Ask the Scholar

American journalist and advertising executive Carl Crow designed this colorful and user-friendly map of Shanghai. He was the founder of the Chun Mei News Agency, which was responsible for translating and disseminating English language news printed in Shanghai into Chinese. He also wrote over a dozen books about China including several travelers' guides. The vignettes around the map show important moments in Chinese history as well as facades of buildings and cultural monuments. The Shanghai Municipal Council, who sponsored the preparation of this map, was an international governing body that was active in Shanghai from 1863 until the Japanese occupation in 1941. The seal of the Council demonstrates the international flavor of Shanghai in the early 20th century, with flags from twelve nations represented. Adding to the international flavor of the map is the diagram showing the time differences between Shanghai and cities around the world. The inset map at the lower right places Shanghai in geographical context, and also shows a basic outline of the different "settlements" of the city -- Chinese, French, and "International" (i.e., British and American). For some time, each of these settlements functioned as a miniature principality, administered and managed by its expatriate citizens. This assumption of Chinese authority angered many Chinese Shanghai residents and led to civil unrest. In retrospect, the motto of the Council, "Omnia juncta in uno" (All joined into one), seems rather optimistic in the face of Chinese disenfranchisement and discontent.