Posts Tagged ‘retro’
70s & 80s chinese primary school book designs ::
Saturday, June 20th, 2009
:: Chinese retro design has always fascinated me. Over the years I’ve bought more than a few 70’s and 80’s era Chinese books just for the cover designs. I recently saw some threads on MOP with interesting primary school language study book covers, so I thought I’d scour the Web for more examples from the 60s through to the 80s and share here, see below. It’s not only the images that get people nostalgic, there are a few dedicated souls transcribing the stories in these books. // XD
[Xiao Du is a guest contributor on fifty 5]
Posted in china, chinese language, cool hunting, culture, design, history, literature | Tags: books, Chinese, design, primary, retro, school, 小杜 | No Comments »
Sunday, April 26th, 2009
:: I came across this old instruction manual for a Hong Deng (红灯) model 265 radio while doing some research for this post. What a simple, compelling cover. It’s almost beautiful. There is something special about the green used, and of course the fonts. Excellent.
For the most comprehensive collection of old-school Chinese radio instruction manual covers you could possibly imagine, link here (it’s worth it). Bravo, well done. // AjS
Posted in china, cool hunting, design, random, shanghai, things well done | Tags: design, fonts, hong deng, instruction manuals, old school, radio, retro, 红灯 | 2 Comments »
Sunday, April 26th, 2009
:: while strolling through the Taikang Rd. gallery / boutique district in Shanghai today, I came across a recently-opened second-hand shop that sells legit old stuff (i.e. what hipsters refer to as “retro”). The shop doesn’t have a proper name yet, nor business cards, but it’s located next to the back door of #2 on alley 274. Check it out, it’s full of fun stuff.
I took some snaps, see below: a circa 1986 Shanghai-made Hong Deng (红灯) brand over-the-shoulder boombox (RMB 1000), and a circa 1980 Suzhou-made Huqiu (虎丘) brand camera, model 121 (RMB 300). // AjS
Posted in cool hunting, shanghai, snaps, urban, youth | creative culture | Tags: boombox, camera, ghetto blaster, hong deng, huqiu, model 121, red lantern, retro, second-hand, shanghai, snaps, taikang rd., 红灯, 虎丘 | No Comments »
Saturday, April 25th, 2009
:: taken inside a security-guard booth near the Neocha.com office space in Shanghai (Changshu Rd. and Changle Rd. intersection); a Shanghai-made Haiyan (海燕) brand radio dating to the early 80’s. The radio has 4 bands and 14 transistors, and the security guards still use it daily. Faux-retro at its best. // AjS
Posted in cool hunting, shanghai, snaps | Tags: faux, haiyan, neocha.com, radio, retro, security guards, shanghai, snaps, 海燕 | No Comments »
Sunday, April 12th, 2009
:: I took this photo in Shanghai at a small shop called Old School on Huating Rd. (#4), very close the Changle Rd. intersection. A retro View-Master – bascially the centerpiece of my childhood. I just read that Fisher Price recently all but eliminated the production of View-Master title discs. Why? 3D is coming back in a big way these days. What a tragedy. The viewer is available at Old School for RMB 60; the shop also has a small collection of title discs available for sale. Bravo, well done. // AjS
Posted in cool hunting, shanghai, things well done, youth | creative culture | Tags: 3d, changle rd., huating rd., old school, retro, shanghai, view-master | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
:: I’m a fan of Chinese retro and “revolutionary” footwear. This past weekend I picked up another pair of Shanghai-made Warrior / Huili (回力) trainers. The shoes are great, of course, but check out the packaging. This is a beautiful, timeless shoebox. The font and copy are nearly perfect, especially the line: 穿回力鞋, 走成功路, which In English is something like “Wear Huili Shoes, Walk the Road of Success.” It’s so much better in Chinese, perhaps that’s why Huili didn’t bother translating it. Bravo, well done. // AjS
Posted in china, cool hunting, design, fashion, shanghai, things well done, youth | creative culture | Tags: chinese retro sneakers, copy, huili, retro, shanghai, shoebox, shoes, sneakers, things well done, warrior, 回力, 穿回力鞋，走成功路 | No Comments »
Friday, April 3rd, 2009
:: I’m sure I’ve seen these teller microphones at the Bank of China hundreds of times, but only today did I notice how incredibly retro and well designed they are. Look at it. The 1970s style “on / off” switch, the oversized red power light, the “talk” and “listen” knobs, the screw-head wire connectors – just great! And the whole thing is made of steal steel, even the oval-shaped speaker grill. Wow. This device will last a hundred years. Made by a Shanghainese company called Gladwyn (上海朋源). Very cool. // AjS
Posted in china, cool hunting, design, shanghai, snaps | Tags: bank of china, design, microphone, retro, shanghai, snaps | 2 Comments »
Friday, March 20th, 2009
:: a colleague / friend visiting me from Beijing gifted me this notepad and pin. Purchased at a NLGX on Nanluoguxiang Rd. in Beijing. Thanks Sabrina. Bravo, well done. // AjS
Posted in beijing, cool hunting, design, things well done, trends, youth | creative culture | Tags: beijing, kitsch, nanluoguxiang rd., nlgx, retro, revolutionary, things well done, 老大 | No Comments »
Monday, March 16th, 2009
:: this is a follow up to a few previous posts I’ve done on Chinese brand sneakers (here, here, and here). On my way back from (one of my many trips to) the water cooler today, I spotted the office Ayi (custodial staff), Zhang Ayi, sporting these rad trainers. Check them out below. Maybe a hybrid shanzhai’d effort of the and (so cool if so) ? Oh the memories, K’roos’ zip-pocket sneaker design dominate my youth. Two words: milk money. But, who would shanzhai Mizuno? Maybe. Unlikely. At any rate, Zhang Ayi informed me that she purchased these for RMB 20 at a shop in Shanghai on Jiangning Rd. // AjS
Posted in china, cool hunting, fashion, shanzhai, snaps | Tags: ayi, chinese retro sneakers, chinese sneakers, fashion, k'roos, kangaroo, mizuno, retro, shanzhai, snaps, sneakers, trainers | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 11th, 2009
:: while sorting through things after a recent apartment move, I came across this retro vinyl gem. As you can imagine, I was left speechless. Stereo Disco Queen (Stereo 迪斯科皇后) by Zhu Feng (朱枫, featured on the LP cover) was originally released in 1985 by the Shanghai branch of The China Record Company. I wasn’t able to find any of Zhu’s tracks online, but link here to get a taste of 80s Chinese disco music, you won’t be disappointed. Jimi is fully responsible for this. // AjS
Posted in china, cool hunting, music | Tags: 80s, disco, jimi, record, retro, stereo disco queen, the china record company, zhu feng, 朱枫, 迪斯科皇后 | 1 Comment »
Sunday, February 15th, 2009
:: taken at a shop on Xiangyang Rd. close to Huaihai Rd., in Shanghai. // AjS
the east is red (东方红) piano ::
telegraph machine ::
“fast deer” (快鹿) toy instrument ::
Posted in art, cool hunting, snaps | Tags: fast deer, retro, shanghai, snaps, telegraph machine, the east is red, toy, toy instrument, 东方红, 快鹿 | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008
:: taken in Ubud (Bali, Indonesia) // AjS
Posted in cool hunting, snaps, travel | Tags: bali, retro, ubud, vespa, vw | No Comments »
