A Glimpse of Daily Life: Jewish Shanghai in Photographs

August 18, 2015
Shanghai Jewish Youth Association / Kadoorie school on Kinchow Road, Shanghai, China.
Shanghai Jewish Youth Association / Kadoorie school on Kinchow Road, Shanghai, China.

Recently, the William H. Hannon Library launched the Werner von Boltenstern Shanghai Photograph and Negative Collection, which contains, most notably, images of Jewish Holocaust refugees and other Jewish communities already living in Shanghai in the 1930s-1940s. From daily work life to weddings to soccer games in ghettos, these images capture a wide range of the Jewish experience as well as show the deep imprint Jewish culture has had on Shanghai’s history.

Jewish community soccer game, Shanghai, China.
Jewish kindergarten, Shanghai, China.

Currently, the Hannon Library is seeking more information about this rich collection. Inquiries so far have resulted in numerous replies from across the United States, Australia, France, Germany, Shanghai, Great Britain, and Hong Kong. Such quick responses help to illustrate what is already known about this collection; it has tremendous historical, cultural and, likely for people who were there, personal value. To participate in this project or just to see the collection visit dh.lmu.edu/shanghai-collection-crowdsourcing. For more information, please contact Melanie Hubbard, Digital Scholarship Librarian at melanie.hubbard@lmu.edu.

Jewish kindergarten, Shanghai, China.
Jewish kindergarten, Shanghai, China.

The William H. Hannon Library is located at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California.

Jewish wedding, Shanghai, China.
Jewish wedding, Shanghai, China.
Jewish community Pander Bellkchoff theatrical performance, Shanghai, China.
Jewish community Pander Bellkchoff
theatrical performance, Shanghai, China.
Japanese soldier in navy uniform with an armband, Shanghai, China.
Japanese soldier in navy uniform with an armband,
Shanghai, China.
Jewish men wearing armbands in front of Mionon Cafe on East Seward Road, Shanghai, China.
Jewish men wearing armbands in front of Mionon
Cafe on East Seward Road, Shanghai, China.
Jewish temple, Shanghai, China.
Jewish temple, Shanghai, China.
Jewish temple, Shanghai, China Jewish children gathering, Shanghai, China.
Temple gathering of Chinese Jewish children, Shanghai, China.
Jewish community soccer game, Shanghai, China.
Jewish community soccer game, Shanghai, China.
Jewish community soccer game, Shanghai, China.
Jewish community soccer game, Shanghai, China.
Jewish men with armbands outside of a building, Shanghai, China.
Jewish men with armbands outside of a building,
Shanghai, China.
Jewish wedding, Shanghai, China.
Jewish wedding, Shanghai, China.
Jewish group portrait, Shanghai, China.
Jewish group portrait, Shanghai, China.

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