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La Ciotat in the Age of Steam (1836â1916)
The Messageries Maritimes and the Making of an Industrial Maritime Society
Series: - Brill's Studies in Maritime History, Volume: 19
Author:
La Ciotat, a small port-town in the French Mediterranean, underwent a profound metamorphosis during the nineteenth century. Once a small maritime community, it was transformed into the technical base and shipbuilding centre of the Compagnie des Messageries maritimes, Franceâs largest steam navigation company. This book charts the journey of a maritime society through its industrial growth and discovers its economic, demographic, labour, and social changes. Drawing on unpublished archival material, it explores how technological changes and the dominance of a single private shipping company reshaped the townâs identity and redefined its relationship with the sea.
Kalliopi Vasilaki is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre of Maritime History, Institute for Mediterranean Studies (IMS/FORTH). She received her Ph.D. from the University of Crete in 2022 and holds a Master's degree from the Ãcole des Hautes Ãtudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris, 2012). Her research focuses on maritime societies in the Mediterranean during the nineteenth century. She has published several articles in English and French in international journals and edited volumes.
List of Tables and Illustrations
Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part 1 Economy
1 The Pre-industrial French Mediterranean: the Case of La Ciotat and Its Maritime Transport System
â1âThe Port of Marseille: a Dominant Port in the French Mediterranean â2âThe Secondary Ports and Smaller Ports of Provence: Essential Components of the Transport System of the Region
â3âThe Maritime Culture of La Ciotat during the Sailing Era: an Overview
â4âThe Decline of Provenceâs Pre-industrial Economy: the Case of La Ciotat
2 The Advent of Steam in La Ciotat: the First Phase (1836â1851)
â1âLouis Benet and the Introduction of Industrial Shipbuilding Activity in the Port
â2âFactors for the Establishment of the Shipbuilding Industry in La Ciotat
â3âThe Process of Adaptation: the Externalities of Industrial Growth
â4âThe Maritime Economy of the Port in Transition: Shipbuilding Production
â5âThe Novelty of the Business Venture of Louis Benet in the Mediterranean Basin
â6âThe Decline of the Activities of Louis Benet
3 La Ciotatâs Transformation into a Maritime Industrial Centre
â1âThe Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes in the Port of La Ciotat
â2âThe Metamorphosis of the Port: the Formation of an Industrial Shipbuilding Complex in La Ciotat
â3âThe Evolution of Shipbuilding Production in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century: Vertical Integration and State Subsidies
â4âThe Decline of Production in the Shipyard and Workshops at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century: the Final Period of Messageries Maritimes in La Ciotat
â5âFactors of Productivity in the Shipbuilding Centre of La Ciotat
â6âThe Port of La Ciotat during the Industrial Era and Its Integration into a New Industrial Maritime District in Provence
Part 2 Labour
â4âThe Shipyard and Workshops of the Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes and Its Workforce
â1âThe Company in Search of Labour: the Implementation of Industrial Paternalism
â2âEmployment Strategies to Increase and Retain the Labour Force in La Ciotat: Working Housing and Social Policies
â3âEmployment Patterns in the Shipyard
5 From Deck to Engine: Local Seafarers in Transition
â1âThe Administrative Division of the Coastline of France: the Inscription Maritime
â2âStudying the Seafarers of La Ciotat: the matricules de gens de mer in the Inscription Maritime
â3âThe Inscrits Maritimes in La Ciotat in Transition: the Sailors
â4âThe Inscrits Maritimes of La Ciotat: the Captains
â5âThe Professional Transformation of La Ciotatâs Seafarers
Part 3 The Society
6 The Town in Transition: the Demographic Restructuring of La Ciotat (1831â1911)
â1âPopulation Growth and Urban Expansion in La Ciotat
â2âImmigration as a Primary Factor of Demographic Change
â3âThe Population Composition: Demographic Dynamics into Transition
â4âThe Control of the Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes into the Demographic Behaviours in La Ciotat
7 Towards a New Maritime Society: the Main Traits of Occupational Structure in La Ciotat
â1âThe Townâs Male Occupational Structure towards Industrialisation: a General Overview
â2âA Society Connected to the Sea: the Evolution of Seafaring Labour and Fishing
â3âTowards a New Working-Class Society
â4âThe Changing Characteristics of Female Labour in the Town
â5âThe Impact of Changing Occupational Structure on the Society of the Town
8 A New Opening to the World: Facets of a New Everyday Life in La Ciotat
â1âItalian Immigration and Social Integration
â2âThe Multifaceted Sociocultural Impact of Seafarers
