Where: The note on the back of the photo reads "HK, Racecourse", so we're looking at the grandstand in Happy Valley.
Who: The star of the scene is this man in the centre, as all heads are turned towards him.
He looks to be saluting, or perhaps raising his hat to, the smiling lady on the right.
I note that his hat has a very wide top to it.
There are some soldiers in the crowd, and their caps also have a large top, but their uniforms are a lighter colour.
Perhaps the darker uniform on the man in the foreground means he is a sailor?
Does anyone recognise any of the other faces in the crowd?
Several of the men in the foreground are wearing badges on their lapels, so I guess they are members or perhaps stewards of the Jockey Club.
I also wonder who owned this photo. It isn't a classic tourist's view of Happy Valley, so it was likely taken to capture the crowd. Was the photo's owner one of the people in this scene? I bought it recently from an eBay seller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, so the other mystery is how it ended up there!
What: The crowd are gathered in the grandstand, and the stables building is just visible to the left.
Recently I've seen those two buildings in another photo.
It was taken in 1902, and appears in Volume 4 of the Gwulo books. Back in 1902, the grandstand had a simple, narrow staircase at the front of the building, with all the spectators standing on the upper level under the roof. Here's another view of that older staircase from 1897. It was in the centre, with stairs running down to either side.
But by the time the main photo was taken, wide steps extending across the full width of the grandstand have been added, making room for a much larger group of spectators.
When: The women in the scene wear the large hats that were fashionable in the Edwardian era (1901-1910), and for a few years afterwards.
The soldiers' cap badges could also help, as if we knew their regiment we could cross-reference that with which years they were in Hong Kong. Unfortunately they are too far away to see the badges clearly.
Then if we knew when those wide steps were built in front of the grandstand, that would help narrow down the possible dates for the photo. The Annual Reports of the Public Works Department (PWD) often mention construction projects so I turned to them. We know the wide steps were built after the 1902 photo was taken, and that the fashions suggest a date around 1910, so I looked through the Annual Reports from 1902 until 1918. In the 1911 report it mentioned "Alteration to Jockey Club’s premises, Happy Valley" as one of the "Principal Works of a Private nature" that had started that year. It wasn't mentioned in any of the following years' reports, but as a straightforward project it shouldn't have taken long to complete.
I can't be 100% sure the PWD report is referring to these steps, but it seems to fit, so I'll guess 1912 as the year the photo was taken. Please leave a comment below if you spot any clues to help pinpoint the date more accurately.
UPDATE: The date has been identified as March 1909, see comments below.
Gwulo photo ID: A620
Further reading:
See photo timelines of...
Then for more old Hong Kong photos and their stories, please see Gwulo's books.
Comments
Re: Photo
Looking at the photo again.
A few observations:
a) I think the lady that is seated is also the centre of attention. As she appears to be the only person seated, the photo may be related to the Ladies' Purse race which is a feature race of the Hong Kong racing calendar, and dates back to 1848. The lady also appears to be holding an object (purse ???).
Normally, the winning jockey would walk his mount in and ascend the steps of the grandstand to receive the "Purse" and in exchange would present the lady with a bouquet of flowers and later accompany her to tiffin.
b) A bit of a puzzle regarding the man that is saluting or tipping his hat and walking in front of the gallery. Is he about to receive a prize from the lady? If that is the case, it may not be the Ladies' Purse after all but some other event.
c) A gymkhana event ? If it was a race meeting, the grandstand would normally be packed from the bottom up.
Further work required.
Grandstand Steps
The best results for searching for alterations/additions to HKJC premises is to view the "First Day" comments of the 3-day Annual Races which are normally held in February around Chinese New Year time. Normally the Derby and Ladies' Purse are run on Day Two and Day Three respectively.
16 February 1909 (Day One)
The improvements effected in the premises of the Jockey Club called for no little commendation. The grand stand fully deserves its appellation, a handsome flight of broad steps giving approach to the stand proper, and affording points of vantage from which to view the races, while the new arrangements underneath provided facilities for the money transactions in connection with the meeting. Improved conveniences were also appreciated.
Source: Hong Kong Daily Press 17 February 1909
1909 US Naval Visit
Given that the man in the photo walking up to the lady may be a sailor, an alternative possibility is provided.
In 1909, the 3rd Squadron of the U.S. Pacific Fleet based in the Philippines visited Hong Kong. The fleet arrived on 13 March and stayed for more than a fortnight and departed in early April. A Reception Committee headed by Sir Paul Chater was formed to provide entertainment to the visitors for the duration of their stay. Running and obstacle races, tug-of-war and other sporting events were held at Happy Valley with both the Garrison and U.S. Navy taking part. Prizes were distributed to the winners by Lady Erskine at the grand stand.
The Hong Kong Daily Press on 25 and 26 March 1909 covers the events held at Happy Valley.
1909 it is!
Thanks Moddsey, great detective work. I plan to use this photo in my next book, so this extra detail is a big help.
Regards, David
Sailor's salute
Doesn't the navy (both US and UK) salute with the palm facing slightly towards the face? That certainly looks what the chap above is doing rather than raising his hat.
Sailor in a sailor’s hat
Now that I’ve looked at the third (detailed) photo of the saluting figure in this thread on a larger screen, it becomes obvious that he is a saluting sailor in a conventional sailor’s uniform and conventional sailor’s hat. Looking at the main photo as a whole, the sailor isn’t really visible and his hat seems to float strangely disembodied in front of the suited man in the bowler hat who (to me) seemed to be the one saluting. Look forward to the book, David!