1959 Gingles Restaurant

Tue, 09/23/2014 - 20:31

Update: The date for this photo is 1959, as explained in the comments below.

The Flickr comments suggest the older photo is from 1938, but I think the decoration is more likely to be from George V's silver jubilee in 1935. Can anyone else confirm?

HKMan, the author of this post on Flickr, notes that the current corner building is named 'Cheong Hing Building', a direct descendant of the original 'Cheung Hing Store'.

If you zoom in, you can make out the advertisement for Gingle's, advertising 'Good Food, Steaks, Chops, Seafood'.

Source: This image came from Flickr, see https://flickr.com/photo.gne?id=3729329325

Date picture taken
1959

Comments

Hi there,

The modern day Cheong Hing Store used to be located at the current or folded "Marathon Sports'.  Anyway Cheong Hing's business is more on the whole sale side.  One of the decendents of the store opened up a wine/liquor store in th neighbourhood at Carnarvon Road a few years ago.

Best Regards,

T

Although the chap Gingles was known to be around in Hong Kong prior to WWII, I doubt very much his restaurant was firmly established in Kowloon in the 1930s.

Back to the photo. By looking at the attire of the people on the street, the photo appears to be taken either in  the late 1940s or early 1950s. I cannot explain the presence of the crown and royal cipher.

The Cheong Hing shop photo appears here in the Company's website:

http://210.17.243.203/2_bg2.html

Mention is made in Chinese of the 1940s store. Could the Flickr photo be the one that was taken in the 1940s?

If the assumption is correct, it could be that the decoration of the crown and royal cipher was erected to commemorate the Silver Jubilee Wedding of King George VI and the Queen in April 1948.

George VI Postbox Cipher

George VI Postbox Cipher

The Silver Wedding in 1948 was a rather tame affair in Hong Kong. Of note, was the royal salute given by HMS London in the harbour.

The 1937 Coronation of George VI  was however, very different as there were parades, floats, decorated pai laus, illuminated buidlings, fireworks in the harbour etc. However, I have not seen the George VI cipher decorated in the same way as the one seen in the Cheong Hing photo.

The closest resemblance I have seen is from this tram photo.

1937 Illuminated Tram

1937 Illuminated Tram

Thank you for sight of the Marcel Cafe business card.

It does say 'on the corner' so I assume it may have been on the corner of Humphreys and Nathan Rd where the Cheong Hing Store was located.

I was just noticing the price list in the next photo sequence on facebook. 70 cents for a T-bone steak - I wonder whether the business card may have been from the 1950s instead?

i think the whole menu refers to sandwiches - however there is no evidence of exactly when this card was printed.  i bought this on ebay together with other 60s gems which is my sole guideline on date

vanessa