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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Mike T: There’s an interesting connection to the 555 undershirt brand made in Hong Kong by Chuen Sun Knitting Factory Ltd in the book “Design History: An Anthology”. “Early modern Hong Kong industrial design Hong Kong industrial design during the first half of the twentieth century developed much the same adaptive and synthetic strategies as that of graphic design. The silversmithing […]
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Elizabeth Ride has sent these BAAG reports about Shipbuilding in 1944 in Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation, World War Two. She has only included information about actual shipbuilding not repairs carried out at the yards. Kweilin Weekly Intelligence Summary #66, 15.9.44. Kowloon Docks, Taikoo Dockyard Kweilin Weekly Intelligence Summary #70, 13.10.44. Kowloon Docks KWIZ #71, 20.10.44. Naval Dockyard, […]
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James Chan: Hughie D, Veteran Member of derelictplaces.co.uk has posted a piece about this company on its website. This was posted in July 2015. Hughie says: “This place is a bit of a strange one. This old silk mill is in the middle of Tsuen Wan…and must represent very valuable real estate. I remember passing this place a number of […]
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IDJ: In 1984 The Hong Kong Society of Model & Experimental Engineers (HKSMEE) was officially registered. A major project by a member was a coal fired steam-engine powered launch, the ‘Vital Spark,’ based at Hebe Haven. The substantial steam engine and its accessories were built in a ‘home’ workshop with the hull constructed and fitted out near Hebe Haven. Vital Spark was […]
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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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HF: I took these photographs of the quarry at Lei Yue Mun on the 11th November 2014. The map shows that it is actually just east of Ma Pui Tsuen though this is an extension of the well-known Lei Yue Mun and I’ll stick with the latter until we have an “official ” name. I am especially interested in the […]
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Tymon Mellor: The West Rail project was completed on time and below budget, this was achieved by having a strong management team, experienced construction managers, motivated contractors and efficient project process. Building a large infrastructure project within existing urban environments is not just about the engineering but it is as much about managing all the different competing requirements, in particular […]
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The firm was established in 1892. It had branches in Hong Kong, Kobe and Taipei.(1) And Shanghai. This calendar poster of Gande, Price & Co., Ltd. was designed by Kwan Wai-nung and printed by Asiatic Lithographic Printing Press. The lady in cheongsam leaned against the Western-styled sofa. The English name of the Company was printed on the top of the […]
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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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