Where was this picture taken ?

Sean, nothing obvious, unfortunately.

In the distance on the left there's a tall building. Maybe a church tower?

Can you spot any other photos that were taken around the same time? (eg that have the same size of paper, same markings on back, etc) If there are several photos in a sequence, they can all help identify each other.

Regards, David

PS I've taken down the photo you uploaded yesterday, as it turns out it was a duplicate of this one.

His body habitus displays the typical appearance of sarcopenic obesity – centripetal obesity and muscle wasting in his limbs. He does not look too happy. Given his weight and age, there would be osteoarthritis in the weight bearing joints of his hips and knees.

Over a hundred years ago the height of technology for an osteoarthritic hip and/or knee would be a walking stick rather than a total joint arthroplasty today.

The use of the walking stick in his right hand, and in particular the correct way of pointing the index finger down the walking stick to maximally distribute the weight, would suggest either the left hip and/or knee is the more symptomatic affected joint, as you would hold the walking stick in the hand opposite to the painful joint.

His walking distance would be limited by his painful joint(s) – so where did he live in 1917? I see he lived in 98 Wanchai Road. This may give us a working radius of where the photo was most likely taken. But then again, a trip on a jinrikshaw could widen the radius. But the point is – it would be far more likely Hong Kong island than Kowloon side.

My first impression – given the succession of gnarled trees, a sloping upwards road and a tall tower like building in the background - was Pedder Street.  

But until I literally see another photo of a tree that matches the one in the photo it’s going to be difficult to be sure.

Given the blurred background, yes, it is difficult to determine the location. The trees on the right do seem to extend quite a distance behind Olson. For a tree-lined avenue, my first impressions was Nathan Road. The trees may also give the impression that there is a tall structure on the left.

Update: Another photo of Olson in same/similar attire: https://gwulo.com/media/16015 May be Wanchai but yet to see trees on the section of Wanchai Road.

Another clue: I’m basically seeing his belly. This is not a level road. 

His legs are cropped off and there is much room above his head, with the view gently angled upwards. He is in focus, the background is a sweet blur. I think the photographer is holding a box camera, probably at chest height, that typically has a very specific focal distance, great for still close subjects in good daylight. That means the photographer is clearly lower than the subject which suggests there is actually a considerable incline on the road, especially the level of the road in the distance commensurate to the subject’s proximal right forearm. Made more obvious by the downward index finger to help mitigate his weight leaning forward walking downhill. 

Another clue: what is that behind his left sleeve? A fire hydrant? A bollard? 

Thanks to the Davids and moddsey for deploying their local knowledge to help pinpoint the location of this late photo of John Olson, the retired Swedish tavern keeper (1838-1918) and also my great-grandfather. This is one of two photos taken at the end of his life and which may be in the same location. As Herostratus has pointed out, Homeville is in the background of the second photo. Homeville was near Merville where Ellen, John’s wife, spent her last illness in 1915. Merville was no. 161 Wanchai road and further down from 98a and 98b where John was living and where a part of the C.E. Warren & Co. business was based. John appears older in these photos than in a family photo taken with all his grandsons in 1915. Ellen died in October, 1915 and their daughter, Elizabeth Warnes in April, 1917. A family photo of a funeral passing up Wanchai Road was posted by my cousin, Sean Olson and enhanced by David. It shows trees in the background. Whether or not it shows Ellen Olson’s funeral, we can speculate that the tree in the background of the John Olson photo may be among them as the location would be within his walking range from his home at 98a Wanchai Road. Both David Bellis and moddsey have speculated that the funeral procession may have been on Wanchai Road. Here it is again:

I think Jill, Wanchai Road is your best bet given the circumstantial evidences stated. The direction of the road is almost east-west which fits with the sunlit building in the background and the top half of the tree, making that photo taken some time in the afternoon. Just a shame we don't have more photos of Wanchai road from that time period to confirm or refute the hypothesis. 

Thanks for the confirmation, David. It would be nice to know the occasion for the photos and why John Olson agreed to be photographed. It must have been pretty near his 80th birthday on 24 February, 1918. Re the mystery funeral procession: it couldn't of course have been that of his wife, Ellen, as she had been baptised into the Christian faith and was buried in the Protestant Cemetery.

Before the completion of the Praya East Reclamation in the 1920s, Wanchai Road and Queen's Road East/Gap Road were the main roads from the western parts of Hong Kong Island and Central to the cemeteries in Happy Valley. Thus, funeral processions were a common sight on these roads. 

Pre-war, funeral parlours and undertakers were also conveniently located in Wanchai. 

See: https://industrialhistoryhk.org/brown-jones-morrison-and-joseph-s-lee-pre-war-pioneers-of-the-death-care-industry/