From the Archive

Rediscover stories from Hong Kong’s industrial past, published on this date in previous years.

Dairy Farm, Pokfulam, recent photographs of structures within the estate

At the end of September 2015, Julian Kwong joined a group visiting the Dairy Farm estate at Pokfulam. He took several photos of structures at the farm and has provided a brief description of what each image shows. This map shows  the farm, its buildings and other structures. (1) Thanks to Paul Onslow for providing it. See Paul’s article, The Dairy Farm […]

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Augustine Heard & Company, major American 19th century China trading house with its headquarters in Hong Kong from 1856

Heard & Company's Headquarters Om Hong Kong

The following article about Augustine Heard and Company was written by Gillian Bickley, Peter E Hamilton and George Cautherley and first  published in the Dictionary of Hong Kong Biography, edited by May Holdsworth and Christopher Munn. The publisher, HK University Press, has kindly granted permission for it to be posted here, but retains copyright over this material from 2012. This article incorporates one […]

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Kwong Wah Printing Company – traditional letterpress printing – vanishing HK trades

Mary Anne Le Bas has sent an SCMP article, Six home-grown Hong Kong trades at risk of dying out, published on 21st June 2015. The fourth of these is about the last remaining letterpress company in Hong Kong. Between the 1970s and 90s  there were over 200 such companies around Sheung Wan and Central. All of these have now closed or […]

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From Dodwell Motors and Gilman Motors to Metro-Dodwell and MD Motors 

Dodwell Motors Detail Image 2 York Lo

York Lo: From Dodwell Motors and Gilman Motors to Metro-Dodwell and MD Motors As a result of a series of acquisitions by the Inchcape group in the late 1960s, Metro Cars, the distributor of Austin automobiles covered earlier merged with Dodwell Motors and Gilman Motors to form Metro-Dodwell, the largest auto dealer in Hong Kong in the early 1970s. Below […]

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Recently Published

Kelly Brothers Manufacturing Factory, Pre-War Garment Pioneer

Athlet (2)

York Lo – Kelly Brothers Manufacturing Factory, Pre-War Garment Pioneer   Kelly Brothers 1953 advert Source: IDJ Founded in 1925, Kelly Brothers Manufacturing Factory (嘉綸兄弟織造) was one of the oldest garment manufacturers in Hong Kong, producing sport shirts, T-shirts, singlets, pullovers, vests etc under the “Spot”, “Anchor”, “Athlet” and “Lightning” brands. The brothers in the firm’s name refer to its […]

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The Far East Land Property Credit Company/ Crédit foncier d’Extrême-Orient, in Hong Kong c1907 to 1959

Credit Foncier D'Extreme Orient Advert The Peak Mansions HK Telegraph Courtesy Gwulo

Our recently posted article, South China Bricks and Tiles Manufacturing Company – reopening of plant at San Hui, Castle Peak, New Territories has a reference to Credit Foncier S’Extreme Orient: “The original designing of the works, very little of which has since been altered, was done by Credit Foncier S’Extreme Orient. Mr. G.Van Wylick being then in charge.” Intrigued I […]

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Lam Tei Quarry

Hugh Farmer: “Today, under a plan formulated in 1989, the three remaining operational quarries in Hong Kong are being rehabilitated to form green areas for future development. Shek O (completion in 2009), Anderson Road (2013) and Lam Tei (2015) quarries are being rehabilitated under contracts that involve major recontouring to soften the appearance of the angular quarry profile, tree and […]

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