[Now identified as Des Voeux Road Central in the 1950s - see comments below.]
This is a picture of a Hong Kong street in the 1940s that I found many years ago. I no longer have a link to it. I believe it was in the public domain then.
Can anyone put a name to it?
Date picture taken
1950s
Gallery
Comments
Des Voeux Road Central
Des Voeux Road Central looking eastbound towards Central Fire Station.
Re: location of the photographer
Hi There,
The photographer was likely standing somewhere between Gilman's Bazzar and Wing Wo Street. The lens in used may push us off a little bit, but that's should be that far off.
T
umbrella shops on Des Voeux Road Central in the 50s
In this photo, we could see two umbrella shop signs on the right side. The near one is almost equally distant from the viewer as the motor car, where some richshaws were parked and with a seemingly umbrella🌂 logo. [1]
The other one farther away, we could largely read Leung So Kee Umbrella Factory in Chinese. In the 50s, their address is 122 Des Voeux Road Central, which matches with this photo.
It tinks in my mind, when I read tngan's post about the shophouse 'one floor extra' than most of the other blocks and philk's (link), which is a comment under the map which shows : Corner of Wing Kut & Des Voeux Central.
That was where a Leung So Kee shop was before ! One photo of that branch of Leung So Kee at corner of Wing Kut Street can be seen in this FB link, it is from the 70s.
Apparently, there are various homegrown, light industries popped up in Hongkong after WWII, in the 1950s. Some like Leung So Kee 梁蘇記 (1885) were originated from south China treaty ports, e.g. Canton.
They have a famous slogan 永久包修 'lifetime maintenance' (for free), which has lasted until their (1st) closedown in honour in 1986. Renowned for quality umbrellas among the older generation, even had reached Southeast Asia also. [2]
Today this brand name still has a shop, run by one branch of the Leung's family later generation.
One last remark, era of this photo is more likely from latter of 1940s, if not 50s, as findings listed in this post. More observations and insights are most welcome.
[1] It may read 時來遮廠, if as the approximate location relative to Leung So Kee in the 50s. This company name was mentioned in an interview here.
[2] one branch at Tanjong Pagar, Singapore;
as an ad on MY newspaper Nanyang Shang Bao, its wholesale and retail in Southeast Asia might start as early as 1953.
cafes selling ice cream along Des Voeux Road
The age of the photo is solved !
At the far end of the photo along the tram rails, we could see the shop sign for 皇上皇雪糕. This King of Kings Cafe was proudly and loudly opened in May 1955 with fire crackers burning. [1]
So this photo is from 1955 or after. Hi admin, could the Date Taken, Tags and Gallery be updated to 1950s, when your time allows ?
A price list is also shown under a gwulo photo : ice cream 80 cents per cup (flavour : vanilla, chocolate, pineapple, orange); coffee is 50 cents. Meanwhile, their sale of preserved meat appears not via this new cafe yet, they may have other outlets (e.g. 652 Nathan Road, c.1954); that gwulo street view photo above may be nearer to 1960s. Its preserved meat factory on Smithfield was first mentioned in newspapers in 1958. [2]
King of Kings was but decades later than the famous On Lok Yuen Cafeteria which sold ice cream. On gwulo, we could even see a 1921 ad : https://gwulo.com/media/43804
In the 1941 Forman's photo, it also displays ice cream as one of the shop signs on the pillars. You may take 蓮花杯 to be equal to ice cream cup, though not in a literal sense.
(see https://gwulo.com/media/19204)
[1] Wah Kiu Yat Po 1955-5-3 p.9
[2] Wah Kiu Yat Po 1958-1-3 p.9