Ladies of the Ticker

"Ladies of the Ticker" is a history of women involved in the American stock market from around the 1880s to 1920s. The author started by describing the laws (in England and America) that made it difficult for women to control and invest their own money and the changes that came about in the late 1800s that allowed more women to invest in stocks and bonds.

The rest of the book focused "the Gilded Age to the Great Depression." He started by describing how novels, magazines, financial manuals, and similar sources portrayed the stock market and women who invested in bonds or stocks. He then looked at records from two stock brokers showing what women actually invested their money in, their investment habits, and how they acted in their correspondence with the stock broker. He acknowledged that women didn't all behave the same way, yet there were certain general trends. He contrasted women's investment behavior to the records of men's investments and to how popular culture portrayed women investors.

The author also talked about fraud (involving banks, stocks, and bonds) that was directed at women or that was done by women. He looked at the women's rights movement and how they promoted financial education and empowerment for women. He talked about early women brokers, capitalists, and financiers. Some parts read like biographies. We're told about several women who tried to set up as a stock brokers, what the press and such said about the woman, what she said about her past, and what we know about what happened to her. We also learned details about several women who carried out sensational financial frauds.

This book had an academic tone. As in, I felt like the topic had been carefully researched and a balanced view presented. As a woman who is interested in this time period and who invests in stocks, I found it very interesting. Overall, I'd recommend this book.

The book I would have liked to have read when I took my class of Women’s Studies back in college. The book will appeal to those who like to read about history and particularly women’s history. The book is not long so a lot is said in a few pages which I personally liked. A look at the history of women in finances is an interesting subject and I am sure college professors in women’s studies shall take more than a passing look at this book. Some pictures and illustrations are shown throughout the book; I would have liked to have seen more of these pictures; particularly because today’s audiences are very visual so they have come to expect that.

A well written, well-researched examination of how women have been viewed in the financial echelon of society. I felt Robb touched on an aspect of history that is often woefully neglected with skill and insight. One I will be recommending to friends. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to get an e-book Arc.

Since Occupy Wall Street has faded from our headlines and rarely do we mention the 99 vs the 1 percent, it was surprising to me how I had never noticed the role that the stock market and women’s role in investing had made in my life. Coming from a Conservative turned Independant background, I knew that I had always been suspicious of self made millionaires of the stock market. I always pictured them as men in ties with oily hair and too bright teeth. Men who gargle with Red Bull and shout into phones all day.

I suppose I never really thought about why the image in my head was always of men doing the job. Reading through this book “Ladies of the Ticker” I was brought up short by how much the past still affected the present and how we view gender roles in our stereotypes. It was very entertaining to see the women who busted those stereotypes but more enjoyable were the women who used the stereotypes against society.

This book is a bit heavy on the details and I would have enjoyed more human interest stories to balance out the straight facts. This would have made it longer and it would have felt more complete to me. As it is I feel as though there is more to learn and yet I am not sure of what direction to take. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy nonfiction and have an interest in women’s history.

*This eBook was provided by NetGalley and University of Illinois Press in exchange for honest feedback*

I thought at first that this was going to be quite a dry academic text but in fact it’s a lively and accessible exploration of a hitherto largely ignored area of social history – the relationship of women to finance, in this case in America and over the period from the gilded Age to the Great Depression. In this thoroughly researched and well-written account, we discover that far from merely being stuck at home, powerless and ignorant, many women did in fact play an active role in financial markets, becoming adept at banking, the stock market, investment, speculation and even in some cases financial fraud. They ventured out into the cut and thrust of a largely male domain and proved themselves equal at making money. Capitalism, it turns out, doesn’t have to be a male preserve, although even in our own times it pretty much still is. I particularly enjoyed discovering some of the characters who operated in this man’s world, and also seeing how they were portrayed in popular culture, form Henry James to weekly magazines. It’s a fascinating story, and one which I very much enjoyed reading.

Terrific look at this group of women real women whose careers on Wall Street were leaders at the forefront of women working in finance.These women come alive and Infound this a very interesting read.#netgalley#uofillinoispress,