Posts tagged with "tobacco"



25. April 2024
1930s Japanese postcard of the "West Bridge" leading to Shamian Island in Guangzhou, China with a May Blossom cigarettes billboard.. From the MOFBA collection.
This postcard from our collection shows a billboard ad for May Blossom cigarettes on the “West Bridge” leading to Shamian Island in Guangzhou, China. An opportunity to explore the charming former concession area that retains much of its historic atmosphere to this day.
28. March 2024
1940s Chinese hand fan advertisement for "Robin Hood" cigarettes by the Waterman’s Tobacco Co. (中國華明烟公司) from Shanghai, China. From the MOFBA collection.
Robin Hood, the legendary outlaw from English folklore, famously stole from the rich to give to the poor. This 1940s hand fan advertisement for cigarettes named after the swashbuckling hero is from our collection and shows that the iconic character even stole the hearts and minds of audiences in faraway China.
23. February 2024
Mei Lanfang was known as the "Queen of Peking Opera" and in the 1930s became China’s first global superstar. The acclaimed male performer, famous for female lead roles, toured the world & even had his own cigarette brand as we can learn from this artefact in our collection.
10. February 2024
Happy Chinese New Year 2024 from the MOFBA & Pirate Cigarettes!
04. October 2023
British American Tobacco (BAT) branded promotional mirror for "Pirate" cigarettes in China. From the MOFBA collection
Pirate was one of the first Western cigarette brands introduced to China in the late 19th century and was also one of the longest-lasting. More on its history in our previous article here.
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,...
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.
24. April 2023
1933 Chinese print advertisement for Major Drapkin's Federal cigarettes. From the MOFBA collection.
This stunningly illustrated 1933 advertisement for Federal cigarettes from our collection tells the history of the British company Major Drapkin, which was one of the last foreign companies to ever advertise in Republican China. Major Drapkin & Co was a tobacco manufacturer founded in England in 1898. Its best-selling brand was The Grey’s, named after the Royal Scots Greys cavalry regiment of the British Army. The company eventually became part of the United Kingdom Tobacco Co which got...
10. April 2023
 A rare 1917 Chinese calendar poster advertisement for State Express 555 cigarettes. From the MOFBA collection.
This exceptionally rare 1917 calendar poster for State Express 555 cigarettes from our collection, tells the unlikely story of a Western brand that, with one simple trick, became a top-seller in China and was even endorsed by the country’s most notorious “influencer” … State Express were luxury cigarettes manufactured in the United Kingdom by the Ardath Tobacco Company. The brand was founded in London in 1896 by tobacco merchant Sir Albert Levy (1864–1937).
06. February 2023
Just what the doctor ordered: 1930s Vitamin Cigarettes by Taifon Tobacco Co. Ltd. - "Second to None". From the MOFBA collection.

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