Shanghai 1928

Back to posting family pictures.

Are these the oldest family pictures we have? Our maternal grandmother is on the left on both photographs. I'm guessing the picture could be  taken in the same session or at the same studio based on the identical fancy paper borders. (Grandma wore two different outfits so it was most likely two separate sessions, it's unlikely she changed at the studio.)

Ma was still a little baby in the first picture so it could be 1928. The girl might be "li Di" and the older woman was a former sex worker from 堂子married into the family. (Name and relation?)

1928 was historically significant because of 東北易幟, that's when Manchuria reunited with the Chinese Central Government. In less than three years, the 2nd Sino-Japanese War broke out in Shanghai (一二八事件).  It's strange because Ma sounded older than 2 when they took refuge from the war in Ningbo.  It coud be  八一三 in 1937 when another battle took place in Shanghai, but then she would have been too old  to start kindergarten later...

Grandma's younger sister was in the second picture, I don't even know her name. Grandma's name was 胡士珍. She didn't appear to be with child, it's possible that it's an older picture taken when she was a young maiden.