York Lo: Oriental Engineering (華捷洋行) Representatives of Oriental Engineering welcoming L.A. Jull, chairman of LEC Refrigeration at the Kai Tak Airport in 1961 (KSDN, 1965-3-31) Founded in 1910 in Foochow, Oriental Engineering Co Ltd (incorporated in HK in 1964) is one of the oldest and largest distributors of refrigeration and kitchen equipment in HK and remains under the management of […]
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York Lo has found this extract from the Carl Smith book linked below. One of the early business enterprises in which Tong Mow-chee and his brother, Tong King-sing, were interested was the first sugar refinery built in Hong Kong. The sugar company grew out of a business parnership between Tong King-sing, William McGregor Smith and a Mr Dahlbeck. When the […]
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York Lo: Tam Shiu-hong (譚肇康 1875-1961) – HK Construction Industry Pioneer and Supporter of Sun Yat-sen’s Revolution Left: Tam Shiu-hong Right: Memorial plaque at the HK Technical College building which cited its construction being supervised by Tam Shiu-hong (HKBCA Yearbook, 1954) The history of the HK construction industry would not be complete without a profile of Tam Shiu-hong, one of […]
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IDJ has sent this account, published in 1908, of Messrs. F Blackhead & Co.’s Soap and Soda Factory which was established in Shau Kei Wan around 1896. As IDJ points out the article is mistaken in suggesting that the distance between the city of Victoria (essentially Central) and Shau Kei Wan is two miles – it is at least seven […]
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This photo comes courtesy of the Historical Photographs of China collection, University of Bristol, UK and shows Asiatic Petroleum Company staff, at the A.P.C. depot in Shanghai in the 1930s. Information attached to the image suggests the man marked with an x in ink is “Pop i.e. Edward Edelson Wilkinson).” We have information about a couple of employees of APC […]
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York Lo: Kings of Denim – Chip Tak, Tai Fong and Kong Sun Earlier on the website, we have covered many industries which are/were dominated by kinsmen from certain region (e.g. Hakkas from Hingning and the rattan industry, Shanghainese and the enamelware industry and Heshan natives and the printing industry) and the interesting case of four Filipino Chinese families from […]
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HF: This Michael Rogge film from 1962 is of interest as it begins with the Peak Tram and views of HK harbour showing how much has been reclaimed in the last half century. 0.13-0.50 Peak Tram and views from the Peak 0.51-1.20 Views of HK Harbour 1.21-2.07 Views of and from the Peak 2.08- 2.38 Repulse Bay […]
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HF: Chavalier R Pescio was a man with vision. Especially when it came to trams and tunnels in Hong Kong. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 11 August 1909 contains this article which notes “rents in the Colony of Hongkong are abnormally so, more than in any part of the world in proportion to the accomodation offered”. Even then […]
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York Lo: Asia Provisions (亞洲辦館) and Asia Cold Storage (亞洲凍房) The Asia Company’s ad in 1960 (HK Police Magazine) Aside from Wang Kee and Wing Sang Cheong covered in earlier articles, The Asia Provisions Co Ltd (incorporated in 1970) and its predecessor The Asia Company (亞洲公司,1925-1970) has been a major player in the food provisions business in HK since its […]
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HF wrote this in response to a comment on the article below by Sally Trainor: Your comments made me dig out a book, Victoria Finlay, Colour: Travels Through the Paintbox, Sceptre, 2002, which is an extensive account of the history, origins and places of production of all the colours an artist would use. And that got me thinking about the textile […]
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