Comments on: The Other Shanghai: Oakland? http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/15/the-other-shanghai-oakland/ Blogging Asian Art and Culture Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:25:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: nico http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/15/the-other-shanghai-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-33961 nico Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:29:01 +0000 http://www.asianart.org/blog/?p=2410#comment-33961 Hopefully this helps you to pinpoint what your family was up to back then: http://nightclub.org.uk/2011/10/new-shanghai-terrace-bowl-nightclub-oakland-1940s/ Before, archivists would have to spend hours in the library. Nowadays, we just hope to get lucky with the internet! Feel free to send along the picture, I love sharing stories of family: nharvey@asianart.org Hopefully this helps you to pinpoint what your family was up to back then:
http://nightclub.org.uk/2011/10/new-shanghai-terrace-bowl-nightclub-oakland-1940s/
Before, archivists would have to spend hours in the library. Nowadays, we just hope to get lucky with the internet!
Feel free to send along the picture, I love sharing stories of family:
nharvey@asianart.org

]]> By: dstasko http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/15/the-other-shanghai-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-33594 dstasko Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:47:10 +0000 http://www.asianart.org/blog/?p=2410#comment-33594 I have a photo-booth style photograph of my grandfather and great-aunt, the back reads "New Shanghai Restaurant, Oakland, New Year's Eve 1940". Always wondered where that might have been. I have a photo-booth style photograph of my grandfather and great-aunt, the back reads “New Shanghai Restaurant, Oakland, New Year’s Eve 1940″. Always wondered where that might have been.

]]> By: Unique http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/15/the-other-shanghai-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-29248 Unique Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:28:25 +0000 http://www.asianart.org/blog/?p=2410#comment-29248 What really drew me into this article was your choice of posters. I think they are such works of art by themselves. But I am also someone who adores pinup girl-esque pictures. Very beautiful stuff. What really drew me into this article was your choice of posters. I think they are such works of art by themselves. But I am also someone who adores pinup girl-esque pictures. Very beautiful stuff.

]]> By: hobo http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/15/the-other-shanghai-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-12119 hobo Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:19:06 +0000 http://www.asianart.org/blog/?p=2410#comment-12119 "...possessing everything mid-20th century Americans could want–a nightclub, a bowling alley, and a Chinese restaurant..." It sounds like it possessed everything I, early 21st century man, would like RIGHT NOW. The kids these days don't know how to party. “…possessing everything mid-20th century Americans could want–a nightclub, a bowling alley, and a Chinese restaurant…”

It sounds like it possessed everything I, early 21st century man, would like RIGHT NOW. The kids these days don’t know how to party.

]]> By: nico http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/15/the-other-shanghai-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-12105 nico Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:34:46 +0000 http://www.asianart.org/blog/?p=2410#comment-12105 Your father seemed a fascinating man, given his wide variety of business interests (most of my friends who work in Chinese medicine never dream of opening a nightclub!). This is what I love most about the Bay Area. Thank you so much for sharing his history! Your father seemed a fascinating man, given his wide variety of business interests (most of my friends who work in Chinese medicine never dream of opening a nightclub!). This is what I love most about the Bay Area. Thank you so much for sharing his history!

