Hong Kong University 1940s | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Hong Kong University 1940s

Hi. I'm currently working on a film (it must remain nameless for the time being). We are recreating the Hong Kong Harbour (using computer generated imagery) as viewed from Lily Pond in the Hong Kong University. We currently have 1 photo, but it is not really giving us a great idea of what the area below HKU looked like at that time. Does any one have any photographs of that area from that time period? They seem to be few and far between. We are VERY interested in getting this to be perfectly historically accurate. Any help would be great! Thanks very much, Brendan Taylor
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Hi Brendan,

The best photos I've seen from that time are from the Hedda Morrison collection. The website says they have the original negatives, so it may be possible to get some high quality images from them.

The "Mapping Hong Kong" book shows arial survey photos taken by the RAF in 1945, and credits the RAF as the source.

An "advanced search" for photos at http://hkclweb.hkpl.gov.hk/hkclr2/internet/eng/html/welcome.html only turns up 26 photos in 1940-49 timeframe, so it'll be worth you looking at them.

Let us know how the project turns out,

Regards, MrB

Hi Brendon, I lived at HKU for many years and remember the lilly pond well. Look in "The First 50 Years, The University of Hong Kong" (Brian Harrison HK University press). There is a good image of it with the student's union in the background and also one from it looking towards May and Elliott halls. Also in "Hong Kong 1975" (HK Gov Press) there is an aerial photo showing the HKU campus in which you can see the area around the lilly pond quite clearly but unfortunately the pond itself is obscured by a newly built faculty building just North of it. Hope this helps, Tom

Thanks so much for your help. I will look for the book in the Library. I think that if we are looking towards the May and Elliot buildings, it will give us a great idea of what is out there. I am not in Toronto right now, but I can't wait to look. I will let you know how it turns out. Anyone happen to know anything about Shanghai History in the 1940s? Thanks again Tom, Brendan