Lovely clear view of these houses from this Hedda Morrison original. I have blurred the background of my crop to give a better idea of how the houses sat on Broadwood Ridge, and the commanding 360 views they enjoyed not only of the racecourse and peaks around but also north to Kowloon and the harbour. These elegant colonial-style houses were built with the wealthy in view.
Here they are showing the effects of the war years, when they were either requisitioned for use by the Japanese army (#20) or looted and stripped of all wood by the locals.
The houses sat above Broadwood Road with zig-zag paths down to the road, which ran diagonally down to the left. For many years access anywhere would have been by rickshaw and sedan chair.
The absence of vegetation gives the scene the appearance of a model.
With thanks to Harvard University, Harvard College Library Harvard-Yenching Library, W364602_1.