Rs recreate ey inhabit
exhibited in century-old frames.
“The frames were all handmade by the craftsmen, and none of them has the very same pattern,” he said. “I think that they are the epitome of the grand history of an era.”
The “Moonshot” series includes photos of plane trees in front of old houses in Jing’an, Xuhui, Changning, Huangpu and Hongkou districts. Each photo, shot at night, features a tree and a lit window in the background.
“The plane trees and old houses bear witness to the history of the city,” Zhang said. “And lit windows signify people living in the houses — people with stories — and all are different and beautiful. They are exactly like the uniqueness of the frames I use for them.”
Like Sun and Teng, Zhang said he believes old Shanghai had a special vibe and spirit — part of the bedrock that is the city today. The best way to study history is to pitch it from individuals, both big names and nobodies. Sort of like connecting stars in the sky to see patterns.
A fine example of that concept is a pile of old pictures Zhang bought from an antique dealer. The series of pictures features the same Shanghai woman, who died last year in her 90s. They chronicle her life from teenage to old age.
“Through these pictures, you can see how her expressions and attire changed over time,” he said. “The backdrops of the photos change. Even her husband changes as well. This series is a living example of the idiom canghai sangtian, which means ‘the ups and downs of time.’”
But as time flies, vintage collectors find it more challenging to dig up treasures of the past. They fear that it’s also getting harder to protect those that still exist.
Teng, for one, cherishes the memories of browsing through old warehouses now long gone.
“I remember one warehouse in the suburbs that was as grand as a palace, and I was astounded when I entered it,” she recalled. “It contained only old wooden chairs — hundreds and thousands of them. They filled an entire floor. As my husband and I explored with flashlights, we felt we were browsing through a treasure vault.”
Somewhat ruefully, she added: “It’s almost impossible to find such places anymore. There once was an antique shop that we frequented. We witnessed how it had to progressively move further from downtown, until it was finally forced to shut. That was very sad.”
But perhaps all is not lost.
The recent hit TV drama “Blossoms Shanghai” has evoked a new wave of nostalgia. Although the TV series focuses on Shanghai in the 1990s, it has whetted interest in the city’s even older history.
“The TV drama will not affect everybody, but there must be some people who are interested enough to read the original story the drama is based on and then go on to navigate the oceans of history,” Zhang said.