Circa 1900s. Corrections are welcome.
On Queen's Road Central (QRC) looking west. Rather deceptive but the first junction on the left is the corner QRC and Wyndham Street as noted from the location of the Victoria Dispensary at 32 QRC. Diagonally opposite Wyndham Street is Pedder Street past the trees on the extreme right.
Past the Victoria Dispensary on the left is the Hong Kong Club (first generation) with three trees in front of the building. Next junction up is D'Aguilar Street.
Date picture taken
1900s
Gallery
Shows place(s)
Comments
Re: 1900s Queen's Road Central
Hi moddsey, agree with the description of the area. Further west of D'Aguilar Street is a building with arches, better to see below:
There are 8 arches, even better to see here (you made reference to this photo some time ago). This building could be 36-40 (or 42 or 44) QRC, but it does not match with the outline of buildings shown in the 1901 map below:
Any ideas to solve this discrepancy?
Another question: On the original photo a building can be seen that is much higher compared to it's neighbours (about no. 50 QRC). It appears on a couple of photos of that area, but I can't identify it.
Re: Buildings between D'Aguilar and Pottinger Streets
Perhaps a rough alignment or overlay can be made of the addresses and lot numbers on maps 1901 and 1901.3 at:
https://www.hkmaps.hk/viewer.html
As seen here, there appears to be 5 building lots/blocks between D'Aguilar and Pottinger Streets. As expected there have been modifications to the buildings in the past. It may be possible to deduce from photos particularly the building with the 8 arches regarding its building address at the time.
In the 1938 street index here, renumbering of this section of QRC had already taken place and two of the original lots had their lot numbers changed.
1921 QRC showing the buildings under review. Modification has been made to the arches of the building nearest to D'Aguilar Street.
Regarding the tall building, it looks like to be on Stanley Street. But it will be difficult to identify as photos of the buildings behind QRC are limited.
Update - Mention is made by Herostratus here that the tall building in Stanley Street westward of the Hong Kong Dispensary was erected by Watson's for the wholesale and manufacturing department. In the article referenced below, the premises was also used as a godown.
On 19 May 1890, there was a fire in Messrs. A. S. Watson Co's store on Stanley Street. The article here in the Hong Kong Telegraph on 20 May 1890 mentions that the "flames got a considerable hold of the upper part of the building (the second, third and fourth storeys) by the time the Fire Brigade arrived........Immediately to the west of this godown is the back part of Messrs. Powell & Co's establishment and to the east the large new premises of the Hong Kong Dispensary, now in course of erection."