Advertising Hoarding. Western District 20, Avenue Foch - East of Cad Lot 1770 - Refused, 1941. Source: SMA (SMC), U1-14-3253 (1590-1594).

Letter from Carl Crow to Public Works Department - asking permission to move forward one of his board on the Municipal Land to avoir demolishing it as per request by the Chinese neighboor landlord. Shanghai, August 29, 1941. Source: SMA (SMC), U1-14-3253 (1591).

We have the honour to address you that we have an advertising board which has for many years been standing on the 8"X 25,75' stripe of the land at the corner of Avenue Foch and Chengtu Road. As this board occupies on the three-fourth of the stripe belonging to the Chinese landlord, Mr. Kwok, we have been paying him Ch$54.00 as a yearly lease money for it. Now, for being offered a higher rental by an Italian advertising Company (Bruno Perme ?), the landlord wrote us a letter asking us to demolish it in order to enable the Italian agency to erect its boards.

Since we have just found that our boards also occupies the one-fourth stripe of the S.MC. land, we beg to request that you would favour us with your permission to shift the said board forward to thie side of the S.M.C. property, so as to prevent Mr. Kwok's interference, and we are preparing to pay you CH$180.00 as a yearly lense mone for the stripe 8"X 25,75'  which is to be paid by four installments quarterly in advance. We will also pay the advertising tax on the boards.

We wish to assure you that the boards will cause no obstruction to the pavement, and also, that we shall be ready to demolish it within one month after the receipt of your written notice. For your prefenrece, we beg to inclose herewith the sketch of the site.

We trust that you will kindly grant us your permission for the erection of our board on the said site, and wish to express our deep apprecaition for any trouble and courtesy you may extend to us in this matter.  

Letter from Commissioner of Public Works to Carl Crow, Inc. "Advertising Hoarding - Avenue Foch - East of Cad Lot 1770 Western". Shanghai, September 2, 1941.  Source: SMA (SMC), U1-14-3253 (1594).  

-> (regretting being unable to grant permission)