James Chan: R.E. Dietz Company Limited was founded by Mr. Robert Edwin Dietz in New York, USA in 1840 and began manufacturing kerosene lanterns, which are commonly known as hurricane lanterns… …In order to reduce production cost and increase market share, Dietz relocated its production facilities from New York, U.S.A. to Hong Kong in 1956 and subsequently from Hong Kong […]
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Chan Chi Kee Cutlery has been in business since the 1920s, currently at 316-318 Shanghai Street, specializing in hand-pounded woks and its famous cutlery. ‘Alongside Wo Shing Goldsmith are a few other long-term shopkeepers, who have seen the rise and fall of Hong Kong’s manufacturing industry – selling kitchen tools, especially stainless steel products. Chan Chi Kee Cutlery, for example, […]
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Tymon Mellor: On the 29th August, 1945 a small armada of British naval vessels under Rear Admiral Harcourt arrived off Hong Kong, ready to re-establish British administration in the territory. The following day as HMS Swiftsure entered the harbour, three Japanese suicide boats left Lamma Island to attack. Anticipating the move, aircraft from HMS Indomitable were on hand to sink […]
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York Lo: The Forgotten Jewish American Tycoons behind the HK Plastic Flowers Industry Plastic flowers production in HK in the 1960s In the late 1950s, artificial flowers made out of plastic were in high demand in the West and Hong Kong emerged as the world’s leading producer of plastic flowers thanks to its significant cost and labor advantage. Starting with […]
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HF: I am afraid I don’t know the source of the following timeline. I would be grateful if someone comes across the origin and notifies me. Further information about or images of any of the subjects or companies mentioned would also be very helpful. I have added supplementary information and sources on a number of subjects where I am able […]
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Hugh Farmer: All images have been sent by IDJ with acknowledgements given for sources where known. RAF Ping Shan c1954 IDJ comments the above image was originally posted on the The Hong Kong Historical Aircraft Association (HKHAA) website by someone in Australia in 2006. RAF Ping Shan c1954 RAF Ping Shan c1954IDJ adds “I noticed this week [4th Dec 2013] that the […]
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STRIKERS GET THREE MONTHS IN PRISON “Sixty-four men and women strikers of the Hong Kong Match Factory were sentenced to three months hard labour at Central yesterday. The strikers on Friday had refused to sign a bond of $50 to be of good behaviour for two years following a disturbance they created in the Factory’s offices in the Bank of […]
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York Lo: The Sim family and Yu Chun Loong Canning (裕全隆罐頭公司) Ad of Yu Chun Loong listing all the canned goods it manufactured in the late 1940s (HK Factory Survey) Founded in 1907, Yu Chun Loong Canning Co (also written as Yu Chun Loong Cannery) was one of the earliest, if not the oldest cannery in Hong Kong. Its founder […]
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Tymon Mellor has pointed us in the direction of an article which includes information about West Brother Graphite Mine published after a field trip to both Brother Islands and Chek Lap Kok in October 1992. Just before then the construction of the airport which irrevocably changed all three including much of the mine’s above surface structures and tailings. The report, titled, […]
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One of our earliest articles was Linda Kernan’s, The Vitasoy Story, which was sent out in email Newsletter 6 in May 2013. A recent SCMP article provides further information about the company which was started in 1940 by Lo Kwee Seong as The Hong Kong Soya Bean Products Company. As this suggests, “It’s one of a few classic Hong Kong brands, […]
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