]]> By: Will http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/15/the-other-shanghai-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-12020 Will Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:30:37 +0000 http://www.asianart.org/blog/?p=2410#comment-12020 This interest in my father, Fong Wan, has astounded me. Other than interest in his Herb Lore, and what little there is on the web about him, I am thrilled about this blog site. Below is my father's business time-line in the Bay Area. Not all is included because this list is pieced together only from newspaper ads that was placed in the Oakland Tribune. I will try to describe what the New Shanghai Terrace Bowl was like in future postings. I must admit to not being very computer savy and do not not know how to post pictures. The pictures would have been mostly advertisements of his herb business and restaurant/nightclubs, and, his court battles with the Medical Board and Federal Trade Commission. Timeline of known business ventures: 1912: Fong Lee Herb Company at 209 Fourth St, Santa Rosa. 1915: Fong Wan Herb Company at 985 Seventh Street, Oakland. First ad: April 7, 1916 (Oakland Tribune) 1916: Fong Wan Herb Company at 548 8th Street, Oakland. First ad: Sept 16, 1916 (Berkeley Gazette - Testimonial dated, July 28, 1916) 1919: Oakland Emporium at 11th & Washington Sts; A dry goods store. Later relocated to 517 14th St. Man Fook Hung Company on 630 Webster St; A wholesale retail herb company. 1924: Fong Wan Herb Company at 576 10th Street, Oakland. House he built, opened in July of 1924. 1927: New Shanghai Cafe on 10th & Broadway, Oakland. Later to become the New Shanghai Cafe and Terrace Bowl in 1940, the Club Oakland in 1947. 1932: Lakeside Hotel on 138 East 12th Street, Oakland. 1936: Fong Wan Shrimp Company on 311 Broadway St. Oakland. Shrimp Camp at Cutting Blvd. & Market St. in Richmond. 1937: Nanking Cafe on 11th and Broadway Sts. Oakland. 1940: Hotel Roosevelt on 29th & San Pablo, Oakland. A laundry business around the block. 1945: Dewey Hotel on 3rd & Howard and the Galliois Bldg on 330 sutter St, San Francisco. 1947: Club Shanghai at 453 Grant Ave, San Francisco (June 26, 1947) 1949: Chinese Cellar on Columbus St, San Francisco. N/A: Assorted businesses and properties in San Francisco and Oakland. This interest in my father, Fong Wan, has astounded me. Other than interest in his Herb Lore, and what little there is on the web about him, I am thrilled about this blog site. Below is my father’s business time-line in the Bay Area. Not all is included because this list is pieced together only from newspaper ads that was placed in the Oakland Tribune. I will try to describe what the New Shanghai Terrace Bowl was like in future postings.

I must admit to not being very computer savy and do not not know how to post pictures. The pictures would have been mostly advertisements of his herb business and restaurant/nightclubs, and, his court battles with the Medical Board and Federal Trade Commission.

Timeline of known business ventures:

1912: Fong Lee Herb Company at 209 Fourth St, Santa Rosa.

1915: Fong Wan Herb Company at 985 Seventh Street, Oakland.
First ad: April 7, 1916 (Oakland Tribune)

1916: Fong Wan Herb Company at 548 8th Street, Oakland.
First ad: Sept 16, 1916 (Berkeley Gazette – Testimonial dated, July 28, 1916)

1919: Oakland Emporium at 11th & Washington Sts; A dry goods store. Later relocated to 517 14th St.
Man Fook Hung Company on 630 Webster St; A wholesale retail herb company.

1924: Fong Wan Herb Company at 576 10th Street, Oakland. House he built, opened in July of 1924.

1927: New Shanghai Cafe on 10th & Broadway, Oakland.
Later to become the New Shanghai Cafe and Terrace Bowl in 1940, the Club Oakland in 1947.

1932: Lakeside Hotel on 138 East 12th Street, Oakland.

1936: Fong Wan Shrimp Company on 311 Broadway St. Oakland.
Shrimp Camp at Cutting Blvd. & Market St. in Richmond.

1937: Nanking Cafe on 11th and Broadway Sts. Oakland.

1940: Hotel Roosevelt on 29th & San Pablo, Oakland. A laundry business around the block.

1945: Dewey Hotel on 3rd & Howard and the Galliois Bldg on 330 sutter St, San Francisco.

1947: Club Shanghai at 453 Grant Ave, San Francisco
(June 26, 1947)

1949: Chinese Cellar on Columbus St, San Francisco.

N/A: Assorted businesses and properties in San Francisco and Oakland.

