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.

08. May 2023

Omega watches have a close to 130-year long history in China and since the Roaring Twenties have relied heavily on Chinese celebrity endorsements. For this week’s post about an artifact from our collection we are asking you for help identifying all the glamorous icons featured in this all-star ad. But first a quick background on the famous luxury watch brand. In 1848 a young watchmaker named Luis Brandt opened a workshop called “La Generale Watch Co” in the small Swiss village of La...