The Social Context of Pei-yang Pictorials’ Modernism

Pictorial is an important form of mass media in modern society with its unique features. This paper mainly analyzes the social context that contributes to the modernism of city pictorials with thorough introductions of the social and historical environment. The quintessential modernism reflected in media ontology is also delivered because of the development of technology. During the 1930s China’s pictorials emerged as an important modern mass media since the first issue of Yinghuan Pictorial in 1877. During the 1920s and 1930s Chinese pictorials progressed to a large extent. “In the latest ten years, it develops rapidly that can keep pace with the world’s pictorials.” [1] For instance, in July, 1926 The Young Companion was launched in Shanghai and Pei-yang Pictorial appeared in Tianjin. The Young Companion was called “the most perfect pictorial of today” [2]Peiyang Pictorial was taken as “the most famous copper-plate-pressed pictorial”[3] which was sold very well in north. Both of them were the best pictorials. This paper takes Pei-yang Pictorial as the representative of modern mass media and explores the context where the modern pictorials produced from the modernity of cities and the ontology development of the media to present a real picture of the survival environment for modern pictorials.