Shanghai 1929: Rare 1920s Fashion Film Brought To Life

Time travel back to Shanghai of 1929 for a 1920s fashion and hairstyle show. AI frame by frame colorization and upscaling with added sound.
Presented purportedly by a niece of Alfred Sao-Ku Sze, China's first ambassador to the United States.
We hope to properly identify this amazing multilingual woman in time. Her extended family is an interesting read. ( see below). She also bears a strong resemblance to Madam Sze, ( Yu-hua "Alice" Tong) the wife of Alfred and mother of Yuen Tsung Sze ( Mai Mai Sze).
The stunning woman to Miss Sze's right (in gold) we think is Pauline Hsiao ( Xiao Baolian ). She was married to famous art deco architect Robert Fan Wenzhao.
Miss Sze talks in English 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. She also points out in the latter sequence, the prevalence in China for a high collar, even in western style dresses.
You will note that Miss Sze's silhouette has a flattened bust which was very much in vogue during the roaring twenties. By 1929 in the USA and Europe, the gamine flapper look had fallen out of vogue for more womanly curves.
Look out for the blooper / out-takes reel at the end!
Published by GlamourDaze by kind permission of the University of South Carolina.
Their generosity and support in this restoration project is hugely appreciated.
AI restoration by GlamourDaze.
Chinese fashion show--outtakes
Fox Movietone News Story 2-249
digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/co...
Chinese hair styles--outtakes
Fox Movietone News Story 2-248
digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/co...
AI Restoration Process
1. Cleaned noise artifacts
2. Increased frame interpolation from 24 fps to 98 fps using Dain App.
3. Increased resolution from 540px to 4000px
4. Used Neural Network Face Enhancement
5. Applied color using Deoldify ( Jason Antic) and Deep Exemplar-based Video Colorization
6. Restored original 1929 sound recording and added new ambiance.
For more on Deep Exemplar-based Video Colorization:
github.com/zhangmozhe/Deep-Ex...
A shout out to @DGSpitzer for an earlier restoration of these out takes, as well as some amazing restorations of other archive films from China.

[@windsorkid7069]

This is about as close to time travel as you can get. Awesome.

[@jerrygil1965]

Amen!

[@GabsBastos]

Exactly! That's crazy!

[@danieljoseph4625]

Agreed!

[@fatimal.330]

100%❤

[@shaylawatson1244]

Unfortunately

[@ronaldobrien6870]

The quality of the restoration is off the scale here - looks like it was filmed yesterday. Keep them coming!

[@decado7]

Yeah was going to say the same - that is crazy good quality, you literally wouldn't know it was old footage. Amazing glimpse into the past.

[@ronaldobrien6870]

@@decado7 Yes, it's almost like going back with a time machine. They're doing amazing work on this channel.

[@piccalillipit9211]

I KNOW its amazing...

[@schmonday]

Aside from skipping large portions of the frame, at least. The left woman's hands, for example.

[@bhami]

At first I assumed the voices were new additions as in many of the other restorations on this channel, but then I noticed that her mouth matches the words perfectly!

[@dallasalice8906]

I love that she’s speaking with a Chinese accent, but also a transatlantic accent. Very cute.

[@D_Marrenalv]

@@azia5051 i hope these three ladies were spared the horrors of the Japanese invasion of China

[@Nastyaa18]

@@azia5051 are u stupid, she s still alive.

[@garethwest9069]

@@D_Marrenalv - Followed by the nightmare of 1949.

[@szzk7937]

@@D_Marrenalv These are wealthy women from British controlled China. They were most likely in Hong Kong before anything happened. Not Nanking. They are speaking Cantonese.

[@fjdkslfjdkwhgioperwhgjkoldsf]

@@szzk7937 The first lady was speaking mandarin in a sichuan accent, the second lady speaking cantonese

[@tianshulea5115]

The lady on the left in blue dress is speaking mandarin with southern accent,the right one in yellow is speaking Cantonese,they're both wearing the Chinese style dress called QiPao(exclude the lady in the middle),it was a newly fashionable form at that time because it's kinda a combination of western dresses and chinese traditional ones,the bgm is also played by traditional chinese instruments, Amazing work!Love from China~!

[@I_want_a_name]

左邊的是江蘇江北口音官話，右邊的是粵白五邑官話，不是上海話。

[@jessicap5010]

What are they saying?

[@julianaalencar9586]

Were these clothes wore by the mass or was it a thing only richer people could afford?