]]> By: nico http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/15/the-other-shanghai-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-11226 nico Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:55:06 +0000 http://www.asianart.org/blog/?p=2410#comment-11226 Dave, I'm glad you did mention it--because I'm sure sometimes people will automatically assume that the link goes to a boring page. Seriously, everyone read up on Fong, he was a very interesting character. And Ms. Melon, I've wanted to use this image for so long, as it puts Oakland into perspective--The City's never been the only game in town. Dave, I’m glad you did mention it–because I’m sure sometimes people will automatically assume that the link goes to a boring page. Seriously, everyone read up on Fong, he was a very interesting character.
And Ms. Melon, I’ve wanted to use this image for so long, as it puts Oakland into perspective–The City’s never been the only game in town.

]]> By: bittermelon http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/15/the-other-shanghai-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-11221 bittermelon Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:03:21 +0000 http://www.asianart.org/blog/?p=2410#comment-11221 Fascinating. Thanks Nicole, and that image of the Terrace Bowl is fantastic. Fascinating. Thanks Nicole, and that image of the Terrace Bowl is fantastic.

]]> By: duriandave http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/15/the-other-shanghai-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-11191 duriandave Wed, 16 Jun 2010 04:13:35 +0000 http://www.asianart.org/blog/?p=2410#comment-11191 Oops... I just noticed you had already linked to those profiles of Fong Wan. My bad! ;p Oops… I just noticed you had already linked to those profiles of Fong Wan. My bad! ;p

]]> By: duriandave http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/15/the-other-shanghai-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-11190 duriandave Wed, 16 Jun 2010 04:11:32 +0000 http://www.asianart.org/blog/?p=2410#comment-11190 Hi Nico! Glad to see Fong Wan mentioned. He was quite an interesting character. It's a shame that he's been overshadowed by Charlie Low. Fong made his fortune as an <a href="http://www.oaklandchinatownhistory.org/histories/richardfong/RichardFongPhotos/042lrg.jpg" rel="nofollow">herbalist</a>; you can even find original copies of his book <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/HC-1929-HERB-LORE-Chinese-Uses-Prep-Fong-Wan-Herb-Co-/220551774298?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Nonfiction_Book&hash=item3359e9005a" rel="nofollow"><i>Herb Lore</i></a> for sale on eBay. Two fascinating <a href="http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist8/fongwan1.html" rel="nofollow">profiles</a> of him can be found at the Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco. It seems that Fong had a knack for attracting controversy and trouble. Besides the fraud case brought against him by the Federal Government regarding his herbal medicine business (mentioned in the linked profile), he was also involved in some other gossip-worthy lawsuits. In 1925 Fong was sued for slander in a case related to the suspicious suicide of his wife. And in 1951, Lana Wong, a fan dancer at his club, filed a suit against him, charging that he beat her, threatened her with a knife and made improper advances. Since I don't know the full story, I won't jump to conclusions about his guilt or innocence, but I think you'll agree that he deserves his own chapter in the history of the the Bay Area's Chinese nightclub scene. Cheers, Dave Hi Nico! Glad to see Fong Wan mentioned. He was quite an interesting character. It’s a shame that he’s been overshadowed by Charlie Low.

Fong made his fortune as an herbalist; you can even find original copies of his book Herb Lore for sale on eBay. Two fascinating profiles of him can be found at the Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco.

It seems that Fong had a knack for attracting controversy and trouble. Besides the fraud case brought against him by the Federal Government regarding his herbal medicine business (mentioned in the linked profile), he was also involved in some other gossip-worthy lawsuits.

In 1925 Fong was sued for slander in a case related to the suspicious suicide of his wife. And in 1951, Lana Wong, a fan dancer at his club, filed a suit against him, charging that he beat her, threatened her with a knife and made improper advances.

Since I don’t know the full story, I won’t jump to conclusions about his guilt or innocence, but I think you’ll agree that he deserves his own chapter in the history of the the Bay Area’s Chinese nightclub scene.

Cheers,
Dave

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