I've listed some of the recent highlights below, but you can visit the What's New page at any time to see all the latest additions to the site.
General
- Helen is looking for any information about the Kowloon Mummers, active in the 1920s
- Rachel is looking for historical photos of gardens made in wartime in Hong Kong (and Asia more generally)
- Memories of Primary Schooling in the mid/late ‘50s, and having to rush out the back door before the Education Department inspector arrived!
- Airmail services from Hong Kong in the 1930s.
- John remembers Jardine's accommodation in the 1940s-70s.
- New reports and photos of the 1874 Typhoon
- Valve indicators, those house-shaped markings painted onto some buildings' walls
- UK update: how the National Archives at Kew are managing during the pandemic
- When Hong Kong's letter boxes made an about-turn
Book news
- New review of Volume 3
- Thanks to Veronica Pearson for her generous review of the latest Gwulo book. An excerpt: "What is so extraordinary about Bellis is the detail and knowledge that he brings to such a wide array of subjects as he decodes for us, in the most accessible ways, what we are actually looking at. There are examples on virtually every page of the book; but I have chosen one that demonstrates Bellis’ ability to draw readers into a subject even when they expect it to be boring; in my case Photograph 10—The Naval Yard. First he ..."
- The full review will appear in the latest Journal of the RAS HK. The Journal is one of the perks of membership of the RAS HK.
- This is the not-as-boring-as-it-looks photo of the Naval Yard ...
- ... that you can read all about in Old Hong Kong Photos and The Tales They Tell, Volume 3.
- Volume 4 is moving along
- We've really missed not being able to visit the UK to see friends and family this summer, but a sliver lining has been getting a head start on the latest book. I finished the first draft of the text last week, and that's away with Ross (MrTall if you remember Batgung) to benefit from his editing and extra polish.
While the text is being edited I've switched attention to the book's photos, working on them in Photoshop to get them looking their best. I was really happy with the way that the printed photos look in Volume 3, so I'm aiming for as good or better in Volume 4.
- We've really missed not being able to visit the UK to see friends and family this summer, but a sliver lining has been getting a head start on the latest book. I finished the first draft of the text last week, and that's away with Ross (MrTall if you remember Batgung) to benefit from his editing and extra polish.
Places
- HK Island
- 16, Bowen Road [????-2020] has recently been demolished
- A couple of features along Bowen Road that have survived, both made from granite: Overflow outlets, Bowen Road Viaduct [????- ], and Inspection cover of Bowen Road Viaduct [????- ]
- Bill is looking for architectural drawings of the Old Central Market which was completed in 1895
- Douglas Wharf (pre-1874) [????-1874]
- Gloucester Building / Gloucester Hotel [1932-1977]
- The Infectious Diseases Hospital Cemetery, Kennedy Town [1897- ]
- Japanese Tunnel Tai Tam Reservoir [c.1942- ]
- RBL 252 Marker Stone A [????- ], an unusual triangular stone
- Kowloon
- Granville Road, TST [1896- ]
- Kowloon rifle ranges [c.1910-????], just north of the old Kowloon Walled City
- Kowloon Telephone Exchange [1929-????] at the northwest corner of the Nathan / Waterloo Road junction. Does anyone remember it in use, and when it closed?
- When the Kowloon Docks were reconnected to the KCR after WW2
- New Territories
- The new military camps built in the NT in 1949
- Pak Mong Village Incinerator [????- ]
- Harbour
- A. Macdonald & Co Shipyard [1864-c.1880]
- Rumsey Street Temporary Vehicular Ferry Pier [1960-????] and its partner across the harbour, Jordan Road Temporary Vehicular Ferry Pier [1960-????]
People
- Crystal's father was adopted, and she's trying to trace his birth mother. His mother was a dance hostess in the 1960s, and Crystal is looking for any leads.
- Theodor has uploaded a list of Dutch residents of Hong Kong and Macao in 1968. Do you recognise any of the names?
- David is looking for friends from c.1960 Gun Club Hill School: Peter, Linda and Jenny Dunnett, and William Sargent.
- Stanley Camp internees:
- Alexandra has added a list of the American Internees in Stanley Camp
- Cecilia Maria Leonor BETHELL (née NORONHA) [1901-1989], her husband, policeman Alfred BETHELL [c.1906-1952], and son W H J BETHELL (aka Bill / Billy) [c.1930- ]
- Thomas Alfred BINKS [1900-1953], missionary, and his wife Alice Eveline BINKS (née PEAKE) [1899-????]
- Elizabeth Evelyn ELLISON / WILLIAMS (née FITZGERALD / SOO, aka Betty / Chin Yu) [1921-c.2011], an actress after the war, together with her mother Lilian May FORWARD / SOO / MCGOWAN (née FITZGERALD) [1892-1943], and brother John Allan FITZGERALD / SOO (aka Jacky) [1927- ]
- Hubert Stanley REES [1900-1943], executed by the Japanese
- Octavius Arthur SMITH [1881-1966], Manager of Whiteaway, Laidlaw & Co
- Other:
- Henry Anthony SOUZA [1921-1975], HKVDC, POW, then after the war a marksman who represented Hong Kong twice at the Olympics
- David William TRATMAN [1881-1953], HK Cadet
Photos
Far East Land Forces, by Alfred Leung
bravery commendation, by Alfred Leung
by Chinarail - Enhanced Scan from The Far Eastern Review Nov.1933
Any ideas where this building was located?
Gordon has uploaded a set of colour slides from 1969. They have lots of detail and are worth zooming in to, eg:
The album 1947-48 W J C Kitto's photos is now complete, and ends with some rare colour photos of Hong Kong in the 1940s, eg:
Click to see all recently added photos.