Quiz of the Week, where did John Thomson take this photo? | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Quiz of the Week, where did John Thomson take this photo?

Quiz of the Week, where did John Thomson take this photo?
Authors: 

This photo was published in John Thomson's book "Illustrations of China and its people, Vol. 1" and captioned "Canton". WAI TZE in his facebook believed this photo was taken at Mong Kok, facing Tai Kok Tsui. If that is the case, the hill far behind should be Tai Mo Shan..........but is he correct? If not, where was it taken?

(Photo provided by JNXU)

 

 

Date picture taken (may be approximate): 
Monday, January 1, 1872

Comments

Well I think the high mountain is Tai Mo Shan and its western slopes. Stonecutters Island has many rocks and boulders that are rounded and wave deformed. So I guess taken from there.

The picture is taken from the Coastline at Yaumatei, Mong Kok is too far north and the peaks don't line up for it to be taken at Stonecutters. I believe the big rock can be seen in the below photo taken by Beato in 1860 in the middle of the second panel from the right just in front of the ship:

View of First Arrival of Chinese Expeditionary Force taken from Kowloon
View of First Arrival of Chinese Expeditionary Force taken from Kowloon , by Felice Beato

In the 1872 photo, Stonecutters Island is across the waters. Similar view from 1906.

 

1906 Mountains

 Postcard of the same scene of the 1906 Typhoon.

1906 Typhoon - N. S. Rosario
1906 Typhoon - N. S. Rosario