Time travel back to China of 1929 for a rare 1920s Shanghai fashion and hairstyle feature. Restored by Deep learning AI enhancement. Footage from the Moving Image Research Collections with kind permission of the University of South Carolina. Colorized using deep exemplar-based video colorization.
Presented ( purportedly) by a niece of Alfred Sao-Ku Sze, China’s first ambassador to the United States. We hope to find the full name of this amazing multilingual young woman in time. Her extended family is certainly an interesting read. ( see below).
Miss Sze in English talks about how both the western bobbed hair and more traditional bobs are worn by Chinese women. Models Mrs Kum and Mrs Fan speak in Chinese (possibly Mandarin and Cantonese, with Miss Sze providing translation.
Shanghai 1929 – Rare Fashion Film – Watch
You will note that Miss Sze’s 1920s silhouette has a flattened bust. By 1929 in the USA and Europe, the gamine flapper look had fallen out of vogue for more womanly curves. She also points out the prevalence in China for a high collar, even in western style dresses.
Look out for the blooper / out-takes reel at the end!
The stunning woman to Miss Sze’s right (in gold) we think is Pauline Hsiao ( Xiao Baolian ). She was married to famous architect Robert Fan Wenzhao.
Published by GlamourDaze with the kind permission of the University of South Carolina.
AI restoration by GlamourDaze.
Chinese fashion show–outtakes
Fox Movietone News Story 2-249
Chinese hair styles–outtakes
Fox Movietone News Story 2-248
AI Restoration Process
- Cleaned noise artifacts
- Increased frame interpolation from 15 fps to 60 fps using Rife Flow Frames App.
- Increased resolution from 540p to 4000p.
- Applied color using Deoldify ( Jason Antic) and Deep-Exemplar-based-Video-Colorization
- Restored original 1929 sound recording and added new ambiance.
Alfred Sao-ke Sze
Ambassador Sze was married to Yu-hua “Alice” Tong, who came from an illustrious family. The mother of Madam Sze had been a lady in waiting to the Empress Dowager Cixi. The Sze children were each remarkable in their own right. They had four daughters and two sons. Betty O Neill who is pictured in early photos with her mother visiting the USA. There was Mai-Mai Sze ( a well known writer and model), Julia Sze-Bailey and Alice Wang.
Their son Szeming Sze was the medical director of the United Nations from 1955–1966 and co-founder of the World Health Organisation.
Mai-Mai forged an impressive career as a journalist, political activist, writer and fashion model. Her life partner was costume designer Irene Sharaff with whom she lived for over 50 years until her death in 1992.
That’s all ! © Glamourdaze