Docks Group resize.jpg | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Docks Group resize.jpg

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Docks Group resize.jpg
Submitted by jessamcgrath
Authors: 
JMcGrath
Tags: 
Royal Engineers
docks
Hong Kong
1920s
1915

This is one of five photos we have had in our family for ages. It's an archive quality photo with a hard back that has held up beautifully. It must have been done professionaly at the time. The other pictures in the group of five I have are dated approx. between 1915-1920 so I suspect this one is from around that time as well. I don't know anything for sure about the photo but I suspect it was taken at the Hong Kong docks as my great grandfather, John Kempton, was the head electrical engineer at The Hong Kong & Whampoa Docking Co. Ltd. when he died in 1947. I would love to know who any of the people in the photo are as I have never seen a photo of my great grandfather so have know idea who he is in these photos. The short version is that my mother and uncle were adopted by my grandmother's new husband when they were very young and we have never had any information about our Kempton line (my grandfather John Ian was John Kempton's son) until I recently started researching. I have been facsinated with what I have found and trying to solve the mystery of these photos just seems like the logical next step. Any advice or information about the events or people in this photo is greatly appreciated!

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Comments

Submitted by David on Sun, 2015-03-22 21:39.

Hi Jessica,

Thanks for posting an interesting set of family photos.

I've made a page for your great-grandfather at http://gwulo.com/node/23927 and recommend you use that to gather information and questions about him.

Back to this photo - the building in the background has two signs, "Notice only Dock Coys employees admitted to stores by order". So it's a dockyard, and below the right-hand sign we can just make out part of another sign saying "& Whampoa", confirming it is the Hong Kong & Whampoa Dockyard at Hung Hom. (You can see more about these docks at: http://gwulo.com/node/6667).

John Kempton started working at these docks in 1924, so the photo should be taken then or later. I guess this group of people worked in or around these stores, as otherwise it's not the sort of backdrop you'd choose for a photo.

Is there any sign of the photographer's name at all?

Regards, David

Submitted by jessamcgrath on Sun, 2015-03-22 23:48.

Thanks David, I will definitely follow your advice and start using the John Kempton page. Unfortunately, there isn't anything on the photo tthat indicates who took it.