York Lo: J. Ullmann (烏利文) – Swiss Watchmaker and Jeweler in HK and China Pictures of the interior and exterior of J. Ullmann’sTientsin store in the 1900s. (Directory and Chronicle of China, 1905) Founded in HK in the 19th century by a Swiss native of the same name, J. Ullmann & Co was a leading watchmaker not just in Hong […]
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York LO: Kin Sun Manufactory (建新織造廠) and Longfellow shirts Left: Kin Sun’s ad in Singapore in 1953 warning customers about counterfeited Longfellow shirts (南洋商报, 10 April 1953, Page 7); Right: Kin Sun Manufactory in Sham Shui Po on the right. The bamboo structure was for lowering a coffin from the second floor which was common practice before the 1960s (Uwants) […]
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York Lo: The Four Taxi Kings – Blue, Central, New and Star From the 1920s to 1960s, taxicab service in Hong Kong was heavily regulated with medallions only awarded to taxicab companies rather than individuals and as a result, the industry was dominated by a few firms. Among these firms, the four most prominent were Blue, Central, New and Star and […]
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York Lo: Harpers – the Family, the Dealership and the first 50 years of Ford automobiles in Hong Kong Left: Harper House on Ma Tau Wai Road in To Kwa Wan (now BMW Building); Right: 1938 Ford ad by Harpers promoting the new Ford Ten. For close to a century, Wallace Harper & Co (also known as Harpers) has been […]
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York Lo: The Kings of Industrial Buildings – the Chung brothers of E.Wah Aik San Left: Cheung Kung-hai and his younger brother Chung Ming-fai (left) at a government land auction in the 1970s during their heyday. Right: Property tycoons at the 1979 government auction. Second row left to right: Li Ka-shing (hand raised), Teddy Wang of Chinachem, Cecil Chao and […]
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York Lo: Sam Lee Chuen (三利泉製衣廠) – Raincoat pioneer Sam Lee Chuen ad from the 1930s Founded in 1925 by Chan Ka-chuen (陳家泉, 1885-1950), Sam Lee Chuen Garment Factory (also known as Sam Lee Chuen Wing Kee) was a pioneer in manufacturing raincoats and other outerwear in Hong Kong. Aside from raincoats, it also made trousers and a variety of […]
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York Lo: Shing Y. Tang (鄧典初) – Pioneer of the HK Nail and Metal Windows Industry SY Tang (second from right) and his fellow CGCC colleague Leung Chan-fai (梁燦輝,second from left) distributing rice in Yuen Long with local Yuen Long leaders Chiu Lut-sau (趙聿修, first from right) and Tang Tung-kwong (鄧同光, first from left) (Ta Kung Pao, 1960-5-25) While the […]
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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 […]
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York Lo: Emcolon Fashion Wigs (愛其麗免恤髮品) Emcolon Wigs lucky draw at the 27th HK Products Expo in 1969-70. Nelson Lee (left) assisting Chuang Chung-wen of Chuang’s Cutlery and CMA (centre) who was the guest of honor. (HK Memory) One of the wig manufacturers that was not covered in an earlier article on the HK wig industry [see link below], is […]
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York Lo: Lap Shun – the Fallen Knitwear Giant Law Shiu-lun (left) of Lap Shun Textiles presented with a congratulatory gift by Tai Tung-ngok, chairman of Yau Yat Chuen Development on his appointment as District Councilor of Sham Shui Po. (Kung Sheung Daily News, 1982-11-18) In the mid-1980s, a wave of major business failures took place in HK and […]
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