大開本的月刊《時代畫報》（Modern Miscellany）於1929至1937年間出版，橫跨了國民政府大力提倡建立一個新的、現代中國之方案的時期。跟著推翻最後一代王朝後的二十年政治混亂，這本雜誌似乎為國家進步的新潛力而歌頌。它是一個上海文化世界的展示櫥窗，並透過視覺影像來探討中國已然成為一個現代社會的許多層面。藉由運用醒目的圖像設計、引人注目的封面圖像、最新的版面、新的文字編排與字體設計、以及先進的印刷技術，《時代畫報》既成功地代表了中國的視覺文化現代化，其本身也是當中的一部分。該雜誌將當代文化中最具視覺性效力的層面引介給國內觀眾，試圖向外界展示一個現代國度。《時代畫報》同時也引領了一股新的趨勢，運用令人驚豔的圖像去呈現當前世界與國家活動、名人與電影明星的新聞、影評、體育新聞、藝術展覽、女性時尚、以及連環畫與漫畫。
本文認為，在其存在期間，由著名的藝術家與作家們所編纂的《時代畫報》，傳達了當時上海一些文藝界人士的文化理想，其共享了建立一個新的現代的社會和國家的使命。然而在《時代畫報》所展示的，不是空洞的政治宣傳，而是當時上海文化界的期望與建構現代國家的政府努力的共現。

The large format monthly Shidai (Modern Miscellany) was published between 1929 and 1937, spanning a period during which the Nationalist government vigorously promoted its agenda of building a new, modern China. After two decades of political chaos that followed overthrow of the last dynasty, the magazine seemed to celebrate the new potential for national progress. It was a showcase of the cultural world of Shanghai, and explored through visual images the many ways in which China had become a modern society. By using striking graphic design, compelling cover images, up-to-date layout, new typography and lettering, and sophisticated printing technology, Shidai both successfully represented, and was itself part of, China's modernizing visual culture. The magazine introduced the most visually powerful aspects of contemporary culture to its domestic audience, but at the same time tried to show a modern nation to the outside world. Shidai led a new trend of using stunning images to present current world and national events, news of celebrities and film stars, movie reviews, sports news, art exhibitions, women's fashion, and comic strips and cartoons.

This paper suggests that Shidai, edited throughout its existence by well-known artists and writers, conveyed the cultural ideals of Shanghai's literary circles. Its contributors shared the nation's mission of building a new modern China. What was printed on the pages of Shidai, however, was not government propaganda, but demonstrated the convergence, for a time, of the hopes of Shanghai's cultural world with the political agenda of the new national government.