Umbrella production in HK – late 1950s
Hugh Farmer: These pages from a HK government publication of December 1959 describe changes in the the manufacture of umbrellas in Hong Kong. Pre WW2 almost all parts were imported, by the time of this report however, at least some were being produced here.
The second page shows the value of exported umbrellas to many countries worldwide. It’s interesting for at least two reasons. First, some surprising countries appear high on the list. The top five are:
Malaya $1,518,000
Sierra Leone $837,000
UK $506,000
Thailand $382,000
Ghana $246,000
and secondly the list reveals how many countries have changed their names or ceased to exist under the names given in 1959. For example, British Oceania, the Central African Federation, Ceylon, North Borneo, Sarawak and the Persian Gulf Sheikdom.
Both pages from the Hong Kong Trade Bulletin, December 1959, Dept of Commerce and Industry, p.339-34
This article was first published on 4th December 2013.
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