Vintage posters on display in NE China

Vintage posters on display in NE China

Posters used to be an essential part of Chinese families' wall decorations throughout the last century. Today, those glossy posters have given way to the ubiquitous digital advertising. But thanks to the Museum of Glass in the city of Qinhuangdao, their timeless glamor is once again back on full display.

These posters once represented the ideal of beauty.

But the posters also served as a calendar, giving them a much coveted functional domestic object.

The "calendar" posters first appeared at the end of the 19th century. To help promote them, sellers would often give them away as new year gifts.

From the 1920s to 1940s, their popularity soared and they were widely found across Southeast Asia.

More than a reflection of the times, these calendar-posters are also precious historical records of various industries, from film and TV to fashion and tobacco.

Many of the posters on display here are works of renowned Chinese illustrators.

The exhibit also features an array of furniture and personal objects from the turn of the last century. And if you're an early bird, you might also be able to catch their early morning show for a taste of old Shanghai glamor.

The vintage poster exhibit is open to the public free of charge at Qinhuangdao's Museum of Glass, from February 15th through May 20th.