The Boot and Shoe Trades in London and Paris in the Long Eighteenth Century

However, the centrality of Paris was used with flexibility, allowing provincial
leather producers to sell directly to curriers in Paris without sending their leather to
the Halle aux Cuirs. In the same way, there were big shoemakers in the capital who
had permanent contacts in the country to supply them with the leather they
needed. 32 Only well into the nineteenth century did Paris become also a leather-
producing centre. In 1840 it was reported that "Paris est le centre naturel de
l'industrie du tanneur; son énorme approvisionnement y amènè, de toutes les
parties de la France, les boeufs de la plus belle especès, qui fournissent les
meilleures peaux". 33 It has also to be pointed out that this new importance of Paris
in the leather market did not oppose local specialisation. The marroquin, for
instance, although produced in the whole of France, was a particular product of
Ruën leather dressers.34
Another two elements are essential in a basic analysis of the leather sector:
quantities and prices. The analysis of the transactions that took place at the 'Bureau
de Cuir', one of the two Parisian leather markets, allows us to see the proportion of
different kinds of leather sold. More than half was ox and cow leather, normally
tanned; another 20 per cent was of other kinds of animal tanned leather. Finally
dressed leather accounted for about 10 per cent, and sheepskins for 6 per cent
(table 1.6). As far as prices are concerned, in the mid-eighteenth century there was
a general complaint about the high cost of leather in England. 35 Prices were more
stable in France, although with the Revolution there was a sudden increase. In
1788 tanned leather cost in France from 8 to 9 sols per pound and tawed leather
cost around 6 sols per pound. In 1793 tanned leather cost 21 sols per pound and
tawed leather cost 13 sols per pound.36
32
Quelques mots encore sur Ia Halle aux Cuirs (Paris: 1841, BN: Vp27892), p. 2; L'Innovateur,
16th January 1852, p. 2.
33 Annuaire général du commerce et de l'industrie, cit., p. lxi.
AN, F' 2 1462: 'cuirs dito de Mongrie, 1684-1770', f. 3.
I. Blanc, The interest of Great Britain consider'd... (London, 1707), p. 14.
36
J.A. de Rubigny de Berteval, Observation économiques sur le commerce, I'agriculture et les
app rovisionnement des cuirs de Ia Republique (Paris, 1793), p. 13.
33