# Oriental Laundry Mystery **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 23, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205 "2010-08-23T20:55:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ram76114](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Ram76114](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ram76114)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/1 "2010-08-23T20:55:48Z")
Hi, Everybody! I am a long-time reader of _The Straight Dope_, but this is my first time to use the Messageboard. I have a question. I have an old photograph of a street scene dated 1935 (Sorry, but I don’t know which city). Outside one of the buildings is a sign that says “Oriental Laundry,” underneath which is the phrase “NOT in the TRUST.” Internet searches have turned up no results that would explain what this means. I was wondering if somebody might have better luck and be able to shed some light on what this sign was all about and why they thought this was important information for potential customers. Thanks in advance for any info you can come up with. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/2 "2010-08-23T21:02:13Z")
According to this site: [Sun Coffee Shop: 1935 | Shorpy Old Photos | Framed Prints](http://www.shorpy.com/node/8306#comment-93355) It means that the laundry is not part of the price fixing cartel. ---
**Author:** ![Ram76114](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Ram76114](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ram76114)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/3 "2010-08-23T21:16:53Z")
Hi, Wilbo523! Wow! That was fast! Thanks for that info; it answered my question very well. ---
**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/4 "2010-08-23T21:17:08Z")
December 1935. “New Orleans, downtown street.” North Front at Canal. Nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the Farm Security Administration. [This one](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/SunCoffeeCanalSt1935.jpg/761px-SunCoffeeCanalSt1935.jpg)? Apparently [Dave](http://www.shorpy.com/node/8306)thinks it means they’re not a part of a price-fixing cartel. I’m looking for info if that was endemic of the chinese laundries of the time, I’ll get back to you if I find anything. Damn… scooped. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Ram76114](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Ram76114](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ram76114)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/5 "2010-08-23T21:26:07Z")
Hi, GHO57! Yes, that is the same photo I have. Glad to know the name of the city. Thanks for the input. I will appreciate any additional info you can come up with. ---
**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/6 "2010-08-23T21:40:23Z")
Ah, apparently the reference is about the [Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890](http://law.jrank.org/pages/10248/Sherman-Anti-Trust-Act.html). It seemed odd at first that they would need to advertise the fact 40 years after the act passed, but as the article states “During the late 1930s, an intensive enforcement of antitrust laws was undertaken”. The great depression and the new deal happened before resources could be directed to the trust issue; so it seems like Dave from the other site was right after all. They’re just stating they’re not a part of a cartel. ---
**Author:** ![Ram76114](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Ram76114](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ram76114)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/7 "2010-08-24T16:23:38Z")
Thanks for that additional info, GHO57. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/8 "2010-08-24T17:34:18Z")
Two thoughts on this thread… [ol] [li]I have a strong suspicion that this is some sort of Soviet ‘numbers thread’, based on the usernames of everyone (besides me) who has posted in it. Just sayin’…[/li] [li]The abovementioned potential Federal Crime notwithstanding, this is an example of why this place is so great…it took a whopping 22 minutes to go from “I have an old photograph” to having someone not only explain the issue in detail but also post a copy of the very same picture for all to see.[/li][/ol] Bravo, Comrades! ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/9 "2010-08-24T17:35:52Z")
Dude, “Oriental” is not the preferred nomenclature. “Asian American” please. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/10 "2010-08-24T18:07:23Z")
I was wondering if they were endangering themselves by posting that sign, but then I looked at the picture and see that they went to some expense to have the sign made, so they must have been reasonably confident that it wouldn’t have gotten them firebombed in a Tong war. I was thinking it would be like in 1933 Chicago putting a sign in your window saying “We don’t buy bootleg gin from the O’Malley Mob.” ---
**Author:** ![Ram76114](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Ram76114](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ram76114)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/11 "2010-08-24T19:31:27Z")
Thanks for your reply, Surburban Plankton. While I can’t speak for anyone else, the numbers in my screen name are from the zip code where I used to live. After moving to another zip code I decided it was way more trouble than it was worth to change it so I kept it like it was. Yes, this is a great site. The answers I were looking for arrived much faster than I thought they would. The staff at \*The Straight Dope \*were right: this is a good place to ask questions! ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/12 "2010-08-24T22:01:54Z")
> [@JCorre](#): > > Dude, “Oriental” is not the preferred nomenclature. “Asian American” please. I prefer Calgon-using-American. Ancient Oriental Mystery, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/13 "2010-08-24T22:29:40Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > > [@JCorre](#): > > > > Dude, “Oriental” is not the preferred nomenclature. “Asian American” please. > > I prefer Calgon-using-American. Ancient Oriental Mystery, indeed. Wasn’t that “Ancient Chinese Secret”, the mystery ingredient that inspired the Brits to invent Fraudulin? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/14 "2010-08-24T22:49:40Z")
> [@JCorre](#): > > Dude, “Oriental” is not the preferred nomenclature. “Asian American” please. That’s only when referring to people, not to a laundry. ---
**Author:** ![Intelligently\_Designed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intelligently_designed/32/20957_2.png) [@Intelligently\_Designed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intelligently_Designed)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/15 "2010-08-24T22:59:08Z")
[Ancient Chinese Secret.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJP5f-fsHrs) ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/16 "2010-08-25T03:43:28Z")
> [@Ram76114](#): > > Yes, this is a great site. The answers I were looking for arrived much > faster than I thought they would. The staff at \*The Straight Dope \*were > right: this is a good place to ask questions! No doubt! Welcome! Now here’s my question - what’s up with that font? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/17 "2010-08-25T11:29:35Z")
> [@JCorre](#): > > Dude, “Oriental” is not the preferred nomenclature. What if the clothes were stained by occident? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/18 "2010-08-26T11:20:04Z")
> [@Intelligently\_Designed](#): > > [Ancient Chinese Secret.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJP5f-fsHrs) :mad: I was going to post that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/19 "2010-08-26T13:31:14Z")
So is “Oriental Laundry” the name of the place, or is an Oriental Laundry some specific sub-type of laundry business? ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205/20 "2010-08-26T16:01:54Z")
There was a large company founded in Texas called the Oriental Laundry Company. The one in New Orleans appears to be independent of the large company and was family owned by the Tung family. Oriental Laundry was the name of the business. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oriental-laundry-mystery/551205.md?page=2)