him back...
We get the example of the great merchant Datini. Born an orphan. Died immensely rich.
Alfani is arguing that the plague had been so bad that the system had collapsed in some places, and so was more open to outsiders...good conditions for a Datini.
Alfani is arguing that the plague had been so bad that the system had collapsed in some places, and so was more open to outsiders...good conditions for a Datini.
April 6, 2025 at 2:08 PM
We get the example of the great merchant Datini. Born an orphan. Died immensely rich.
Alfani is arguing that the plague had been so bad that the system had collapsed in some places, and so was more open to outsiders...good conditions for a Datini.
Alfani is arguing that the plague had been so bad that the system had collapsed in some places, and so was more open to outsiders...good conditions for a Datini.
He points out that in pre-industrial Europe there were three main paths into affluence.
1. Be born to money
2. Entrepreneurship (Arkwright. Became the richest commoner in England)
3. Finance
Measuring the different prevalence of mobility via each path needs more work
1. Be born to money
2. Entrepreneurship (Arkwright. Became the richest commoner in England)
3. Finance
Measuring the different prevalence of mobility via each path needs more work
April 6, 2025 at 2:08 PM
He points out that in pre-industrial Europe there were three main paths into affluence.
1. Be born to money
2. Entrepreneurship (Arkwright. Became the richest commoner in England)
3. Finance
Measuring the different prevalence of mobility via each path needs more work
1. Be born to money
2. Entrepreneurship (Arkwright. Became the richest commoner in England)
3. Finance
Measuring the different prevalence of mobility via each path needs more work
Ok, where we're going is a hypothesis on waves of social mobility. Potentially around elite control being interrupted...
April 6, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Ok, where we're going is a hypothesis on waves of social mobility. Potentially around elite control being interrupted...
Social mobility. The graph shows change in social mobility. Big boost to social mobility after the Black Death.
(This has got to be connected to distribution of wealth, but it's not clear to me where we're going)
(This has got to be connected to distribution of wealth, but it's not clear to me where we're going)
April 6, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Social mobility. The graph shows change in social mobility. Big boost to social mobility after the Black Death.
(This has got to be connected to distribution of wealth, but it's not clear to me where we're going)
(This has got to be connected to distribution of wealth, but it's not clear to me where we're going)
But the *point* he is making here is that similar trends in inequality obscure very different trends in inequality ratios.
(Alright, I have to have an opinion here, I think this is very important. Has been on my mind in terms of distribution of the gains of growth)
(Alright, I have to have an opinion here, I think this is very important. Has been on my mind in terms of distribution of the gains of growth)
April 6, 2025 at 2:06 PM
But the *point* he is making here is that similar trends in inequality obscure very different trends in inequality ratios.
(Alright, I have to have an opinion here, I think this is very important. Has been on my mind in terms of distribution of the gains of growth)
(Alright, I have to have an opinion here, I think this is very important. Has been on my mind in terms of distribution of the gains of growth)
To the extent we can get data on income, we can build an inequality extraction frontier (Milanovic) for the different places over time
April 6, 2025 at 2:05 PM
To the extent we can get data on income, we can build an inequality extraction frontier (Milanovic) for the different places over time
They are collecting data on what happened in other places in Europe
....
....
April 6, 2025 at 2:05 PM
They are collecting data on what happened in other places in Europe
....
....
One interpretation is the pessimistic one: that the cure is worse than the disease. No one would want a major catastrophe in order to reduce inequality.
He is going to talk about another view. We start with this graph on the share of wealth over time
He is going to talk about another view. We start with this graph on the share of wealth over time
April 6, 2025 at 2:04 PM
One interpretation is the pessimistic one: that the cure is worse than the disease. No one would want a major catastrophe in order to reduce inequality.
He is going to talk about another view. We start with this graph on the share of wealth over time
He is going to talk about another view. We start with this graph on the share of wealth over time
He starts by saying that research over the last 10 years on the history of inequality has something to contribute to modern day concerns.
This graph is a story - of inequality always growing, except in periods of crisis: black death, world wars.
This graph is a story - of inequality always growing, except in periods of crisis: black death, world wars.
April 6, 2025 at 12:14 PM
He starts by saying that research over the last 10 years on the history of inequality has something to contribute to modern day concerns.
This graph is a story - of inequality always growing, except in periods of crisis: black death, world wars.
This graph is a story - of inequality always growing, except in periods of crisis: black death, world wars.