07. August 2023
Although cocoa was introduced to Europe sometime in the 16th century it was not until the Industrial Revolution that new processes emerged which sped the production of chocolate and with that the development of an affordable mass market product. In 1824, John Cadbury, began selling tea, coffee and drinking chocolate in Bull Street in Birmingham, England. In 1847, John became a partner with his brother Benjamin and the company became known as "Cadbury Brothers”. The new firm began exporting...
27. June 2022
A 1930s Agfa Film Wallet in art-deco design by Mackenzie Sports Co. Shanghai. Mackenzie Sports was a mid-1930s sports store in Shanghai, offering a wide range of sports equipment such as for tennis and boxing, and seemingly also offered photo development services. The shop was owned by R. Nymphius, an active tennis player in the local leagues of the time himself.
21. June 2021
Wing-On is an Australian-Hongkongnese retail group founded in 1897 and 1907 respectively. It expanded to Shanghai in 1918. Until it was nationalized in 1966, Wing On's Shanghai branch was one of the "four great department stores" of Shanghai. Depicted is a 1940s edition of their monthly customer magazine featuring latest news, merchandise and a wide array of brand adverts.
12. May 2021
Originally erected in 1907 as godown but then totally transformed and modernized between March 1924 & August 1925. B.A.T. (英美烟公司 or Yee Tsoong Tobacco Co. in Chinese) was the largest foreign cigarette company & at the zenith of its activities in 1937, manufactured and distributed around 55 billion machine-made cigarettes to Chinese consumers. Famous brands owned or distributed included Ruby Queen, Chienmen, Hatamen, Pirate, Capstan, Kingfisher, Three Castles as well as London...