York Lo: George M. Lau – Father of the Hong Kong wig Industry Left: Advertisement of Regina Hair Products from the early 1970s; Right: 1953 ad of George M. Lau & Bros. (Source: IDJ) In 1970, the Hong Kong wig industry included 478 factories which employed 5 percent of the city’s total workforce (39000 workers) and its export value of […]
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York Lo: Merchant Prince: the life and many pursuits of real estate pioneer Lee Sai-wah (李世華, 1916-1975) Left: S. W. Lee (Source: liuhan.org.hk); Right: S.W. Lee’s Waldorf Hotel at 2-6 Causeway Road in the 1950s From the 1930s to 1970s, Lee Sai-wah (hereafter refer to as “S. W. Lee”) was a colorful figure active in Hong Kong’s business world and […]
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York Lo: Cheong K. (章記) – Real Estate Pioneer from the 1950s and 1960s Ad for Cheong K’s Kam Hoi Mansion at the former site of the Coca Cola bottling plant in North Point in 1962 featuring Cheong K’s logo on the right (KSDN, 1962-10-4) Left: Swiss House (瑞士樓) on 983-987A King’s Road, Quarry Bay with “Cheong K Building” (章記樓宇) […]
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Tymon Mellor: The former mine at, and which was to give its name to, Mui Wo or Silvermine Bay, was arguably one of the most important mines in Southern China at the end of the nineteenth century. It was developed using private money and was a showcase of modern technology. It was hoped this would be the start of a […]
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“Ingham Sutcliffe who had only recently set up in business as a consulting engineer in Siam, was previously engaged as assistant chief mechanical engineer and superintendent of workshops on the Royal State Railways of Siam. He had held this appointment since 1919 and resigned from government service in 1930. He was born at Bradford in 1880, and after serving as […]
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York Lo: Shanghainese Builders in Hong Kong (Part Four) – Paul Y. and Dao Kwei Kee Paul Y. Construction, named after its founder Paul Y. Tso, was probably the most successful Shanghainese builder and Chinese-owned construction firm in post-war Hong Kong. Under the management of Paul and his son George, the firm completed many major infrastructure projects in HK and […]
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York Lo: Asia International Electronics Ltd (亞洲無線電工廠) Asia International Electronics booth at the 1971 HK Products Expo (HK Memory) In the 1970s, Asia International Electronics Ltd (hereafter refer to as “AIE”) was one of the leading Chinese owned electronics firms in HK, being one of two Chinese-owned firms (the other being Atlas) amongst the top 10 radio manufacturers in HK […]
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York Lo: A Slice of Heaven – the story of On Lok Yuen (安樂園), Pioneering Ice Cream, Biscuit and Confectionary Manufacturer and Restaurant Chain Founded and managed by the religious Cheung family, On Lok Yuen was a leading maker of ice cream, biscuits and confectionary in Hong Kong for over half a century, from 1920 to 1974, with its factory in […]
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HF: “Francis Richard Marsh was born on the 30th August, 1876, and was educated at St. George’s School, Harpenden. [He was the son of Richard Brewster Marsh and Alice Marsh] After receiving his practical training with the Coalbrookdale Co. he was employed for a short time as a draughtsman by Ferranti, Ltd. In 1899 he joined the staff of Preece […]
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From Tai Ping Koon, which opened in 1860 and served Sun Yat-sen, to Gaylord Indian Restaurant, open since 1972, to the award-winning abalone served in Forum since 1977, these restaurants have stood the test of time… Another restaurant that has withstood the ravages of the notoriously cutthroat Hong Kong dining industry is Forum, still one of the city’s best-known restaurants. […]
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