If it is Queen's Road West, the building at the end would be where Queen's Road made a sharp turn, as we can't see it leading off to either side of the building.
One candidate would be the sharp bend at the junction with Wilmer Street. Were there any big buildings near there?
Greetings. The green roof pitch to the right appears to show its front wall recessing slightly to fit with Wilmer - the spot David suggested. Absence of columns on the right side could be due to the area still not yet occupied by building. Regards, Peter
I don't think it's that last leg of QRW as the end faced to the sea, so no big building like the one in this photo.
That building looks taller than the others, so it should have been one of the land marks of the day. There's some writing above its door - sort of visible but not quite clear enough that I can read anything:
The crucial hint is the shop sign 富隆茶居 on high, farthest building on the right. Fu Lung tea house was at 384 Queen's Road Central, according to Cheng Po Hung. [1]
In fact, there have been post card/photo taken for this ending section of Queen's Road Central at similar age, but from opposite direction. (photo)
Few more of the shop signs could be matched with the 1890s one here :
良田 preserved meat shop (middle on the right)
世和堂 Chinese medicine shop (far on the right)
while some signs for bird's nest shops on the left are not clear enough.
For that building at the farthest end, Chinese words on the doorway sign are partly seen : 洋面火險有限公司 '洋面' means 'ocean surface' literally; more common nowadays to use 海上 for marine insurance.
The English name below it is quite likely : Man On Insurance Company Ltd. Its address is 2 Queen's Road West. [2]
When the shades of its classical arches are viewed with caution, this is likely a circular building.
In the maps of 1901 (also 1905, 1924, 1945) on gwulo, somehow this lot is drawn with obvious, round corner (IL 218 ?).
The same location nowadays is very different (after c. 1981) and entrance to Fat Hing Street vanished in sight from Queen's Road at all...
As a photo still from the HK Films Archive, same building appeared to be there until the 30s.
The next generation of the building is by chance at about same location 'the lady in HK' stood and photo taken (https://gwulo.com/media/30890). [3]
One question : is there a way to look up or find out the name of this 'circular building', from c. 1890, up to after 1960s ? [4]
possible clues :
as some other photos of the 2nd generation building, it appears to be a circular one also;
that the latter one is possibly related to 'Nam Pak Hong' [5]
Think the answer(s) would throw more light into related development in the 20th century early decades in this junction of roads, also of the West and East.
Resources
a. Cheng Po Hung, Dining in Hong Kong over a Century (2nd Ed. 2013; revised Ed. 2021)
b. Directory & Chronicle for China, Japan .. & the Philippines (the yearly issue by HK Daily Press)
c. HK Film Archive website
d. Companies Registry
e. Jurors list on gwulo
Notes
1. as resource a, pg 6 (2nd Ed.)
the shop sign on high may not be the exact position, as it is said that on those days 茶居 is just single floor space, usually on ground level. As a guess, it may be an alternative to guide and catch people from a distance.
2. as resource b, circa 1882 to 1925. e.g. first advertisement on the 1882 issue (p. 1000), with name of the Secretary. Man On (萬安) is the 9th company in the HK company register, as from resource d. Its business life 1881-1955.
3. the tea restaurant on the back side of the lady was Fu Lung Big Tea House, which is multi-storey by then; observe shape of the pavement also
4. I have tried to search any lot nos. similar via HKGRO, as David's written notes about pre-1942 old buildings. But got no results in this case.
5. 'Nam Pak Hong' are the earliest Chinese traders in HK by mid 19th century and as a formal Association, it was founded 1868.
To common people in this Sheung Wan neighbourhood, it may also mean the area of Bonham Strand and Wing Lok Street, plus few other streets nearby.
Thanks for the location of this building. Looking at a detailed map of this area (eg map 1950 Hong Kong at https://www.hkmaps.hk/viewer.html) shows the building's curved shape very clearly, and why it appears to block the road when seen from Queen's Road.
Comments
If it is Queen's Road West,
If it is Queen's Road West, the building at the end would be where Queen's Road made a sharp turn, as we can't see it leading off to either side of the building.
One candidate would be the sharp bend at the junction with Wilmer Street. Were there any big buildings near there?
