A song for Shanghai

Gertrude remembers the family's eccentric piano teacher.

George Quraishi

Jul 23, 2020 • 1 min read

Now in her 80s, Gertrude grew up in a wealthy neighborhood in interwar Shanghai. Her grandparents on one side were feudal lords under the Qing Dynasty, and her mother was one of 13 children, including three sets of twins. The family employed a host of servants, including kitchen staff and a chauffeur. Then there was the piano teacher.

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Now in her 80s, Gertrude grew up in a wealthy neighborhood in interwar Shanghai. Her grandparents on one side were feudal lords under the Qing Dynasty, and her mother was one of 13 children, including three sets of twins. The family employed a host of servants, including kitchen staff and a chauffeur. Then there was the piano teacher. Gertrude's grandson wanted to capture her memories of this lost world. The result was a four-part Artifact with a global scope.

A post shared by Artifact (@heyartifact) on Jul 23, 2020 at 9:31am PDT

Gertrude's grandson wanted to capture her memories of this lost world, and preserve stories from the her life before she ended up in California. Meanwhile, Gertrude leapt at the chance to impart her wisdom to the next generation. The result is a four-part Artifact with a global scope.

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