[@61raindrops]

Lady on the right was speaking Cantonese

[@blueecho9792]

@@jennytaylor3324 yes

[@celestenova777]

Hard to believe this is 90 odd years old, absolutely stunning and could be from today. Love her saying modern bob, still in use today. Wonderful women and wonderful film work, thank you!

[@paquitagillis901]

The History between this and now is hard to fathom. And yet nothing has changed.🤔 Just attitudes l suppose?

[@FC-hj9ub]

People have not changed as much as society says

[@lambgaming1347]

@@FC-hj9ub I agree

[@riley1616]

ur math is wrong, this is over 100 years old 💀

[@garethwest9069]

@@FC-hj9ub People have been wicked since Cain caved his brother's skull in with a rock.

[@bigneon_glitter]

Amazing restoration. Filmed nearly a century ago, they feel real & contemporary.

[@lachlankeddie7]

That outtakes part was just perfect. I love the little things like that which show just how alike people from different times were to us today...

[@traceylamplugh5133]

It's always been like this!!!! 😃

[@azuregiant9258]

I wonder if any of these clothes still exist? Maybe folded up the storage box in somebody’s attic, or maybe treasured heirlooms? It’s incredible how vibrant it all looks.

[@biancaa2097]

I hope so cuz theyre so pretty

[@garethwest9069]

Many things were lawnmowered by the Hunan Hillbilly from 1949 onwards.

[@lineysmith81]

They do! Just like how vintage clothes are sold here today, Shanghai and HK have vintage clothing shops too since they were the fashion capitals of Chinese fashion and the time

[@podomuss]

@@garethwest9069 Why do you keep mentioning 1949? I know the CCP took over then, but jesus dude, chill out

[@luwenhsis7265]

Yes! I collected some of them myself

[@MadameRosaFortuneTeller]

That coat was magnificent and I am not partial to fur, but omg. The ladies are beautiful.

[@clod8]

And that dress underneath-yummy!!!

[@kenoneill8783]

I literally gasped when it transitioned to the remastered version, staggering, it's like watching them on a live TV broadcast.

[@jerrygil1965]

Exactly

[@way2muchNFO]

live from the past... how ' boutthat :)

[@XIXIWORLD]

as a shanghainese person i loved this! to think my grandparents weren't even born for another 25-30 years is insane the restored quality is so good it's like im in right there with them in 1929 too bad no one spoke in shanghainese dialect that would've been cool

[@XIXIWORLD]

also these girls must have been filthy rich to wear outfits like these. the girl on the left said her buttons were diamond incrusted crazy

[@H-Vox]

This is just mindblowing, this is one of the craziest technology things I've seen in my life. I'm really stunned

[@-NateTheGreat]

Amazing that film nearly a century old can be so restored to modern beauty.

[@unknowndeoxys00]

That coat. It's one thing to hear about the opulence of the rich and/or fabulous during the 1920s, but to actually, finally see it just floors me.

[@whitequeen96]

Thanks so much for making this! My American grandmother was doing the Grand World Tour in the 1920's and met my Scottish grandfather in Shanghai at some fancy party. (He was instantly smitten and they eventually married.) It's marvelous to see the fashions that were probably worn at that party.

[@timvanarsdel]

Ever since I stumbled upon the color photographs of Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky (taken ~ 1911-1915), I'm blown away by how much more tangible the past becomes simply by color enhancement. And now, here, with sound and movement, brings these women beyond the realm of ornate set props. You can practically sense they had a giddy morning, getting ready for the film shoot; and when the camera's turn off, how much more leisure and socializing before the obligations of the day turn this moment into a memory.

[@_zproxy]

little did they know their children were to make china full communist.

[@timvanarsdel]

@@_zproxy Let's just enjoy the moment captured and not dwell on any vague imaginings of what "their children" did or did not do.

[@Europa1749]

Amazing, almost a century ago and they seem so modern.

[@JCSAXON]

It’s incredible what vibrant colour adds to these restorations. The presenter’s cheerful enthusiasm is adorable

[@Jim54_]

It’s depressing knowing the chaos and oppression that came after this. I hope these woman lived good lives

[@thunderbird1921]

They probably had no idea about the 80+ year nightmare their land was about to enter (first the Japanese, then the Communists). I really hope one day China is again free and prosperous, not a militarized nation of slaves under tyrants.

[@soultravellerDonJohn]

@@thunderbird1921 they are free now.

[@soldierofchrist888]

@@lipschitzlyapunov 😢😭

[@planetpompom]

That coat at 2:01 is fabulous!

[@comfehhh]

She looks so royal, i neeeed one

[@frillylily8005]

Gorgeous Coat 🧥

[@katwil89]

The dress underneath looks pretty amazing as well!

