What's on

• FULLY BOOKED Sun 28 May: Next Sunday I'll give a free talk at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum - In, On Under, and Around Hong Kong's Harbour. I'll show a selection of photos from my third book, projecting high resolution copies on the big screen so we can zoom in to see their details, and uncover their hidden stories. Click for details and registration. (Two thirds of the seats had already been reserved when I checked last week, so register soon if you're planning to join.)
  
   
• Sun 4 Jun: Howard Elias will lead a guided tour of the Jewish Cemetery in Happy Valley, telling stories of the people who are buried there, and discussing the religious laws and customs regarding burial. I joined one of Howard's previous tours of the cemetery and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I can happily recommend it. The event is organised by the OMRS HK Branch - please contact their Hon. Secretary Martin Heyes for details and booking: martin.heyes@gmail.com
  
   

What's new and updated on the Gwulo website:

 

General

• Descriptions of a couple of road construction techniques from early 20th-century Hong Kong:
  • Macadam had been used since the 19th century and was still in use
    
     
  • Granite setts (blocks) were used to pave busier roads in the 1910s & 1920s
    
     
• Ann Hudson (then Ann Hardy) remembers completing the cross-harbour swim aged nine:
  

  

• Readers ask:
  • After the old Butterfield & Swire building was demolished, why did it take over 10 years before the Furama Hotel was built on that site?
    
     
  • Have any traces of Victorian era public toilets in Hong Kong survived?
    
     
  • Do any copies of the 1960 episode of the BBC's This Is Your Life featuring Ellen Field still exist? She worked with Medical Officer Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke and Japanese interpreter Kiyoshi Watanabe to provide humanitarian aid to the POWs in Shamshuipo Camp.
    
     
  • Where were The Bungalow, Dock Bay and El Nido? They were both buildings in Kowloon in the 1880s/1890s.
    
     
  • Looking for photos of:
    • The original building at 24 Repulse Bay Road
      
       
    • Swire exec house at 53 Stubbs Road [????-c.2006]

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?