This Holland-China Trading Company photo shows Charles' friend and colleagues Phil Beekmeijer, last row, third from the left and Karel Baggerman. Charles is last row, right from the large pillar, fourth man.
The photo was taken by Ming Yuen Studio, 6 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong.
Zooming in to the photo shows details about HCHC's business:
"Outward mails
Closing time for air despatch
Place Time Date
Rotterdam ...30 19th
Calcutta .....M
Rangoon
London
Bangkok
Singapore
Batavia
Sydney
Japan
U.S.A.
Canada
Shanghai"
Junior staff wears shirts with print "H.C.T.C.", a calendar, confirming the month the photo was taken, October 1951, was supplied by a business partner "Van Reekum Papier".
In 1906, Holland-China Trading Company was housed in Alexandra Building. Employee and later director Willem Kien was working there and was on the Juror's List (gwulo.com). The first generation Alexandra Building was in use 1904-1952 (gwulo.com), so it is possible the above photo was taken there.
In an interview in 1985, Frits Kien, who worked at the HCHC Hong Kong office from 1946, told about a major change, compared to pre-WWII Shanghai: girls! Before WWII, there were no girls working in the office, afterwards it was very usual for girls to work in offices. Senior manager Klimanek did not like it at all. Frits Kien gave an example of mean behaviour between the girls. There was a girl named Nancy Ho Tung, daughter of Sir Robert Ho Tung, a millionaire and a well-known man in Hong Kong at the time. When he passed away in 1956, Nancy immediately started to wear black clothing. And the other girls said: "Nancy funny girl. She is a daughter of latest concubine." She was not important enough. The daughters of the first concubine, they would get the most, she would get scrambles. So tough was the rivalry between the girls."
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hotung" rel="noreferrer nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hotung</a>
Courtesy Gesner van der Voort family archives (photo), Boddé family archives (interview).
Dear reader,
This photo shows many Hong Kong faces, in great detail. If you recognise your (grand)father or mother, or want to comment on the photo, please let me know.
Kind regards,
Pieter
Source: This image came from Flickr, see https://flickr.com/photo.gne?id=32253227677
Comments
Holland-China Trading Company (HCHC), Hong Kong 1951
Dear reader,
New information was added to the photo, please see above. By any chance, would you be able to recognise Nancy Ho Tung?
Kind regards,
Pieter
none of daughter to Sir Hotung called Nancy
hello,nice to see your post！
According to the record, Sir Hotung don't have a daughter called Nancy. But Ho fook, Sir Hotung's brother have a daughter called Nancy. sorry, I can't recognize who is Nancy.
Could you tell me where can I see the frits kien interview? Do you have any information about the Hotung family?please let me know！
Holland-China Trading Company (HCHC), Hong Kong 1951
Hello Patrick,
Thank you for your reaction. The interview was recorded on an audio cassette, common in the 1980s, lent to me to use for my book research. Unfortunately, it is not digitally available; also it is in Dutch. I have no further information on the Hotung family.
Kind regards,
Pieter
Holland-China Trading Company (HCHC), Hong Kong 1951
Dear reader,
I added Karel Baggerman's name to this photo. If you recognise any other people, please let me know.
Kind regards,
Pieter