“In the course of a recent research through some old records, the name of another of Hongkong’s pioneer firms was noticed, that of Gibb, Livingston and Company, who came here in the first year of the Colony’s foundation. The firm can indeed claim to be one of the oldest in this part of the world, at they commenced business in […]
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York Lo: Alhambra Watch (平安表行) Left: Chiu Chun-fai (left) and Luk Ying-tai at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Shanghai Street store of Alhambra Watch in 1958 (WKYP, 1958-8-17); Right: Omtis’ congratulatory ad to Alhambra Watch on the opening of its Tai Po Road store in 1963 (WKYP, 1963-4-28) Operated by its founder Frank Chiu Chun-fai (招振揮) and his family, […]
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This article incorporates one written by John M. Carroll published in the Dictionary of Hong Kong Biography. The publisher, HK University Press has given permission for this to be posted here. Thanks to SCT for proofreading the retyped article. Chow Shouson, Sir Shouson Chow 周壽臣, original name Chow Chang Ling 周長齡, JP (1917), Knight (1926), Hon LLD (University of Hong Kong, 1933) […]
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York Lo: Cost Plus Bazaar (美廉市場) and Mark V (美發) Left: Chinese advertisement for Cost Plus Bazaar at the Ocean Terminal in 1964 featuring some of the Japanese furniture. The store opened daily from 10 to 10 (WKYP, 1964-7-19) American retailers, big and small, have been the key driving force of industrial development in HK and China for the past […]
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Golden Harvest/Golden Studios was founded in 1970. When the Cathay Organisation withdrew from film production in HK, Golden Harvest took over their old studios at 8 King Tung Street, Hammer Hill Road, Diamond Hill. The studio was later used to make films by independent companies set up by artistes who then struck a deal with GH for funding, distribution etc. These […]
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Tymon Mellor: On the 24th May, 1843 Lieutenant Thomas Bernard Collinson, RE boarded the Mount Stewart Elphinstone[1] with a detachment of sappers and miners, two civilian clerks of works and three works foremen, who were bound for the new colony of Hong Kong. Collinson had been appointed by the Board of Ordnance to produce a detailed map of the new […]
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The Tsing Ma bridge in Hong Kong is the world’s 11th-longest span suspension bridge, and was the second longest at time of completion.[3] The bridge was named after two of the islands at its ends, namely Tsing Yi and Ma Wan. It has two decks and carries both road and rail traffic, which also makes it the largest suspension bridge of this type. The bridge has a main […]
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Ian Wolfe: The second photo shows construction of the basement of the Old Bank of China in progress with a Scotch [also known as a stiff-leg] derrick as the only means of rigging heavy steel sections, which was required for the excavation and lateral suppport (ESL) work when this was getting deeper. Scotch derricks were common in the old days […]
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HF: Kenneth Wong, in February 2024, contacted the website and sent this (initial information) about his grandfather Tse Sam. ”He first joined the Harbour Master’s Department (as it was then) in 1925. He worked at the Green Island Lighthouse and moved to Tang Lung Chau lighthouse in 1931.” Kenneth has sent more detailed information about his grandfather’s life and work […]
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Tymon Mellor: Every day we use maps, be it in our head or on our mobile phone, they guide us and lead us through our modern complex environments. Maps show us the relationships between elements, but for this article I will focus on maps that depict geography, or to be correct, cartography and the cartographers responsible for their production. In […]
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