Posts tagged with "history"



18. September 2023
1929 Chinese calendar poster advertisement for Pond's Vanishing Cream, illustrated by Zhāng Díhán (张荻寒). From the MOFBA collection.
This 1929 Pond’s advertisement calendar is not only one of the most stunning pieces in our collection, but also an important artefact of China’s modern social history. The beauty brand and its ad agency, Carl Crow Inc., were instrumental in creating the archetypal “Modern Girl” whose image prevails in Chinese popular and commercial culture to this day. Here is the back story of what made it so iconic.
12. September 2023
Late 1930s postcard from a series on Manchurian Life titled "Advertisement Painting". From the MOFBA collection.
This 1930s postcard from our collection reminds us of the lost profession of billboard painter, signwriter or “wall dogs” as its practitioners were often colloquially called. Commercial advertising has a long history in China and in the West but as an industry only emerged several centuries after the invention of Woodblock printing in China in the 9th century, and of the printing press by Gutenberg in around 1436. These technologies eventually allowed for the mass production of flyers,...
05. September 2023
An exceptionally rare 1917 Chinese Horlick's malted milk advertising calendar poster featuring Guan Yu and Cao Cao from the Three Kingdoms period. From the MOFBA collection.
This unique 1917 Horlick’s calendar advertisement from our collection depicts a martial scene that actually takes us all the way back to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Get ready for an immortal story about the mightiest of men, war, loyalty and... warm milk.
27. August 2023
Various artefacts from the Shanghai Aquarius Mineral Water & Beverage Company. From the MOFBA collection.
The Shanghai Maling Aquarius company recently reintroduced its iconic orange juice soda, proudly emphasizing the 159-years-long history of the famous "Zhengguanghe" (正广和) drink. Our research shows that this is a very generous interpretation of the brand’s actual age, and that its true history is slightly more ambiguous. Let's dive into the iconic company's origin story:
22. August 2023
Ca. 1940 hand fan with advertisement for the Shanghai U.B. Beer brewery and featuring comedy duo Han Langen (韩兰根) and Yin Xiucen (殷秀岑). From the MOFBA collection.
You’ve surely heard of Laurel & Hardy, the famous slapstick comedy duo of early American cinema. But did you know that China had its equivalent with Langen Han & Xiucen Yin? A 1940 hand fan advertisement for Shanghai U.B. Beer from our collection reminds us of their forgotten history.
16. August 2023
Magic Lantern glass slide advertisement by Solon Advertising Service (沙龙广告公司) for Parker pens (派克) in Shanghai, China ca. 1940s. From the MOFBA collection.
This 1940s advertising slide from our collection reminds us that pre-roll ads have existed for over 120 years, but also tells the incredible story of how a Western brand once helped normalize diplomatic relations with China. The first to present projected moving pictures to a paying audience were the Lumière brothers in December 1895 in Paris, France. They used a device of their own making, the Cinématographe, and the first ever created film titled “Workers Leaving the Lumiere Factory”...
31. July 2023
1930s Chinese Coca-Cola print advertisement by Watson's. From the MOFBA collection.
24. July 2023
17. July 2023
Summer break: Advertising sign for Hazelwood ice cream, popular in Shanghai from the 1920s to 1940s. It's Chinese trademark name was "Beautiful Girl" (美女牌). Henningsen Produce, the manufacturer behind Hazelwood was started in 1889 in Tacoma, Washington. Until the company built a new factory in Shanghai in 1926 the ice cream was imported "fresh from the U.S. by every steamer". The new facility, which the company referred to as "Hazelwood Park", was situated on Sawgin Road (沙泾路),...
08. July 2023
1928 Chinese calendar poster for Beacon (海燈牌) cigarettes from A. Lopato & Sons (老巴奪父子) in Harbin. It wishes a Happy New Year (恭贺新禧), was illustrated by famous artist Xiezhiguang (谢之光) and printed by the Commercial Press. From the MOFBA collection.
This intriguing 1928 calendar poster, advertising the „Beacon” cigarette brand, was not only created by the most versatile Chinese commercial artist of the 20th century, but also leads us to explore the story of the first and largest foreign-founded tobacco manufacturer in China.

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