Image courtesy of the SMSA
The next Sydney Mechanic’s School of the Arts guest lecture will feature Peter Hack for an exploration of Nanjing Road’s iconic Art Deco department stores and their Chinese-Australian origins on Thursday 11 October.
Shanghai’s Nanjing Road is internationally famous for its iconic department stores built in the early twentieth century. These stores were not just about selling the best goods from around the world. They were also about entertainment and pleasure.
But few people know who established these stores, and even fewer know the names of the Chinese-Australian merchants from Sydney’s Haymarket who were the key players. And who would guess that these grand department stores were built on the back of the Haymarket banana trade!
About Peter Hack:
Peter Hack had a 33-year career in the NSW Department of Education before leaving the Public Service in May 2016. He is a researcher of modern Chinese history and the overseas Chinese. Peter is a life member of the Chinese Museum in Melbourne and the Chinese Australian Historical Society. He is a regular visitor to Shanghai where he spoke at the World Congress on Art Deco in 2015. And he is the author of The Art Deco Department Stores of Shanghai: The Chinese-Australian Connection.
When: Thursday 11 October, 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Where: 280 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000
Cost: Free. No bookings required.
Contact: 02 9262 7300