16. May 2021

Designed by Austro-Hungarian architect C.H. Gonda and inaugurated in February 1926, it was lauded as Gonda’s “triumph in style of architecture new to Shanghai.” BEA was founded in Hong Kong in 1918 with the idea to blend East and West, essentially by embracing the style of a Chinese, family-run bank but also adopting modern accounting and banking methods. Already in 1920, BEA opened its first branches in Shanghai and Ho Chi Minh City. Today it remains the largest independent local Hong...

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...

16. April 2021

Although neither the first, nor the largest in terms of billings or staff, Carl Crow Inc undoubtedly was the most famous advertising agency of old Shanghai – thanks to its founder, American ad-man, author and adventurer Mr. Carl Crow. his company never employed more than 20 people - three times fewer than the Chinese Commercial Advertising Agency (C.C.A.A.) and six times fewer than its British competitor Millington Ltd. - but it was well known for its family-like company culture and secondly...