Regards, David
If it is Queens Road West
Yes, it seems questionable whether it is Queens Road West
Queen's Road West
Greetings. The green roof pitch to the right appears to show its front wall recessing slightly to fit with Wilmer - the spot David suggested. Absence of columns on the right side could be due to the area still not yet occupied by building. Regards, Peter
Re: Queen's Road West
A better view of the road and signboards appears here
If it is Queen's Road West...
Hi There,
Or it could be the last leg of Queen's Road West, just beyond Hill Road where it terminates at Belcher Street at an right angel.
T
QRW
Hi T,
I don't think it's that last leg of QRW as the end faced to the sea, so no big building like the one in this photo.
That building looks taller than the others, so it should have been one of the land marks of the day. There's some writing above its door - sort of visible but not quite clear enough that I can read anything:
http://gwulo.com/atom/27374/zoom
Regards, David
QRW
Thanks David
The sign looks like some insurance company from what I can see.
building at 2 Queen's Road West
The crucial hint is the shop sign 富隆茶居 on high, farthest building on the right. Fu Lung tea house was at 384 Queen's Road Central, according to Cheng Po Hung. [1]
In fact, there have been post card/photo taken for this ending section of Queen's Road Central at similar age, but from opposite direction. (photo)
Few more of the shop signs could be matched with the 1890s one here :
良田 preserved meat shop (middle on the right)
世和堂 Chinese medicine shop (far on the right)
while some signs for bird's nest shops on the left are not clear enough.
For that building at the farthest end, Chinese words on the doorway sign are partly seen : 洋面火險有限公司 '洋面' means 'ocean surface' literally; more common nowadays to use 海上 for marine insurance.
The English name below it is quite likely : Man On Insurance Company Ltd. Its address is 2 Queen's Road West. [2]
When the shades of its classical arches are viewed with caution, this is likely a circular building.
In the maps of 1901 (also 1905, 1924, 1945) on gwulo, somehow this lot is drawn with obvious, round corner (IL 218 ?).
The same location nowadays is very different (after c. 1981) and entrance to Fat Hing Street vanished in sight from Queen's Road at all...
As a photo still from the HK Films Archive, same building appeared to be there until the 30s.
The next generation of the building is by chance at about same location 'the lady in HK' stood and photo taken (https://gwulo.com/media/30890). [3]
One question : is there a way to look up or find out the name of this 'circular building', from c. 1890, up to after 1960s ? [4]
possible clues :
as some other photos of the 2nd generation building, it appears to be a circular one also;
that the latter one is possibly related to 'Nam Pak Hong' [5]
Think the answer(s) would throw more light into related development in the 20th century early decades in this junction of roads, also of the West and East.
Resources
a. Cheng Po Hung, Dining in Hong Kong over a Century (2nd Ed. 2013; revised Ed. 2021)
b. Directory & Chronicle for China, Japan .. & the Philippines (the yearly issue by HK Daily Press)
c. HK Film Archive website
d. Companies Registry
e. Jurors list on gwulo
Notes
1. as resource a, pg 6 (2nd Ed.)
the shop sign on high may not be the exact position, as it is said that on those days 茶居 is just single floor space, usually on ground level. As a guess, it may be an alternative to guide and catch people from a distance.
2. as resource b, circa 1882 to 1925. e.g. first advertisement on the 1882 issue (p. 1000), with name of the Secretary. Man On (萬安) is the 9th company in the HK company register, as from resource d. Its business life 1881-1955.
3. the tea restaurant on the back side of the lady was Fu Lung Big Tea House, which is multi-storey by then; observe shape of the pavement also
4. I have tried to search any lot nos. similar via HKGRO, as David's written notes about pre-1942 old buildings. But got no results in this case.
5. 'Nam Pak Hong' are the earliest Chinese traders in HK by mid 19th century and as a formal Association, it was founded 1868.
To common people in this Sheung Wan neighbourhood, it may also mean the area of Bonham Strand and Wing Lok Street, plus few other streets nearby.
re: building at 2 Queen's Road West
Thanks for the location of this building. Looking at a detailed map of this area (eg map 1950 Hong Kong at https://www.hkmaps.hk/viewer.html) shows the building's curved shape very clearly, and why it appears to block the road when seen from Queen's Road.