â3âThe Phenomenon of Prostitution in La Ciotat
â4âThe Transformative Power of Industrial Growth: La Ciotatâs Rise to Global Prominence
9 The Labour Protests of Twentieth-Century La Ciotat: a Closing Chapter of Transition
â1âThe Slow Rise of Syndicalism in the Town
â2âSocial Unrest and Strikes at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century: the End of a Long Cycle
Conclusion
Appendices
Appendix 1: Ships Constructed in La Ciotat in the Period 1832 to 1850
Appendix 2: Studying the Occupational Structure of La Ciotat: a Methodological Note
Archival Sources
Bibliography
Index
Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part 1 Economy
1 The Pre-industrial French Mediterranean: the Case of La Ciotat and Its Maritime Transport System
â1âThe Port of Marseille: a Dominant Port in the French Mediterranean â2âThe Secondary Ports and Smaller Ports of Provence: Essential Components of the Transport System of the Region
â3âThe Maritime Culture of La Ciotat during the Sailing Era: an Overview
â4âThe Decline of Provenceâs Pre-industrial Economy: the Case of La Ciotat
2 The Advent of Steam in La Ciotat: the First Phase (1836â1851)
â1âLouis Benet and the Introduction of Industrial Shipbuilding Activity in the Port
â2âFactors for the Establishment of the Shipbuilding Industry in La Ciotat
â3âThe Process of Adaptation: the Externalities of Industrial Growth
â4âThe Maritime Economy of the Port in Transition: Shipbuilding Production
â5âThe Novelty of the Business Venture of Louis Benet in the Mediterranean Basin
â6âThe Decline of the Activities of Louis Benet
3 La Ciotatâs Transformation into a Maritime Industrial Centre
â1âThe Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes in the Port of La Ciotat
â2âThe Metamorphosis of the Port: the Formation of an Industrial Shipbuilding Complex in La Ciotat
â3âThe Evolution of Shipbuilding Production in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century: Vertical Integration and State Subsidies
â4âThe Decline of Production in the Shipyard and Workshops at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century: the Final Period of Messageries Maritimes in La Ciotat
â5âFactors of Productivity in the Shipbuilding Centre of La Ciotat
â6âThe Port of La Ciotat during the Industrial Era and Its Integration into a New Industrial Maritime District in Provence
Part 2 Labour
â4âThe Shipyard and Workshops of the Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes and Its Workforce
â1âThe Company in Search of Labour: the Implementation of Industrial Paternalism
â2âEmployment Strategies to Increase and Retain the Labour Force in La Ciotat: Working Housing and Social Policies
â3âEmployment Patterns in the Shipyard
5 From Deck to Engine: Local Seafarers in Transition
â1âThe Administrative Division of the Coastline of France: the Inscription Maritime
â2âStudying the Seafarers of La Ciotat: the matricules de gens de mer in the Inscription Maritime
â3âThe Inscrits Maritimes in La Ciotat in Transition: the Sailors
â4âThe Inscrits Maritimes of La Ciotat: the Captains
â5âThe Professional Transformation of La Ciotatâs Seafarers
Part 3 The Society
6 The Town in Transition: the Demographic Restructuring of La Ciotat (1831â1911)
â1âPopulation Growth and Urban Expansion in La Ciotat
â2âImmigration as a Primary Factor of Demographic Change
â3âThe Population Composition: Demographic Dynamics into Transition
â4âThe Control of the Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes into the Demographic Behaviours in La Ciotat
7 Towards a New Maritime Society: the Main Traits of Occupational Structure in La Ciotat
â1âThe Townâs Male Occupational Structure towards Industrialisation: a General Overview
â2âA Society Connected to the Sea: the Evolution of Seafaring Labour and Fishing
â3âTowards a New Working-Class Society
â4âThe Changing Characteristics of Female Labour in the Town
â5âThe Impact of Changing Occupational Structure on the Society of the Town
8 A New Opening to the World: Facets of a New Everyday Life in La Ciotat
â1âItalian Immigration and Social Integration
â2âThe Multifaceted Sociocultural Impact of Seafarers
â3âThe Phenomenon of Prostitution in La Ciotat
â4âThe Transformative Power of Industrial Growth: La Ciotatâs Rise to Global Prominence
9 The Labour Protests of Twentieth-Century La Ciotat: a Closing Chapter of Transition
â1âThe Slow Rise of Syndicalism in the Town
â2âSocial Unrest and Strikes at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century: the End of a Long Cycle
Conclusion
Appendices
Appendix 1: Ships Constructed in La Ciotat in the Period 1832 to 1850
Appendix 2: Studying the Occupational Structure of La Ciotat: a Methodological Note
Archival Sources
Bibliography
Index
This book is ideal for specialists in maritime history, social history, and Mediterranean studies, as well as postgraduate students researching maritime societies, industrialisation, and societal transformations in the nineteenth century.