[@BigKarl519]

This is your best one yet Glamour Daze.

[@sharonneethling5468]

I never thought that i wud see history like this in my life time. This was incredible WOW. Thank you for sharing this with us. Love from South Africa💕

[@catharinrin]

thinking about what happens in the 30’s/40’s makes me so sad. it’s a shame how much was destroyed by world war 2!

[@thwb4661]

​@@catharinrin Indeed. World War 2 really destroyed centuries-old relics and cultural pieces of both Europe and Asia. From Paris to Manila, from Seoul to London, so many cultural and architectural treasures have been destroyed forever.

[@maze123]

This is a beautiful restoration, the style of eyebrows are what makes you remember it is from 1929 and not today!

[@chelamcguire]

Wonderful. This footage could have been shot yesterday. Thank you for this interesting posting. 1929 was the year of my Grand-mother's first 'season' as a Debutante.

[@kmg501]

Great find or perhaps I should say great time capsule.

[@bonnieholt3135]

I have loved all of the videos you've posted up until this point but this is one of my favorites. I love the bloopers and outakes at the end of this one. This is such a treasure!

[@stargazer1359]

This film is wonderful. These ladies are so beautiful and what a gift of time travel.

[@kamuelalee]

Amazing. It's a true service to bring these old films to the public's attention. Great work, keep it up!

[@davieleerio]

Stunning ladies! 💖 my grandmother used to get the marcel wave bob i remember her telling me back in the day 💖💖

[@chrisabraham8793]

Filmed just like a hour ago.

[@piccalillipit9211]

*WOW* The best restoration i have ever seen - AMAZING...!!!

[@SaminSays]

omg adding the digital colouring was flawless!!! it looks so natural... i would not have suspected anything until 0:55 when i thought the woman on the left was wearing gloves. but her hands were just missed in the colouring process lol

[@jaspartheghost526]

Good catch

[@JimKuback2009]

You could fool me into thinking this was filmed with a really good camera in like, the 80s. Un-fucking-believable.

[@GPretzels1984]

As a Hong Konger, I am extremely surprised when I heard Cantonese spoken by the rightmost lady- More like I’m surprised by how much the accents of different Chinese dialects have evolved through the years! Thank you for the video!

[@julianaalencar9586]

I can't thank you enough for uploading these super old, but with excellent quality, videos. It is such a delight watching them!

[@timothysdog6130]

These time capsule videos are really special. It's interesting seeing the transformation from traditional costume to a more western style

[@MacXpert74]

Amazing restoration! This is the best one I've seen yet. Mind blowing how much you were able to improve the quality of the old film.

[@Wooster77]

I hope these women and their families remained safe during the brutal Japanese invasion a few years later.

[@jerrygil1965]

This is literally a modern live TV broadcast💜

[@_David_S]

This is a massive step up from previous videos, looks like it was actually filmed in colour, outstanding work!

[@yeetdiscreet1278]

This is mind blowing. This literally looks like it was filmed within the past week🤯

[@jennys.214]

Wow! This was like a livestream! Only I arrived a little late. 92 years…

[@josephsmith5430]

This is absolutely stunning. The video may as well have been recorded today. Thanks so much.

[@catherinejustcatherine1778]

Thank you for all your effort. It looks great! And sounds quite nice.

[@geosophik9369]

What an amazing restoration! We need more videos from Asia and the rest of the world outside Europe and North America.

[@texasjoe557]

Love the fashion of that day, very charming women

[@thunderbird1921]

What happened to China is one of the greatest tragedies in human history. A nation that was one of the most beautiful on earth and among the richest of cultures was trashed and held captive by that band of murderous tyrants aka the Communists. Maybe some day those people will once again live in freedom and hope. I really hope Mao is facing justice in eternity for his evil.

[@ylilycam]

That is just truly amazing!!....and to see the outtakes at the end shows that it must've been a really special fun day for theses girls...a moment gone but caught forever x

[@babylor1]

This is fabulous! Seriously blown away by the quality of the reworked film. Well done

[@lissy8040]

I think this is one of the most living and beautiful films I've seen by Glamourdaze yet! And the bloopers take the cake! I'm going to watch it again

[@LeesaDeAndrea]

That didn't look dated at all. And that fur trimmed wrap was sumptuous!

[@Luna-ii4mx]

Wow this is amazing, 100 years ago and we can hear their voices! I did not expect that. The girl on the right is truly beautiful. I would love to see more from Asia

[@amberworr5612]

I agree.. they are all beautiful though, I especially adore the cute, sweet personality of the middle girl and the other girls seem sweet, but shy. 🌹

[@carlkoh]

What a wonderful vlog!

