This image previously appeared in Terry Bennett's "History of Photography in China: Western Photographers 1861–1879", published by Bernard Quaritch in 2010, with the caption:
Fig. 1.10. William P. Floyd. ‘Waterfall Bay, Hong Kong,’ c.1868. Author’s Collection.
See http://gwulo.com/node/35363 for more information.
It is reproduced here with the permission of the author and publisher.
Date picture taken
1868
Shows place(s)
Comments
Re: The arch
Hi David,
This looked like the arch under present day Pokfulam Road that you were talking about last time.
T
Re: The arch
Yes, that's my best guess for where the photo was taken, looking up at the bridge where Pokfulam Road crosses the river.
So the photo's title is a bit misleading, as it shows the river that leads to Waterfall Bay, not Waterfall Bay itself. Here's a view you posted of the bay, and the final waterfall where the river drops down to the sea:
Re: Where the photographer was setting up his camera
Hi David,
I believe you should be able to find where the photographer was setting up his camera by looking at the GeoInfo Map site.
There is a footpath going behind the garbage collection station (the one with a single pillar). I believe the photographer went along that way and was a little more beyond the footpath on the slope. The shape of the stream might not be the same after all these years, but that seem the likely location.
On the other hand, I remember there are steps from Victoria Road going up along the stream. It is going to be slippery and from the smell of the water there, it is not clean.
T
Re: Where the photographer was setting up his camera
I made a half-hearted attempt to walk along behind the garbage collection station a few months ago but didn't get very far. I'll try again on a cool day over the winter, and see if I can find any viewpoint similar to the one in the old photo.
Regards, David
Waterfall
Hi,
I stumbled into the waterfall during my venture into the creek this past Sunday. Its landscape did look very much like the vintage photo except that the water is really murky and smelly now. I suspect that it has been used as an outlet for some kind of sewage disposal. The stream is running adjacent to the Dairy Farm site high above the embankment but it would be very difficult to spot it from above since the slope is now covered with heavy undergrowth and thick vegetation.
I really wanted to take the time to enjoy this supposedly beautiful scenery but the sight of garbage and strong scent of water immediately drove me away.
Regards, Freddie
Re: Waterfall
Hi There,
There is a chance that some villigers at Pokfulam Village used that as their sewer. Anyway, if you stand further down stream at Victorial Road, you could smell it from afar.
To really flush it clean I guess you may have to open the gates at Pokfulam Reservoir for a day or two.
T
ps. When I was back from Cheung Chau yesterday it was low tide and I saw someone taking wedding photo at the shore at the high water mark. I wonder if the wedding dress agency migth have to ask them to buy out the mess after soaking things up there.......
Good to see how the waterfall
Good to see how the waterfall & pool look today, but sorry to hear the water is in such a bad condition.