plague_inspectors._hong_kong_china._1894 | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

plague_inspectors._hong_kong_china._1894

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plague_inspectors._hong_kong_china._1894
Submitted by Klaus. View the original image on Flickr.
Authors: 
PictureMation
Tags: 
bubonic plague
inspectors of nuisances

Wide span of time given, guessed to be 1890s, possibly during the 1894 outbreak.

Update: Looking up Graham Street, the men are standing at the junction with Wellington Street.

Date picture taken (may be approximate): 
Sunday, July 1, 1894
Gallery: 
1890s Hong Kong
Connections: 
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Comments

Submitted by David on Tue, 2021-04-13 15:31.

There are several photos of a very similar group of men in white uniforms in the book The Whitewash Brigade, titled:

British soldiers of the Shropshire Light Infantry carrying out house-cleaning duties in the Chinese quarter of Hong Kong during the plague of 1894.

The sign above the men on the left is for Channam, a gold and silver smith, on Wellington Street.

There's a slightly clearer copy of the photo at Getty Images.

Also found another copy in https://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/central/doc/2016_2019/sc/dc_meetings... which locates the men near the junction of Wellington and Graham Streets, and has more info about Chan Nam.

Submitted by Klaus on Tue, 2021-04-13 19:53.

Very interesting details in your comment. Is the building with the  Channam sign 120 Wellington Street ?

Submitted by David on Mon, 2021-04-19 13:22.

Yes, that's what the document https://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/central/doc/2016_2019/sc/dc_meetings... says. On page 9 they write about this photo:

1) There is a historic photo, taken in 1894 during the plague (see fig. 4), showing the hygiene inspector inspecting the hygiene condition on Graham Street.

120 Wellington Street is in the background with the signboard "鎮南” Chan Nam Gold and Silver Smith", which matches the record of the address on the Valuation Table at the time.The building's appearance on the photo matches what it is standing today.

So the road running up the centre of the photo is Graham Street, and Wellington Street crosses from side to side about where the men in white uniforms are standing.