Curio Stores of Old Shanghai – The Little Shop
Posted: May 20th, 2017 | 5 Comments »The Little Shop traded from the notoriously louche Kiangse Road (Jiangxi Road), on the corner of Ezra Road (now Shashi Road No.2), not far from the upscale bordellos down closer to the Soochow Creek – do click on the ad (from 1930) below to enlarge. Technically the store’s address was No.5 Ezra Road though that building actually connected through the corner to No.30 Kiangse Road. As you can see The Little Shop specialised in all the usual categories of curios and antiques – it was not as well known as its competitors on Nanking Road clustered by the Cathay Hotel (Grays Yellow Lantern store and Hoggard-Sigler for instance) but was in business for quite some time. The proprietor was Mrs E. Boyd and the store’s hong name was Shang hai koo wan shih. The earliest back I can trace the store trading is the mid-1920s.
As to Mrs. Boyd I’m afraid I’m sadly lacking on information. There was a Boyd family that was well established in Shanghai in the shipbuilding and dry dock business but I don’t know if there was any familial connection. There was also an Edyth Boyd who was very involved in the American Presbyterian Mission around the same time period. Bit more digging around to do here….
Hello,
I am the grand daughter of Evelyn Boyd, owner of, ‘The Little Shop.’ I could hardly believe it when this info came up when googled. Her son, Kirby Cosmo Boyd, married my mother, Anita Iris Tayler, born in Shanghai. They eventually went to Hong Kong when the communists came in to Shanghai then proceeded to Canada. I have written a biography, ‘Farewell My China,’ about my mother and her sisters’ lives.
Best wishes,
Rosemary
Seems there was a competing store “Toyo Murakami” on the same corner. Address 26B Kianse Road, corner Ezra Road. Marketed itsself as “The principal Art Curio and Novelty Store in Shanghai”, “Price ranging from a few cents to thousands of Dollars”
I just purchased a ginger jar with the original 1929 receipt from the Little Shop.
Hello,
In a very distant way I had the good fortune to have met Kirby and Anita Boyd in Montreal back in 1963 when I married Rosemary in the Town of Mount Royal. There were interesting revelations as to life in Shanghai
Kind regards
Peter
Hello Peter,
I have only just seen your post and was truly amazed. I lost track of you in my travels but did try to locate you when I was in Australia as I believe you were going to live there but that was some in the 1960/70’s when I last saw you. How are you?? Life is to strange and the world so small. I have been in South Florida for 30 years now.
I hope you get this and would love to hear how you are and if your sister is still in England.
Best to you,
Rosemary (ex wife)