26. April 2025

Novartis is one of world’s largest pharma corporations and was formed in 1996 by the merger of Ciba-Geigy & Sandoz – originally three independent businesses all from the same small town of Basel, which is strategically located in Switzerland on the border to France and Germany. The surprisingly progressive 1929 calendar poster advertisement from our collection was produced for the most successful of these companies in China…

12. April 2025

Coca-Cola had been available in China since the early 20th century, when bottles were first imported from Coca-Cola’s manufacturing base in the Philippines. The American soft drink was advertised by Shanghai restaurants catering to foreigners, such as Sullivan’s, in as early as 1916. It was only in the 1920s, however that the Coca-Cola Company appointed official retailers and then bottlers in China’s largest treaty ports - the Watson’s Mineral Water Company in Shanghai and the Crystal...

31. March 2025

Vaseline is one of the most recognized brands globally and these artefacts from our collection showcase how over 100 years ago, the famous petroleum jelly already found its way into Chinese households, becoming a trusted name in health and beauty.

26. January 2025

Happy Chinese New Year 2025 from the MOFBA with this enchanting 1930s ad for BASF Indanthrene dye from our collection.

02. December 2024

This gorgeous cardboard advertising sign from our collection recalls the era when Beehive Wools illuminated Shanghai with the world’s second largest neon sign. Amid the turmoil of the war, this iconic installation briefly revived the city's spirit with a glimmer of hope during the darkest of times:

20. October 2024

This magnificent 1938 advertising sign for Agfa films from our collection, connects several brands, celebrities and stories we’ve previously covered. It is also a reflection of the profound cultural & societal changes that transformed China during this period.

04. August 2024

A colorful 1930s print advertisement for the Hazelwood "The Dollar Brick" ice cream. More on the Hazelwood brand and its manufacturer Henningsen Produce from Shanghai, China in our previous article here.

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.

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.