Myth and accounting failure: The case of Ferrovia Leopolda 1842–1859

Accounting practices can be interpreted as a ‘myth’ for their capacity to provide a narrative with symbolic value. Myths create a language that becomes generally adopted and taken for granted. Informed by the work of Barthes and the literature about accounting and myth, this study analyses the reason why the first Tuscany Railway company, the Società Anonima della Strada Ferrata Leopolda (‘SASFL’) decided to align itself to the British railways in building its accounting system. Through an in-depth analysis of the original documentation (agreements, statutes, financial statements) of the SASFL for the period 1841 to 1860, the article demonstrates how, despite the non-superiority of British railways accounting practices, the Società Anonima, attracted by the ‘myth’ of British railway technology, privileged the adoption of this kind of accounting representation over the others.