PERSPECTIVES ON THE CRAFT INDUSTRY AND ITS BUSINESSES

Abstract

For a long time, the craft industry was considered to be old-fashioned and in decline as a consequence of industrialization. It turns out, however, as it  elebrates its centenary and that of the institutions that represent it, that the craft industry is experiencing a vigorous comeback. Given its relative neglect by the history and the economic and social sciences, the research presented in this theme issue of Entreprises et Histoire oers interdisciplinary insights into the craft industry with a view to understanding how it survived the very real threat of industrialization. This editorial begins with a synopsis of the state of the art of research on the subject, before identifying key issues and suggesting future avenues of study.