Pleased to report that in the spirit of its motto, “here’s luck!”, the Ewo Beer factory is still standing, even as condos rise next door! Pic 3 is from our friends at MOFBA • Advertising History in China, as is this delightful story on beer ads in Old Shanghai: mofba.org/2021/12/06/193…

Classic 1980s Shanghai - those eagle’s eyrie traffic booths!

Just look at that: beer ads (in English!), queues, horse carts, and the old Huizhong Hotel, owned by the Sun (“Remembering Shanghai”) family!

The incredible story of the real Miss Jill, “Shanghai Demimondaine” by the very same Nick Horden, is our September book club pick!

Art Deco history-mystery, solved.

Today’s Art Deco romp!

Kicked off the week by taking a terrific group of Shanghai American School 10th graders on a journey through Shanghai history and culture - there’s nothing better than sharing the past with the future!

Amen to this!

News around town: 1. Development Building under wraps (very Christo-installation vibes); 2&3. City God Temple, too; 4. Eric Hotung’s Hudec-designed mansion is now open as a gallery with a blue monstrosity at the entrance (haven’t been yet, will report later!). #shanghai

Chinese YMCA, by Robert Fan (pic 2) Poy Gum Lee (pic 4) & Zhao Shen (not pictured), just one of the buildings we’ll visit this Sat. on a trip into the legacy of Shanghai’s brilliant, forgotten first-generation Chinese architects. More info & booking: mp.weixin.qq.com/s/9LjnPCAzqi3k…

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Early 20th century postcard depicting the Shanghai Huxinting Teahouse. Issued by the Compagnie Messageries Maritimes with an advertisement for the Swiss "Société pour la distillation du Kirsch".

There are some places in Shanghai that truly, feel like another world. The Spanish Mission Recoletos, 1930, by Yaron & Lafuente.

What does Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre do when he’s in Shanghai? Go on an Historic Shanghai walk to learn about the history of the city, and of Norwegians in Old Shanghai! 🇳🇴 🇳🇴

I have an article in the Autumn 2024 issue of Arts of Asia ‘Pictures of One Hundred Beauties: A Set of Cigarette Cards from the Chinese Republican Era’. Please read if you have time! There are 30 cards & I’ll post one every day. Plenty to read on ceramics too! Louise Edwards

Card 2 day 2 Cards made "to promote the...new political order of the Republic of China (1912-49). No longer were women depicted as subordinate to men, but were now, at least in theory, celebrated in their own right as citizens of equal standing in a new Chinese republic." In AofA

Card 4 day 4 Another card from my new article in Arts of Asia. This card, with a design originally by Shen Bochen 沈泊塵 has its origins in 大共和畫報. Calligraphy & poem by Zhang Danfu. Read all about it in my essay on a Set of Cigarette Cards from the Chinese Republican Era.

Sun Sept 22, 3pm: Hisham Youssef presents Vanishing Shanghai, a visual narrative of disappearing neighborhoods, and gathers fellow photographers to share their work & discuss the cost of progress, cultural identity, and historical social fabric. To book: jinshuju.net/f/McsHR3

Card 8 day 8. Another card from a set of rare cigarette cards showing Chinese women (c.1915). As I said yesterday, out of the set of 30, some are more exciting than others. Watch this space for some fantastic images! If you read my Arts of Asia article you will see them all.