Galesend [1909-1986] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Galesend [1909-1986]

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Submitted by annelisec on Fri, 2010-02-12 10:07
Current condition: 
Demolished / No longer exists
Date Place completed: 
1909-01-01
Date Place demolished: 
1986-01-01

photos from eBay

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Photos that show this place

1935
See more photos of this place

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Submitted by Admin on Fri, 2010-02-12 15:20.

The eBay seller also has some interesting notes about the building and the images shown above:

There are 27 Glass plate negatives 6.5" x 4.75".

GALESEND.

Built in 1909 at 109 The Peaks, Hong Kong.  Designed by Charles Henry Gale (RIBA).
I believe these were taken by the occupiers of this beautiful house.  I have quite a few from various parts of England, Norway and HongKong.  All came as one lot.  The address is still in HK, see google earth, but the house is long gone. There is precious little about Gale either. I can only find references to him working for the PWD in Australia and HK, other than he also designed this house.  Very  well done it was, too.
The only other thing I can find about this house is that one can buy reproduction photos of 5 pieces of furniture from the house on the RIBA site.

These plates all are truly unique and original.  Anyone at all interested in the early 20th century international arts & crafts movement will want prints of these negatives. But not from me. My darkroom days are long behind me.
A lot of these plates show signs of being hand made.  Early photographers started with a glass plate and then sloshed a solution over the glass and let it dry before exposing. An enthusiastic amateur with a good income, probably.

My system of showing the negatives I have for sale is really quite crude. I photograph them on a light box and then invert them with my photo editing suite. They will all need to be reproduced through more conventional methods to bring out the best detail.

Submitted by annelisec on Fri, 2010-02-12 16:04.

I flipped these images in MSPaint before posting so they are the right way round.

Submitted by eurasian_david on Mon, 2020-04-13 05:50.

It seemed Mr Charles Henry Gale himself was attempting to sell the property in 1918.

"FOR SALE.

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FOR SALE. - "GALESEND." 109 The Peak , 6 rooms. Apply :- C.H. Gale, P.W. Dept."

Source: The Hong Kong Telegraph, page 3, 25th May 1918

 

Submitted by eurasian_david on Tue, 2020-04-14 07:29.

Interestingly, this advertisement appeared earlier in the year:

"WANTED.

--------------

EUROPEAN LADY, resident or daily, to look after 2 children of 7 and 8 years.

Apply - 

Mrs. GALE,

109 The Peak.

Hongkong Mar. 28. 1918.                     282"

Source: The China Mail, page 2, 6th April 1918