Hello I am new in Gwulo.com and here is my first photo to share, it is an albumen photo showing panorama view of Victoria harbour in Central back in circa 1895. The following clues I found in this photo:
- The 2nd Gen. Central market has already built(at rightmost), so this photo at least taken after 1895
- There is no clue that the reclamation of Des Voeux Road has started yet, that means it was before 1889
I would like to hear anymore clue you guys found in this photo!
FULL HD photo: https://photos.app.goo.gl/jzqiduM45zrsJna2A
Comments
Thanks Chris, that's a good
Thanks Chris, that's a good clear view.
Comparing it with this 1906 view ...
... there's no sign of the Mount Austin Hotel / Barracks, which were definitely in existence by 1897. So I think your photo must have been taken very soon after the Central Market was finished.
Comparison of ca. 1887 and 1895 panorama photos
Thank you David, I don't know
Thank you David, I don't know this signature building before! I will purchase an extension lens by this week, so I can take a close up image of the photos to show more details.
So I have got my lens and
So I have got my lens and this is a close up of the building right hand side of the Victoria Hotel, it has a signboard writes Chinese "東昌隆", it should belong to a Chinese company named "東昌隆", anyone know what this company was selling?
Central Praya c.1895
Greetings, and another guess (always appreciate corrections ). It is the name of an import-export company without specifying any products. That it occupied the third level suggests it was an office not a retail shop. 東昌隆 may be translated to East thriving (and) prosperous (Company). The second and third characters have similar meaning(s) and were arranged to give a better sound. Interesting it was the only business with such big sign on the front. The best lighthouse for its captains? Regards, Peter
I think its sign was for
I think its sign was for ships too! Because residents could hardly view the signboard from the ground floor, it hanged at 2/F, faced outward horizontally, you just needed to look at it from the sea to have the proper angle. So I guess this company should be doing foreign trades business, selling tea etc. to foreign/selling foreign good to local.
The building survived into
The building survived into the 1950s. We have a page for it at https://gwulo.com/node/45620 with some later photos.