Shanghai pop culture of a bygone era comes alive at this exhibition
2023-05-26
An exhibition of the famous The Young Companion magazine is giving visitors a glimpse of the pop culture in Shanghai from the 1920s to the 40s, which is still considered fashionable in the modern era.
The Young Companion, known as "Liangyou" in Chinese, was a pictorial with captions in both Chinese and English. It was first published in Shanghai in 1926, and issued 174 editions before it closed in 1945.
Six copies of the authentic The Young Companion magazine.
It was known as "a visual shortcut for 'old Shanghai'," running a mixture of content, including photography, art, literature and sports.
The exhibition at The INLET in Hongkou District – where the magazine was born – consists of three parts with themes of: female charm, the birthplace of China's film, and modern culture on Sichuan Road N.
The magazine was known for its cover girls, highlighting their vitality and independence. They dressed up beautifully, not for attracting men, but living their own lives and doing what they enjoyed.
The magazine was known for its cover girls.
The exhibition will run through June 11 with free entry. Curator Sun Mengjin will invite noted writers and scholars like Chen Danyan, Chen Zishan and Mao Jian to share their impressions about the magazine and Shanghai culture.
Exhibition info:
Date: Through June 11, 10am-8pm
Entry: Free
Venue: The INLET 今潮8弄
Address: Intersection of Sichuan Rd. N and Wujin Rd 四川北路武进路口
A map at the exhibition shows the location of old cinemas and theaters in Hongkou District.
Source: SHINE
