Luggage Labels, Lost in Time - part I of VI

In the late 19^th century, ocean liners began the practice of putting stickers on trunks to identify the owner for easy access and retrieval. Over time, these stickers would act as histories of the luggage, and thus the person, like a highly visible passport. Of course the decoration became a symbol of status, and so elegant hotels and newly-established airlines soon followed suit. Much effort was put into the design of these artistic labels. Unfortunately, the history is largely lost to modern times as travel became common, cheaper, less elegant, and well… more practical and even drudgery at times. Ultimately bag tags became barcodes readable by airport luggage handling systems, as passport stamps were replaced with QR code stickers or even nothing at all for certain expedited travelers. Status was converted into loyalty programs. Luggage was minimized. Time became the most precious commodity in a 24/7 world.

This series of articles presents some example labels from the 1930’s that are owned by the author, along with short histories of the time and place they represent.

One of my favorite cities in the world is Shanghai. No other place I know has the overall beauty of The Bund, a masterpiece of Western Architecture and historical treasure trove on one side of the river, with the most modern and advanced skyline on earth, the Pudong skyscrapers directly across from it. It is literally the only place I know where both sides of the river give a world-class view – one of the past, and one of the future. And I am not even mentioning the Chinese Old City upstream which has its own fascinating history, architecture and charms.

This label is from the Bund side, where the colonial International Settlement flourished for the first half of the 20^th century, rivaling New York, Paris, and London. One of the leading residents, Victor Sassoon, a British Baghdadi Jew, built an empire that still stands today after World War II and 70 years of Communism. In 1929 he established The Cathay hotel. A few blocks away, in 1930, he opened The Metropole. The Cathay was designed by Palmer and Turner in an outstanding example of art deco style, both inside and outside. It stands 10 stories, capped with V.S.’s famed penthouse and a steep copper pyramid on top that has long since oxidized into a pleasant and distinctive green. Famous for its old Jazz Band, the music stopped in 1949 when the communists took over the building. This after a Japanese occupation and Chinese civil war to boot.

One of the precursors to World War II was the Japanese occupation of China. While the International Settlement generally provided a haven from the mayhem outside its borders in Shanghai and beyond, the intersection on The Bund in front of the hotel and waterfront was the scene of a tragic bombing on “Black Saturday” in 1937. Chinese Nationalist planes, in their first action, attempted to bomb a Japanese ship moored in the river. The torpedoes missed and landed on Nanking Road. Ultimately 3,000 people lost their lives that day in related skirmishes. In the picture to the right, The Cathay hotel is the building adjacent the carnage.

The Cathay is alive and well today, operating as the Fairmont Peace Hotel. I have visited many times to take in the art of it all as I strolled The Bund and what is now, of course, Nanjing Road.While I planned to stay someday, I always opted for the more practical and affordable Grand Hyatt in Pudong that starts on the 53rd floor of the Jin Mao Tower and affords lovely views of The Bund across the river. Today the Peace Hotel can easily be seen along The Bund, pictured here, with its characteristic green pyramidal topping.

Keep reading to learn more about The Metropole and the story behind these other labels below. 

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Addendum: Here is a reference from movie-locations.com for Empire of the Sun. The Bund in general is a popular setting for Hollywood and Chinese movies and even video games.