This presentation is a preliminary exploration of the history of death in pre-1949 Shanghai through visual sources. It is based on a talk presented in 2006.
1. Scythe and the city: exploring death
in 20th century Shanghai
20 March 2006
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19. Number of funeral parlors and coffin repositories
(1938-1943)
Funeral parlors
Coffin repositories
Guild repositories
60
50
40
30
20
10
M
ay
19
38
S
ep
t.
19
38
O
ct
.1
93
M
9
ay
19
40
S
ep
.1
94
S
0
ep
.1
94
O
1
ct
.1
94
M
2
ar
.1
94
3
0
Total
20.
21.
22.
23. Rates and income of four coffin repositories in 1941
Storage fee
Chung Hwa Funeral Parlor
Happy Garden Funeral
Directors
Vien Coffin repository
Da Hwa coffin repository
Coffins
Chung Hwa Funeral Parlor
Happy Garden Funeral
Directors
Vien Coffin repository
Da Hwa coffin repository
Total
Income
Chung Hwa Funeral Parlor
Happy Garden Funeral
Directors
Vien Coffin repository
Da Hwa coffin repository
Total
Rate
A
Rate
B
360
Rate
B
120
120
60
36
240
120
60
36
60
36
Rate
C
43
Rate
B
Total
115
22
240
1417
1696
24
155
193
408
796
2
485
504
308
435
2310
3177
75
Rate
C
Rate
D
181
Rate
E
Rate
F
Total
13800
2640
14400
51012
72292
5760
18600
11580
14688
57348
1920
4320
8400
3840
400
120
17460
20220
36960
26100
83160
183220
720
3520
Rate
F
16
12
11160
2400
Rate
E
35
1
Rate
A
Rate
D
16
1
6
Rate
F
120
360
31
4
Rate
E
240
720
Rate
A
Rate
D
240
400
600
Rate
C
15480
18000
33360
24. Evolution of the number of coffins stored in the IS
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Jul. Jun. Sept. Oct. Aug. Sept. Aug. Sept. Jan. Feb. Mar.
1938 1939 1939 1939 1940 1940 1941 1941 1943 1943 1943
25. Number of coffins by category of repository
(1938-1943)
Funeral parlor
Coffin repository
Guild repository
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
May 1938 Sept. 1938 Oct. 1939 May 1940 Sep. 1940 Sep. 1941 Oct.1942 Mar. 1943
26.
27.
28. Exposed corpses collected by the SPBC in the IS (1929-1943)
45000
40000
35000
30000
25000
ADULTS
INFANTS
Total
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
îN
1929
îN
1930
îN
1931
îN
1932
îN
1933
îN
1934
îN
1935
îN
1936
îN
1937
îN
1938
îN
1939
îN
1940
îN
1942
îN
1943