The faith of business leaders in the future of Shanghai is expressed in the new spectacular "Beehive" sign—the largest in the Orient and said to be the second largest Neon sign in the world—advertising Patons Baldwins' knitting wools. This new display, reaching a height of 120 feet from the side-walk, has been installed at the corner of Avenue Edward VII and Vu Ya Ching Road by Claude Neon Lights, Fed. Inc., U.S.A, under instructions from Patons & Baldwins, Ltd. Thousands of people throng this area which is rapidly becoming the busiest cross section of Shanghai's daily life.
The history behind the sign is a romance itself. Early in the year 1785 James Baldwin started a small Wool washing and fulling business at Halifax, in England. The trade-mark "Beehive" was adopted for its highest Quality knitting wools, and later the mark "B.B." was added to distinguish all the productions of the firm. This "B.B" mark stood for "Britain's Best" and so strongly -has this remained the guiding principle behind Fe direction of this old concern that it has come to mean "World's Best." 3 As the years passed, the Company adapted itself to the varying demands of each succeeding generation of women and has been rewarded by their confidence in its wares which have, in turn, caused it to expand into a vast organization known as Patons & Baldwins, Ltd. Today, with factories in many parts of Britain, Canada, the U.S.A., Tasmania and China, and with warehous and agencies all over the world directly employing over 8000 men and women in all different countries, the "Beehive" and "B.B." marks are known by every nationality.
For many years "Beehive" has been a household word in China and when ihe Company's Shanghai factory was op ned in 1934, giving employment 1015 Chinese and foreigners, beehive" wools became a luxury within the reach of every purse. This old firm with a youthful and elastic mind has confidence in the future of China and of Shanghai, its greatest city, and the huge sign is an express sion of this faith.
The entire installation is a facsimile of the "Beehive" Trade-Mark. The centre section shows the Beehive flanked on the left by roses representing England and shamrocks for Ireland; on the right thistles for Scotland and leeks for Wales, all outlined in colourful Neon. In the centre of the hive are two gigantic letters B B in expanding Claude Neon blue tubing, animated by a three-point flashing apparatus. On the top of the hive in day-time are two bees with outstretched wings which at night soar continually in a circle over the main sign, their flight being animated by a 24-contact point flasher. The main sign is 50 feet by 48 feet in size, having a surface of 810 square feet.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.