Looking for photos of expatriate kitchens in 1930s / 1940s

Submitted by cpcnart on Wed, 10/13/2021 - 03:59

Hi all.

I am doing research on 1930s/40s Hong Kong, in particular trying to find images and information on kitchens owned by expatriates. I am designing a theatre show, hence my need for research! Any images or info on what would commonly be seen, staples, etc. would all be appreciated. I've trawled the internet and here, finding some things but it's tricky to find within this time frame. So far I've done a sweep of the Facebook group "HK in the Colonial Era" and that led me to some 1960s images from the USA's National Archives, but I am hoping to find something a bit more in the period.

Thank you in advance.

If you look under the heading "CE Warren & Co. then CE Warren & Co. Ld.", on Gwulo, you will see an ad for Dover Cooking ranges and an ad for Cheavin's water filters. (1917). I shall be reunited with my papers at the weekend and will see what kitchen products the company was advertising in the 1930s and 1940s. If I find anything useful on my computer I will add it to this thread. It's worth your checking the newspapers for those decades to see what other companies were advertising too.

My recollection of my parents' kitchen is of a very deep and long ceramic sink. There will be ads for those, I'm sure.  I don't think stainless steel came in till later. As there were no electric dish washers, all the washing up had to be done in the one sink.