The day the fountain played

If I had to make an educated guess, the illuminations set up on scaffolding outside the City Hall would probably coincide with the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria on 22nd June 1897. The hoisted umbrellas in the near noon-day sun would fit a summer scene too. Another good reason to get the ornate bone dry fountain to run.

Work in progress to confirm. 

Comparisons can be made to an 1897 photo of the City Hall (minus the decorations) at the University of Bristol website: https://hpcbristol.net/visual/NA20-10 In their photo, the City Hall had been given a good coat of paint likely for the celebrations. 

The trees appear to be of similar height except for the tree(s) on the left have shed their leaves (?). The lamp post is the same. However, the fountain has been turned off. 

I have seen David's photo dated to 1903 which means it would have been taken earlier. If the taps of the fountain were turned on for a Jubilee or a Coronation event, I think there would be a record of it in the local press. 

There is an article from the Hong Kong Historical and Social Research Society about Dent's Fountain and it's lack of water.  They refer that the water was reconnected in 1929 and 1930 (as referred above) and the fountain was "ACTIVE FOR FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS."

They don't have exact dates when the water in the fountain stopped, their estimate is between 1890 and 1897. They show a photo from 1890 with running water, and one from 1897 without. The latter is on Gwulo, and it's part of the 1897 - Sixty Diamond Jubilee Pictures gallery. So it's likely not in connection with the jubilee as guessed above.

Just putting it out there as a matter of record.

Mention made in the China Mail 4 May 1905: "It is certainly some considerable time since the fountain in front of the City Hall ejected water, fresh or salt, even for a few minutes."

Clue: the annual horse auctions dates posted by David were at end of February and early March. The trees to the left in this photo of a horse auction by moddsey are bare, whilst the one on the right is evergreen. This state of the trees supports the annual horse auction dates occurred early in the year before the leaves of the tree on the left are in bloom.

Thus this  ‘1897’ photo - although it’s bandied to be in the Jubilee year was clearly taken in the cooler ‘winter’ months as the leaves of the tree on the left are bare ie. not in the time region of June 1897. If its in a book published in 1897 commemorating the Jubilee year, the true date of the photo would definitely be earlier - say winter 1896/97 or winter 1895/96.

So David’s opening cheap and cheerful photo with both trees in full bloom is a spring to summer shot. And the usually bone dry fountain is running. And there are illuminations set up outside the City Hall. The two big summer events that may be worth turning on the taps would be QV Jubilee in June 1897 and Coronation KEVIII August 1902.

Another clue: Up to 26th March 1897 it had remained bone dry for a long time. Maybe can narrow the dates of water flow between March 1897 to 4th May 1905 but then again by May 1905 it had been dry for a long time too.

“DIAMOND JUBILLE CELEBRATION

To the Editor of the ‘CHINA MAIL.’

Hongkong, March 26,…

…I would also like to put in a plea for that unhappy and at present unsightly looking object, the Dent Fountain, in front of the City Hall. Why not either cart it away bodily and put it up in some place where its dilapidated appearance will not affront the public gaze, or else put it into thorough, good (and, as a fountain, working) order and surround it with a railing so as to preserve it for the future from the feet of the profane multitude? – Yours,

PAVILION.”

Source: The China Mail, page 3, 27th March 1897

Water shortage was a regular feature in the early years of the Colony of Hong Kong. The snippet below may give an indication during the 1890s when the Dent Fountain would most certainly not be turned on:

“…These water famines are now becoming the rule, and we have compiled, from official sources, the following list:-

1891 – Supply intermittent        February-May

1893                    “                            March-April

1894                    “                            March-May

1895                    “                            April-July and Oct-Dec.

1896                    “                            Jan-March & part of June.

1899                    “                            April-June

For only three years since the Tytam Works were started have we had a constant supply, and this is in spite of continuous outlay in extensions, as may be seen from the yearly estimates of Colonial Expenditure…”

Source: The China Mail, page 2, 10th April 1901

Another photo showing Dent's Fountain playing. No date given.

In this blog it is referred that the fountain played only when members of the Royal Family visited Hong Kong. This could also be in connection with jubilees or coronations. In light of these information, I won't exclude that the original photo was taken in connection with the diamond jubilee.

Thanks for the additional research on the date for this photo.

The jubilee in summer of 1897 looks to be the likely occasion for this scene. The March 1897 letter says the fountain needed to be put back into working order, so it should have been dry for some time before that. The HPC photo is from 1897 and shows the same style of lamp post, so our photo was taken within a few years of that. And we know royal events could be a reason to get the fountain working. (Though I don't see 'the fountain played only when members of the Royal Family visited Hong Kong' when I use Google translate on the linked blog, I just get a more general 'There are clear records of water spraying, including when royal personnel visited Hong Kong ...'). So a tentative 1897 as the date until we get a firm mention in writing.

Congratulations, David.<br>

<br>

As an extra reward, I hereby promise to give you a stack of b&w photos that I inherited from my late father. These photos were mostly taken in the 1960s and 1970s. Not really that old, but I hope they should be useful in your research. I will contact you again after I sort out the relevant ones and put them together for sending to you by mail.<br>

The Hong Kong Telegraph, 1897-06-24 refers on page 3 that there was an exhibition of Chinese curios at City Hall. This was kept open for three days (June 22-24)  and was "consistently crowed" by both European and Chinese visitors. This would fit to the photo I posted recently.

[Unfortunately, the fountain is not mentioned.] 

Thank you Jimmy!

I've been looking at the two photos again, and noticed that the style of scaffolding is different in each. On the first photo, there is a single scaffolding pole against each of the building's ground floor pillars:

But in the photo with the busy crowd, there are two scaffolding poles against each pillar.

Which doesn't help us pin a date to either, but does indicate the two photos were of two different occasions.

There is evidence that much illuminations were set up on public buildings in Hong Kong for the Jubilee celebrations, which would match David's opening photo of the illuminations outside the City Hall.

Here are snippets for the City Hall:

“CITY DECORATIONS…

…There has been quite a boom in lanterns and bamboo poles of late and for a long time pact, most of the business houses of Hongkong have been actively preparing for the Jubilee…

…The City Hall was simply outlined with lanterns…”

Source: The Hong Kong Telegraph, page 5, 24th June 1897

“THE ILLUMINATIONS…

…The City Hall stood out in majestic style, and was a most conspicuous object of interest. Thousands of vari-coloured lamps outlined the building and gave it a noble aspect…”

Source: Hong Kong Daily Press, page 3, 25th June 1897

The illuminations for the 1902 Coronation at the City Hall does not match what is seen in the photo, which again supports a 1897 date.

“The Illuminations…

…The Royal initials on the back of the City Hall were very neatly worked out in electric lamps of coronation red and white…”

Source: The China Mail, page 5, 11th August 1902