York Lo: The tale of two knitting factories with the same Chinese name (建成織造廠) Earlier on the website I wrote an article about two famous companies in the HK garment industry which shared the “Smart Shirts” name although one is the name of its famous product while the other is the firm’s name. As it turns out, two famous HK […]
» Read more
HF: Lai Afong 赖阿芳 aka Lai Ah Fong, Huafang, Fang Lai, Lihua Fang, Li Fang, A’Fong Lai, 赖華芳, 黎華芳, 芳華 c.1839 – 1890 was a Chinese photographer who established Afong Studio, one of the early photographic studios in Hong Kong. His studio was active from 1859 to around the 1940s. The business was probably taken over by his son in the 1890s. Subject matters […]
» Read more
Douglas Lapraik arrived in Hong Kong in 1842 in apparently somewhat straitened circumstances from Macau. Things changed for the colourful Mr Lapraik. In 1863, together with Thomas Sutherland and Jardine, Matheson & Co,. he co-founded the Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Company (Kowloon Docks) which at its peak was the largest shipyard in Asia. The following article has been extracted from […]
» Read more
York Lo: The Cheung brothers and Cheong Lee Construction (昌利建築) Left to right: Cheung Chan-hon, Kenneth Fung, director of Urban Services Ronald Holmes, Urbco councilor Philip Dalen Au, Governor Grantham, architect Eric Cumine looking at model of the Java Road Estate in North Point which Cheung’s Cheong Lee was building in April 1957. The massive population boom in Hong Kong in […]
» Read more
York Lo: Yeung Fat & Co (發利建築) – leading HK building contractor in the early 20th century Left: Turfing ad for Yeung Fat & Co in 1927 (The China Mail, 1927-6-1); Right: Yeung Wing-hong as vice chairman of HK Building Contractors Association in 1954 (HKBCA Yearbook) From the late 19th century through the 1960s, Yeung Fat & Co was a […]
» Read more
York Lo: Charles L. Corn (陳耀坤, 1898-1973) – operator of quarry in Shau Kei Wan and Chinese leader in Guam Left: Ad for Charles L. Corn & Co in 1950 (HKBCA yearbook); Right: Charles L. Corn (left) shaking hands with Vice President C.K. Yen in Taipei (National Cultural Database) In the 1950s, a colorful Chinese businessman in Guam and the Philippines […]
» Read more
York Lo: United Delivery Co Ltd (聯合運貨汽車有限公司) Left: Ad for United Delivery in an old telephone directory – 10 phone numbers were listed, and cross harbor delivery capabilities were highlighted; Right: United Delivery founder Albert Youngsaye and his wife Lai Yung-mei (Maureen Fan, Geni) Established in 1933, United Delivery Co Ltd was a leading logistics provider in Hong Kong […]
» Read more
Hugh Farmer: I grew up with Dinky Toys as did many British boys in the 1950s and 60s and had a good collection of battered, tyre less cars. I had always assumed they were made in England and indeed the main factory was at Binns Road, Liverpool. It is perhaps difficult to believe now that when I was a child, […]
» Read more
York Lo: Lee Yu Kee, Kitson and Tung On – Pioneers of the HK Plumbing Industry Plumbing is a specialized and lucrative segment of the HK construction industry and this article profiles three of the pioneering firms who were leaders in the plumbing business – Lee Yu Kee, Kitson and Tung On and the stories of the families behind them. […]
» Read more
York Lo: From Shanghai to HK and West Africa: The Global Quests of 4 Hong Kong Enamelware Makers From the 1940s through the 1960s, Hong Kong had a vibrant enamelware industry, which like the cotton spinning industry was dominated by Shanghainese industrialists, who brought with them from Shanghai their technological know-how in addition to financial and human capital. When these […]
» Read more