Russian shops on Avenue Joffre
Saw this 1946 photo on the Cities in Old Days flickr stream:
This is the north side of Huaihai Rd, west of Old Chengdu Rd.
No. 600-602: At the far left there is the "Co" of the Valet Service Co. 正章洗染公司, opened by the Russian emigrant A. Chehov in 1923. ("The best chemical washing in Shanghai: fast, good and inexpensive.") This company still exists, transformed into one of Shanghai's laozihao (venerable brands).
No. 598: Com* Habedrdashery 广发百货商店;
No. 596 Eastern Pharmacy 东方药房, with signs in English and Russian alongside the Chinese.
No. 594 Venus Watch & Clock Co 金星(*), the future Maochang Watches company 茂昌眼镜公司.
Further to the right there is a beautiful building with three Chinese-run businesses (their exact names and commercial profiles merit further enquiry):
No. 590 Huazhen (?)
No. 588 (not sure)
No. 586 Western-clothing store called Zhang Linchang 张林昌西服号.
Further to the east, out of the frame, a narrow lane called Renshoufang 仁寿坊 used to run at an angle, at No. 582. Here is a 1930s view of the same section of Avenue Joffre, with the lane at the left:
One of the stores in that lane was Tomashevsky's workshop that produced funereal decorations and monuments from granite and metal. It opened in 1929 at No. 582/5.
Tomashevsky was a mystic and a member of esoteric societies, but that's another story.
The stores from the top image and the narrow lane have since disappeared, unfortunately, replaced by modern buildings.
This is the north side of Huaihai Rd, west of Old Chengdu Rd.
No. 600-602: At the far left there is the "Co" of the Valet Service Co. 正章洗染公司, opened by the Russian emigrant A. Chehov in 1923. ("The best chemical washing in Shanghai: fast, good and inexpensive.") This company still exists, transformed into one of Shanghai's laozihao (venerable brands).
No. 598: Com* Habedrdashery 广发百货商店;
No. 596 Eastern Pharmacy 东方药房, with signs in English and Russian alongside the Chinese.
No. 594 Venus Watch & Clock Co 金星(*), the future Maochang Watches company 茂昌眼镜公司.
Further to the right there is a beautiful building with three Chinese-run businesses (their exact names and commercial profiles merit further enquiry):
No. 590 Huazhen (?)
No. 588 (not sure)
No. 586 Western-clothing store called Zhang Linchang 张林昌西服号.
Further to the east, out of the frame, a narrow lane called Renshoufang 仁寿坊 used to run at an angle, at No. 582. Here is a 1930s view of the same section of Avenue Joffre, with the lane at the left:
One of the stores in that lane was Tomashevsky's workshop that produced funereal decorations and monuments from granite and metal. It opened in 1929 at No. 582/5.
Tomashevsky was a mystic and a member of esoteric societies, but that's another story.
The stores from the top image and the narrow lane have since disappeared, unfortunately, replaced by modern buildings.