For quite a long time, I confess I’ve been haunted by the mysterious image of a Chinese Equestrienne painted in the early 1920’s by Zhiying Studios in Shanghai as a promotion for PairBelles Cigarettes (from “Pair Of Belles”, also known throughout China back then as “Two Beauties Brand”). Back in the days when Shanghai was known as “The Paris of the East” as a hustling, bustling hub of commerce, this wondrous work of art selling tobacco products was commissioned and I have I found the subject matter most fascinating and compelling.

One of the most beloved of all time figures of the Chinese Silver Screen as well as radio and stage is the legendary Zhou Xuan, pictured here on the cover of "New Cinema Forum" magazine.

I must mention that although versions of this cover exist in poster form in flea markets in China, they are copies made from a much older copy showing fading and wear and tear, but the version shown here is no doubt the most pristine image of her in the world, having undergone 5 weeks of exacting digital restoration in order to recapture the precise look and feel of the original artist, and remains part of the collection of digitally restored images for view in the Old Orient Museum, as well as one of her early songs which is imbedded in the museum's flash soundtrack, (which also includes songs from the Club Nissei in Honolulu Hawaii, pre-war days).

Coyly posed model, and curious kitten, dominate this early 1930's Chinese calendar card promotion for "Golf" Brand Cigarettes, depicting a woman golfer in full swing on cigarette pack.

Recently you featured an interesting vintage poster from China. Anybody interested in viewing and entire collection, 100% Digitally Reborn!

Showcasing a very unique virtual online museum, the ’World's Largest Collection of Digitally Restored Vintage Advertising Posters’, originating from Japan, China and Manchukuo, 1920's-1930's, a body of work that took more than 14 months and 5,000 unpaid hours to complete. Most of these originals are by now extinct, and only exist in restored digital format, so this effort represents a one-person crusade to rescue these wonderful works of art for the enjoyment and education of future art lovers everywhere.

Old Orient Museum

This classic Jell-o commercial is chock-full of Asian stereotypes.  The only things they missed were karate chops and samurai swords.  Shame on you Jell-o.

Previously:
Vintage Folgers Coffee Commercials, San Francisco in Jell-O

It is believed in Dounghai county of China "that the more people who attend a funeral, the more the dead person is honoured."  So, in order to allure viewers, strippers are hired and perform at the funerals. 

Officials are cracking down on this practice and soon funeral strippers will be a thing of the past...  I didn't even know it was a thing of the present.

7-year-old Chen Jiakun of China suffers from a very rare disease called pentalogy of Cantrell, which is "a complex constellation of defects including congenital heart disease and sternum abnormalities."

In front of Chen's chest is a large mass containing his heart and intestines. People can see and feel how his heart is beating under the skin. The mass swells and throbs if he moves quickly. And coughing will cause it to grow to 15 centimeters long--almost three times its usual size.

People I first meet often ask me, "Where are you from?" I tend to be a smartass and reply, "I'm from Wisconsin." They usually respond with an "Oh" accompanied with a puzzled look on their face. It's obvious to me that they are expecting me to say an exotic place like Japan, Thailand, the Philippines or California; I look different so, of course, I have to be from another country, right? I usually have to follow-up with, "My parents are from the Philippines. I was born and raised in Wisconsin.... blah blah blah." Don't get me wrong, I do take pride in my background, but when you ask me where I'm from, shouldn't I say, "Wisconsin?"