12. July 2024
Cross-dressing KOL’s, German dyes and Republican China’s most prolific commercial artist: This gorgeous 1925 calendar poster for BASF from our collection, ties back to a lot of topics we previously covered. Follow along for a short but colorful review.
05. July 2024
Behold an original 1930s Philips light bulb from our collection. If you look closely, you’ll however notice a strange ad behind it: A hint at the largest global business conspiracy you have never heard of and that found its end by what eventually unfolded in China.
25. April 2024
This postcard from our collection shows a billboard ad for May Blossom cigarettes on the “West Bridge” leading to Shamian Island in Guangzhou, China. An opportunity to explore the charming former concession area that retains much of its historic atmosphere to this day.
15. April 2024
The “father of makeup” Max Factor created the signature looks of famous Hollywood icons such as Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe, but items from our collection show how his Oscar-winning cosmetics were not limited to American stars only and already enchanted common Chinese women since the 1930s.
28. March 2024
Robin Hood, the legendary outlaw from English folklore, famously stole from the rich to give to the poor. This 1940s hand fan advertisement for cigarettes named after the swashbuckling hero is from our collection and shows that the iconic character even stole the hearts and minds of audiences in faraway China.
17. March 2024
This gorgeous 1940s advertising poster for Indanthrene dye from our collection, features acclaimed Chinese actress Nancy Chan. It also tells the story of a chemical innovation from Germany that deeply influenced the popularization of the iconic Cheongsam or Qipao dress in China. The Badische Anilin- und Sodafabrik, better known as BASF, was founded in Mannheim, Germany in 1865 and had already been actively marketing and selling its “Indigo Pure” dyes in China since 1885.
23. February 2024
Mei Lanfang was known as the "Queen of Peking Opera" and in the 1930s became China’s first global superstar. The acclaimed male performer, famous for female lead roles, toured the world & even had his own cigarette brand as we can learn from this artefact in our collection.
24. December 2023
The Mei Foo Shield was the "monthly magazine published by the Standard Oil Company of New York in the interests of its Far Eastern Staff". More on SOCONY in our previous article here.
13. December 2023
This EWO promotional calendar from our collection tells the story of a beer once brewed in China & exported around the world incl to India. Yet it also contains a touch of false advertising which tragically leads us to one of the most sardonic murder cases of Old Shanghai.
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