[@SoldierPoet]

Outstanding video! Your channel is amazing. 👍

[@debramage739]

Just stunning. I so love these. Thank you.

[@zeproo]

this is just an amazing restauration, i'm not into fashion but your film restorations are increadible. you're getting better and better don't change any settings.

[@tsmith3286]

Lair! This was filmed in present day. 😬 I’m truly in awe of how good this is. Just amazing.

[@jaspartheghost526]

This is so amazing. It's like they're living right now talking to you. Could this really be 92 years ago??

[@SatumainenOlento]

Yes, it feels unbelievable!!! But I think that the magic is on the hostess...she is so comfortable and genuine front of the camera that it makes it feels like you are watching your friend talking to you! ❤

[@marcintime]

Absolutely wonderful restoration. Thank you!

[@lizzychrome7630]

This is incredible! I love real footage from past eras like this. I get so used to thinking of this time period in black-and-white sometimes. This feels so close and alive. Thanks so much for posting this!

[@fatimal.330]

Stunningly beautiful ladies. Lovely fashion with beautiful material. Those dresses look so nice. You did a great job bringing this to life. Thank you! ❤

[@stomptheelites]

Amazing Restoration. Thank you for the time machine too.💎

[@karenbrown4524]

I love your channel and all it's work that is required.

[@lululestat]

How cute they are I loved this video thanks for making these ❤️🤗

[@leeagdup1]

Wow they did a very good job considering the fact that around this time, most people had not even seen a video camera before; let alone speak into one 😹😹😹 but wow. I am just astounded. Love all these videos ❤️ can’t wait to see what’s next.

[@frillylily8005]

So Classy Elegant and Regal 💅🏻🌺

[@scrapbookofmusings]

This was just too cute! And how gorgeous are all 3 of those looks!!!

[@polmartin14]

Superb video!!👍🏻👍🏻📽️

[@emiriebois2428]

Great work

[@karlr7088]

Amazing, again

[@michaelanderson1476]

everything that everyone has said is so true!! Your work is brilliant and amazing!!👏🙌👍

[@staceyme1480]

Love the bloopers in the end.

[@RespectOthers1]

I’ve watched a few of these videos on KZbin but this one looks super special! :D

[@clod8]

They’re so cute! I like the faux bob of the lady on the right. I love the beautiful colors of their silk dresses and stockings.

[@foreverlovesophie]

Wow! Looks as if it were just from not long ago! Soooooo ahhhhmazing !

[@normaearnisse3106]

Absolutely fabulous!!!!! It looks like modern days! Beautiful! I love to watch your videos. Wanted to ask if maybe one day you can post a Rudolf Valentino , or a Frida Kahlo wonder how there voices sound💕 that would be fascinated!

[@anthonyasart]

Wonderful. Truly wonderful. Thank-you.

[@samanthasarai1588]

Wow es increíble tu trabajo!

[@jesseowens7972]

Absolutely amazing . BRILLIANT Video. The smile of the woman in the middle is soooooo beautiful 😁 😊 👍👍👍

[@Ryshka]

Great video! I loved the bird noises too

[@eric_in_florida]

Eyebrows on fleek! Lovely.

[@msmedved_]

holy cow this is amazing footage

[@logandodson7191]

The garden where this was filmed is fabulous

[@Hey_BK]

Looooooved this video!!!!

[@TheMagicTaco]

Wow! Just wow!

[@andrelaksana1830]

Amazing Colours... 👍👍

[@discobaby795]

Simply awesome.

[@Jen-sp9yu]

So graceful, I love it. 😊

[@merriame9487]

Omg it's like they're really vlogging!! They're so nice and smiley ^_^

[@ClaudioCristaldo]

impresionante !!! felicitaciones

[@MuzixMaker]

The audio restoration is also very good.

[@Oscitant_Otter]

Love how they are already using "NG" for bloopers!! That definitely stuck around, lol.

[@Delicious1922]

They will now live forever! Beautiful film! ♥️

[@joannaerhardt7294]

This was beautiful and I love that the bloopers for this still exists! 💜

[@tesan6805]

Astonishing restauration job here:D

[@topologyrob]

That's extraordinary - time travel!

[@frances181]

Wow!! Amazing how color can make such a difference

[@dtrjr6157]

I love this so much! 🥰👍

[@dereinchecker9376]

Lovely, just lovely.

[@krismilelove]

在别的up主里看过这段影像，但这个还原的色彩更好，感谢～

[@jamess5226]

That was fascinating. Any chance we can see a digitally remastered version of the outtakes?