Hello Everyone,
My grandfather Mak Hin For (麥顯科) owned and ran a pharmacy in Central (my uncle remembers it to be on a road with electric tram) before he immigrated to Canada in the mid-1960s with his 8 children.
The pharmacy was named 中大. This is the only information I have. I've been interviewing all my aunts and uncles and gone through all our photos but we didn't have many photos of the family in HK
If anyone seen any photos in the 40s and 50s with the words "中大" on any signage in Central, I'd be greatly appreciative if you could share.
Thank you so so much.
1950s photos along the tramline
Hi Michele,
These photos were all taken along the tram line in the 1950s, so would be a good place for you to start looking: https://gwulo.com/booth-tram-ride
Please let us know if you find the shop.
Regards, David
Thanks so much David! I'll…
Thanks so much David! I'll go through these photos thoroughly.
pharmacy image, by…
Hi there, after speaking to more extended family members I found out that the pharmacy was on 是皇后大道中 or Queens Central Road. An aunt sent this to me but I cannot find this photo online without the circle. And I went through all the pins from the map along Queens Central Map. Just in case anyone has seen this store more closely. Would love to see as many photos as possible of the building or inside.
Thanks !!
photo from another angle
Hi Michele,
I hurry to send you this first, as some luck with google image search. (photo link) Year is around
19521956 (after March), as the FB page mentioned.Could post about location and more details next.
updated on 2024.12.23 :
cited the FB page; as the comments underneath, date of photo was corrected to year 1956.
The photo is from an original colour slide.
QRC
A nice find from hkspace_wl that triggered a memory for me, so here is a screen capture from the opening scenes of Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955) that shows the same section of QRC (the curve between Cleverly St and Hillier Street) with you grandfather's shop visible on the right side of the road (above the ambulance).
Pharmacy
I referenced the Hong Kong Year Book from 1948 to 1984 and found this information. It seems that "中大" Pharmacy ceased operation around 1978.
皇后大道中二七五號 (275 Queen's Road Central) :
Wow! Thank you so much …
Wow! Thank you so much @hkspace_wl, @philk @Alan Ho for sharing all of these details/images. This is wonderful to learn more of my history. I appreciate it so so much!
If anyone happens to know…
If anyone happens to know anything about this product which was a product by my grandfather or has seen other images of it, I'd love to learn more.
I knew he brought in new technologies into HK such as laundry detegerent but I haven't seen any images. This one was kept by my cousin, she has the last bottle from my grandfather.
Hong Kong Year Books
Alan Ho mentions that he has "referenced" the Hong Kong Year Books between 1948 to 1984.
Can you tell us Alan if there is a direct online link for downloading these books ( pdf file format) or did you have to go to Public Records Office in Kwun Tong to access them ?
Hong Kong Year Books
Hello Chinarail , You can find relevant information online, Link
Medicated oil
There are different brands of this kind of multi-purpose medicated oils in HK. The most popular one being White Flower Oil 白花油. The basic active ingredient is oil of wintergreen (Methyl salicylate), similar to Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). They were initially imported from the south seas (Malaya, Singapore).