The following article was written by Christopher Munn and published in the Dictionary of Hong Kong Biography. The publisher, HK University Press, and Christopher have both given permission for this to be posted here. Christopher co-authored the article with Sooni Shroff-Gander. Thanks to SCT for proofreading the retyped article. Dent, Lancelot b. 1799 Westmoreland, England d.1853 Cheltenham, England. Merchant Dent, […]
» Read more
York Lo: Stereo(天然)– Photofinishing Pioneer Poster of Stereo Ltd from the 1960s listing its 7 branches and highlighting its complete continuous processing system (Photo Credit: Teresa Robeson) Before the rise of digital photography in the 2000s, photofinishing was a big business in Hong Kong. The first photofinishing chain in HK was not Fotomax (which was founded in 1982) but the […]
» Read more
Calum Johnston: the attached photograph is of a clock my uncle brought back from Hong Kong where he worked at Whampoa dockyard in the 1920s. I first saw it as a three or four year old when I went to stay with my aunt and uncle (in Glasgow) in the 1930s. I recently started to make an effort to have the […]
» Read more
York Lo: Pro-Quality Electronic (寶業電子) Left: PQE chairman Young Chi-wan; Middle: PQE vice chairman Cheng Wai-kuen; Right: PQE director Dominic Cheng Backed by the Young and the Cheng families behind the Miramar Hotel, Pro-Quality Electronic Co Ltd (hereafter refer to as “PQE”) was one of the largest electronics manufacturers in HK in the 1970s and the early 1980s with over […]
» Read more
HF: Tymon Mellor’s article, Sha Lo Wan Mine, includes, “A local company, The Bank Line (China) Ltd was interested in production of the ore for shipment to Japan, through Andrew Weir & Co, a local “reputable firm” as advised by the superintendent of Mines in a memo dated 7th January, 1953.” Further research led to our article, Andrew Weir Shipping and Trading […]
» Read more
HF writes: I am trying to gather information about this company and not coming up with much. Apparently in mid-January 1942 (ie during the occupation of Hong Kong by the Japanese) the Inland River Operations Company resumed river steamers between Hong Kong, Macau and the Mainland. I am not sure whether “resumed” meant the company existed pre-1942 or whether it was […]
» Read more
HF: G Falconer appear to have had a presence in Hong Kong since 1885, according to the company website, and currently have a shop in the Peninsula Hotel. This article provides initial information about the Falconer and two of the British companies it was the Hong Kong agent for. As the above says: G Falconer & Company (Hong Kong […]
» Read more
York Lo: International Industrial Building (國際工業大廈) in Kwun Tong Left: International Industrial Building in Kwun Tong; Right: ad for International Industrial Building when it first opened in 1966 (WKYP, 1966-3-28) Located at 175 Hoi Bun Road in Kwun Tong waterfront is a 50 years-old, colorful 13 story factory building by the name of International Industrial Building (not to be confused […]
» Read more
At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, 106 years ago today, the British ocean liner Titanic sank into the North Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles south of Newfoundland, Canada. The massive ship, which carried 2,200 passengers and crew, had struck an iceberg two and half hours before. “Eight Chinese men were among the 2,200 people on board the RMS Titanic. Six […]
» Read more
York Lo: Finland, London and Swiss – 3 Ice Cream Brands from the 1960s Aside from Dairy Farm, On Lok Yuen and Yan Chim Kee which have been covered in earlier articles, three other HK ice cream makers from the 1960s were Finland Ice Cream, London Ice Cream and Swiss Ice Cream – all with European sounding names but 100% Chinese […]
» Read more