16. January 2023

Last week would have been László Hudec’s 130th birthday. In celebration of Shanghai’s most well-known architect, here is a beautiful commemorative advertising booklet from our collection about his Art Deco magnum opus: the Joint Savings Society Building, more famously known as the Park Hotel or “International Hotel” (国际饭店) in Chinese. The edifice, constructed between 1931 to 1934 at 164 Bubbling Well Road (today’s No.170 Nanjing West Road), was named after the Joint Savings...

17. September 2021

"We wish to serve Good Clients and want Good Clients to help us "

13. September 2021

Sketch of a proposed "ricsha advertising plan for Shanghai", submitted to the Municipal Council by the National Advertising Agency in November 1927. After some back and forth with the Traffic Committee and the Secretary to Commissioner of Police, the Council did in fact grant permission to utilize the public ricsha and its puller for advertising purposes in February 1928! Whether it was ever implemented though we do not know - no photographic record has been found so far. Source: S.M.C....

16. April 2021

Although neither the first, nor the largest in terms of billings or staff, Carl Crow Inc undoubtedly was the most famous advertising agency of old Shanghai – thanks to its founder, American ad-man, author and adventurer Mr. Carl Crow. his company never employed more than 20 people - three times fewer than the Chinese Commercial Advertising Agency (C.C.A.A.) and six times fewer than its British competitor Millington Ltd. - but it was well known for its family-like company culture and secondly...