What's new and updated on the Gwulo website:
 

General

• Memories of Broadwood Road in the 1960s / early 70s
   

• Thanks to readers who commented on last week's newsletter:

  • Photo of the cobbler: The writing on the wall definitely shows the name of someone surnamed Leung, but the last character isn't very clear. It has been identified as likely either 住, which would translate as Leung's dwelling, or 位, which would be Leung's place marking out the pitch where he worked.
     
  • Photo of the hawker on Causeway Road: Octa remembers carrying on the head was a common practice for 'those who delivered lunch sets to offices in Hong Kong central district in the 60s and 70s', and included this photo: 
    

    

• Several readers suggested the 'AH' on the old marker stone on Bonham Road may have stood for "Alice Hospital'. I've taken a closer look and I think we can rule that out.
   
• Readers ask:
  • Which coronation was Coronation Terrace in Central (still in existence as a narrow alley) named after?
     

  • What was this granite marker stone in the former King's Park in Kowloon for? It has the inscription:  5 F T.  T O 9 0 Y

  • The late Peter Moss had an online library of Hong Kong photos he took in the 1960s. Is it still available?
     
  • What was the building on Wyndham Street that was uphill from the Club Germania? It's the light coloured building in background of the photo below.
    

    

     

  • What event were these ceremonial arches (pai lau) built to celebrate?
    

    

     

  • Who were the "Attick & Co." who made this brass button, and who were the buttons used by?
    

    

• I'm giving a free talk at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum on Sunday, 28 May. If you know anyone that might be interested, please could you let them know? [Click for details, time, and location]
   

What's new and updated on the Gwulo website:
 

Next Thursday evening, 27 April, I'm giving a talk to the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch. We'll see a selection of photos from my collection, but also look at what goes on behind the scenes:

• Where to find old photos
• Tips for buying, and scams to watch out for
• Potential causes of damage and how to keep your photos safe
• Using the computer to enhance the photos
• Uncovering the photos’ stories
• Photos in print vs. photos on screen
• The latest artificial-intelligence tools, how they can improve a photo’s appearance, but also their limitations

Guests and non-members are welcome, so it will be great to see you there if you're free. The talk will be held at the Visual Arts Centre on Kennedy Road, and starts at 7pm. Click for details & booking.
 

General

• Past sites of the Harbour Office
   
• Readers ask:
  • What was the K.S. Lo Gallery building in Hong Kong Park used for originally?
     
  • What did "earth coolies" do?
     
  • Does anyone have any old pictures of the various mansions / villas that once made up On Lok Tsuen in Fanling?
     
  • Eddie's mother worked in the Gloucester Building. He'd like to hear from any staff or their children who lived in the Gloucester Building's staff quarters, and any family of Mr & Mrs Au Lam who ran the cake shop there.
     
  • What was the ruined concrete building on the shore of Kau Sai island, Saikung used for?
     

What's new and updated on the Gwulo website:
 

General

• In the last New on Gwulo, I wrote that beriberi affected many of the POWs and internees in Hong Kong in WW2. The comments on the beriberi page are a reminder that the people living outside the camps also suffered from malnutrition and the diseases it caused.
   
• The Catalogue of Gwulo's photos is online again, after a long wait to be rebuilt after the website upgrade. It's an easy way to see my favourite photos in one place, and if you click on any of the thumbnail images you'll see that most of the photos have a story attached.
   
• Cycling in Hong Kong
   
• The S.S. Swartenhondt carried passengers from La Réunion to China in 1937
   
• Selwyn-Clarke's Prison Bible at Bedales School
   
• Readers ask:
  • A couple of the Gin Drinkers Line direction slabs mention a Moffatts Observation Post. Who was Moffatt?
     
  • Would anybody know about a Chinese / Hong Kong organisation centralizing information about casualties of war that occurred between 1937 and 1945. 
     
  • Is this the large rock at Sam Shing Hui that is now contained within Ki Lun Kong Public Park in Tuen Mun?
    

    

• Upcoming talks by David:
  • 27 April: A behind-the-scenes look at Gwulo’s historic Hong Kong photos collection, hosted by the Royal Asiatic Society, Hong Kong Branch. Details and tickets. The venue is the Visual Arts Centre on Kennedy Road. It has theatre-style seating and a large screen, so that everyone gets a clear view of the photos. (In case you're wondering if you've seen it before, it is a repeat of the talk I gave at Lion's Ink Bookstore last year.)
     
  • 28 May: In, on, under, and around Hong Kong's harbour, hosted by the Hong Kong Maritime Museum. Details to follow.