Source: CCTV.com

01-18-2007 18:27

The Chinese idiom "Yin Huo De Fu" could be translated as "out of misfortune comes opportunity". And just recently in Shanghai, a set of remarkable photographs was discovered because of a leaky pipe. Nearly 20,000 pictures from The Wang Kai gallery were brought to light after decades under cover.

The photos, though they've yellowed some, are still in good condition. Most were taken in the 1920s and 30s. Miraculous among them are the studio shots of Shanghai film stars.

Ruan Lingyu

This set of Ruan Lingyu, the queen of silent films, was shot during her heyday.

Sun Mengying, deputy manager of Shanghai Wang Kai Photo Gallery, said "These are the authentic photographs. Though copies can be found in newspapers and magazines, the originals are much better in image and color."

Studio portraits became popular in Shanghai at that time. Movie stars such as Hu Die, Zhou Xuan and Chen Yunshang all had their beauty captured in promotional photos.

Zhou Xuan

The discovery also includes family portraits, and pictures of old buildings, valuable for research into Shanghai's early architecture.

The find was a complete accident, taking place during the repair of a water pipe. Decades ago, gallery staff had saved several cases of pictures in the basement. And the photos, once dusted off and sorted, proved to be priceless.