17. April 2023

These artefacts from our collection tell the history of an infant formula brand, that by itself would not be particularly noteworthy in China. A 1936 law suit in Shanghai involving Cow & Gate, however reveals the impressive stunts and dirty tricks its ad agency and distributors pulled off…

20. June 2022

A beautiful (and unopened!) art-deco design tea tin of "Selected Tea" by the Sincere Co. Shanghai. Sincere was the first Chinese-owned department store in Shanghai, opened in 1917. It was also the first of the "4 Big Department Stores" of Old Shanghai, followed by the Wing-On, the Sun Sun and the Sun. The relentless competition between them spurred modern retail innovations throughout the 1920s, 30s and 40s, such as in this case consumer packaged goods under "Sincere's" own private label brand...

21. March 2022

Various posters, postcards and product packaging from the MOFBA collection. Girl in pink Qipao is actress Liang Saishan 梁赛珊.

08. November 2021

The Interessengemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG was a German chemical and pharmaceutical conglomerate formed in 1925. In China I.G. Farben marketed itself as 大德颜料厂 - "Big German Dye Factory". It's official Chinese distribution company, Deutsche Farbenhandelsgesellschaft Waibel & Co. aka DEFAG (德孚洋行), was founded in Shanghai on January 1, 1927.