Shot by an unknown American, this silent home movie footage was shot in and around Shanghai, China in 1946-1948 time period. It is part of a group of 16mm movies shot by an unknown American who was working for the OMEA, or Officer’s Moral Endeavor Association, a sort of non-governmental, YMCA type group operating in post-WWII China.

This film captures the storm flooding in Shanghai, which was a frequent occurrence before the installation of the storm drains and rain sewers in mid-1980s. The Waibaidu Bridge, Suzhou River and the Shanghai Post Office, seen in related films, are seen again here, along with a part of the 1945-1948 U.S. Navy “Yellow River Flotilla” out of which you can distinguish the outlines of 2 heavy cruisers (including USS Los Angeles) and a group of destroyers, anchored in the Huang Pu (Yellow River) in the midst of Shanghai.

0:07 Mass gathering of people, a kind of a procession with flags, probably filmed from the Broadway Mansions building, by the Waibaidu bridge and the Suzhou river

0:45-3:38 Scenes of the Chinese riverboat men life by the Waibaidu Bridge

1:41 Pan up to the Wusong (Suzhou river) the tributary of the Huangpu (Yellow rRiver) in Shanghai. Building in the middle with a tower is the Shanghai Post Office, Zhapu Road Bridge closest and North Sichuan Road bridge in the distance.

3:38 View over the Waibaidu bridge, towards the Bund (from the Broadway Mansions) on the plots which are now occupied by the Peninsula Shanghai Hotel

3:54 Zoomed-in view down towards the boatmen again, the cameraman was trying his new zoom, probably.

3:58 Zoomed-in view towards the Zhongshan East 1st Road busy with traffic – and the Bund, pan down towards the Waibaidu Bridge.

4:22 Zoomed-in view of a power station across the river in Pudong, port and US Navy ships anchored in the river at 4:30-4:36

4:50 Suzhou river, Post Office and mansions again

5:19 Workers loading something heavy and fragile onto the truck, perhaps mirrors.

5:48-6:23 More scenes of longshoremen moving goods onto the sampans.

6:30-8:07 Scenes of rural life in the Pudong District of Shanghai – reaping buckwheat and various bushes.

7:01 5-level pagoda, now demolished

8:07-end of the video Flooded streets of Shanghai, again – probably because of rain. This problem wasn’t solved until the building of rainwater sewers and stormdrains in mid-1980ies. Cars, people and trams wade and advance slowly through the waterlogged street along the Suzhou river.

9:20 “No parking” sign

9:36 A utility vehicle ploughs through the water, while, in the background a shop “Harding & Co” remains open with a small wooden board serving as dam at the entrance. Based on some research, this shop appears to have been located on Peking Road.

10:40 In the rare open shops, people are getting their goods through the door., most everything is closed.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com