The layout in the old Saigon house

The well-off houses often have phonographs, sophisticated tables and chairs, and attach importance to lighting.
A rich family can find many imported or domestically produced goods, on Catinat, Charner or Bonard … to meet their needs.

Besides the basic items in the house such as furniture, furniture … The most popular item that makes the biggest impression when visitors come to the house is the record player. Imported into Vietnam in the early 20th century, the phonograph gradually gained popularity among the Saigon elite. Pathé Phonograph and Pathé Records are well-known brands, sold at No. 10, Charner Avenue (Nguyen Hue). The agency advertised: “In entertainment that makes the family fun, there is nothing like: Pathé phonograph and Pathé record. Listening to good music can change human character, and music is like a separate language that the mind and mind have not shown. He also boasted: “… now the profession of making record is very sophisticated. The plate runs on sharp needles, taking electrified gas is quite good, but recently Pathé took steam from Annam version and took it with a radio, it was very mental, very smooth and clear. At present, the golden disc is the radio pathé disc, the red iris has a chicken. Smart women make their families happy and should buy Pathé phonographs. Husband from going out to waste. Although children play but expand their brains ”. Phonographs are also sold and repaired at Nguyen Van Thuat No. 105 Charner Street (Nguyen Hue), including Pathé recordings using sapphire needles. Here sell a full set of spare parts according to the machine. Coming to the shop, they also showed the index of various kinds of Annamese with nearly 30 songs, with attractive ones like Petitioning Hung Tin , Apotheosis , Cheo singing is confused with village … Odeon records sold at Indochine films & Cinéma No. 106 Charner include Dong Lac ban, Nghia Hiep ban, Phuoc Tuong ban, Tan Thinh and Van Hi Ban. There are also plates of Praising to the Notre Dame and Praising to pray for peace. There is Cai Luong Cao Men that sounds strange. Later, in 1937, Victor record with agent Le Van Tai at 82 Georges Guynemer street (Ho Tung Mau) sold Phung Hao recordings with Phung Ha, Nam Chau… many special songs. If anyone knows how to use it, they will buy the “ball song” at Pathé Baby’s house. The device is advertised as easy to use, booked a very luxurious living room, sold all kinds of comedy, tragedy, science, sports movies … powered by electricity, with white cloth to illuminate the image size 54X40. Saigon living room in the 1960s. Documentary photo : Hoang Viet Indoor lights are very important. If he was rich, he used electricity from the Cho Quan lamp factory or went to the shop of the native Quang Binh to hire and install. There is Mr. Tran Quang Nghiem, the owner of the Luc Tinh hotel shop who has “run the gas lamp wire” for any house or shop that wants to use gas lamps, ie electricity. Mr. Nghiem advertised: “The salary and wire fee is cheaper than most, thought that no place would dare to compete… One thing to know is that M. Nghiem’s ​​wire is attached to the wall, the owner still rented a compteur for a lamp house. Adding the compteur’s rent together with the new wire-based one is clear that M. Nghiem is cheap ”. At that time, electricity was still a luxury and unstable, fluttering, so every home needed a manchon lamp. Manchon lamp brand Petromax Rapid of Germany by the exclusive agent of Indochina, Dai Ich company at 29 General Doc Phuong Avenue (Chau Van Liem), Cholon advertises to Hanoi. There are three types of lamps: One liter burns for 18 hours, 12 hours or 10 hours. No need to charge with alcool, in less than a minute, it will be finished and burned with kerosene or gasoline. Dealers selling lamps and spare parts. Some people like the Aida manchon lamp brand also from Germany, lit with kerosene, good but very timely economic crisis. Sold at My Quang & CIE No. 33 along Tong Doc Phuong street. Ordinary people buy lamps in the United States with a large kerosene can about the size of a bowl, made of transparent glass, clearly visible oil and a lamp heart inside. The oil tank is rigidly mounted on a sturdy, heavy, brass leg. The lampshade has a heart-wrench to adjust the light, and attaches a tall glass chimney to shield the wind. The lamp has a shutter to focus the light downwards, not to shine on the ceiling or roof. Regarding tables and chairs, a well-off family returns to Binh Duong to buy wooden furniture at the local art school of Thu Dau Mot. More picky, then wait for tricks in Hanoi. A house in Phu Nhuan street on Phan Dang Luu street still retains a cupboard of conch-conch, purchased in 1928, at the Hanoi trickery house, until now still intact. On Catinat Street (Dong Khoi), French rattan chairs and Northern furniture are sold. The North Seats are not as sophisticated, but cheaper. Or go to Cholon to buy chairs for Chinese making. Some rich people ordered chairs, collapsed three walls made of rosewood to take place in China and imported them. There are elaborate houses in every detail in household utensils, using silver mosquito net, tortoise shell, ivory, ivory hammock … Although comfortable, not every home can buy good things. The second-hand shop on Lagrandìere Street (Ly Tu Trong) sells many things, including brand-new items from merchants. The Chinese bid an entire street here to display peanuts-casseroles. They also opened two more rows of peanut-casseroles outside Cho Moi (Ben Thanh market) on Espagne (Le Thanh Ton). There are all sorts of household items such as cups, bowls, saucepans, pans, and furniture. Despite being peanuts, buyers from all walks of life. Comfort in the home is high or low depending on the employer’s wealth, knowledge, and aesthetic level and their needs. It also shows consumer trends, perceptions about the beauty of the population at that time as well as the responsiveness of the market. Those are quite interesting suggestions for researchers, about the urban lifestyle in the past.