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SUNDAY, JULY 14, 1985
HISTORIC PHOTOS BRING OLD HONG KONG BACK TO LIFE
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TWO ALBUMS OF HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS OF OLD HONG KONG HAVE BEEN DONATED TO THE URBAN COUNCIL'S MUSEUM OF HISTORY.
THE PHOTOGRAPHS COMPRISE A REMARKABLE AND VALUABLE ADDITION TO THE TERRITORY'S PICTORIAL RECORDS OF THE LAST TWO DECADES OF THE 19TH CENTURY AND THE FIRST YEARS OF THE 20TH.
THE ALBUMS CONTAIN 87 PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY ROBERT KENNAWAY LEIGH, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE ARCHITECTURAL
MR LEIGH CAME TO HONG KONG AS A FIRM OF LEIGH AND ORANGE. YOUNG MAN OF 27 IN 1879 AND WORKED INITIALLY IN THE SURVEYOR GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT.
DURING THE 25 YEARS HE SPENT IN HONG KONG HE PHOTOGRAPHED MANY OF THE BUILDINGS ON WHICH HE WORKED, AS WELL AS A VARIETY OF MORE GENERAL SCENES.
MR LEIGH RETURNED TO ENGLAND IN 1904 AND DIED
AGED 73 IN 1927. THE DONOR OF THE TWO ALBUMS IS HIS
DAUGHTER ROSE LEIGH, LATER MRS CLAUD LUTTRELL. NOW AGED 91, SHE IS LIVING IN SOMERSET IN SOUTH-WEST ENGLAND.
A NEIGHBOUR OF MRS LUTTRELL IS LADY GASS, THE WIDOW OF SIR MICHAEL GASS, THE FORMER COLONIAL SECRETARY OF HONG KONG (1965-69). LADY GASS, WHO TOOK A KEEN INTEREST IN THE TWO ALBUMS WHEN SHE LEARNED ABOUT THEM, SUGGESTED TO MRS LUTTRELL THAT SHE MIGHT CONSIDER SENDING THE ALBUMS BACK TO HONG KONG TO FORM PART OF THE PERMANENT PICTORIAL ARCHIVES. MRS LUTTRELL RESPONDED BY MAKING THIS GENEROUS DONATION.
SHE HERSELF LEFT HONG KONG AT THE AGE OF 12, BUT SHE INDICATED IN A RECENT LETTER TO LEIGH AND ORANGE THAT SHE STILL HAS VIVID MEMORIES OF LIFE IN HONG KONG AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, WHEN SHE RESIDED IN THE HOUSE THAT HER FATHER BUILT ON THE PEAK, +LEIGH TOR+.
DURING THE FOUR YEARS WHEN ROBERT KENNAWAY LEIGH WORKED FOR THE GOVERNMENT (1879-1882) HE BECAME SUPERINTENDENT OF THE EXTENSIVE CONSTRUCTION SCHEME OF TAI TAM RESERVOIR.
AS A PARTNER IN LEIGH AND ORANGE HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE KOWLOON GODOWN AND THE ADMIRALTY DOCK IN KOWLOON.
HIS NAME IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH SOME OF THE GREAT BUILDINGS IN CENTRAL WHICH WERE LANDMARKS OF OLD HONG KONG FOR SEVERAL DECADES -- LIKE QUEEN'S BUILDING, PRINCE'S BUILDING AND ST GEORGE'S BUILDING.
PARTICULARLY INTERESTING AND VALUABLE AS PART OF THE HISTORICAL RECORD ARE THE PICTURES HE TOOK SHOWING VARIOUS STAGES OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF TAI TAM RESERVOIR, THE OLD ADMIRALTY DOCK AND THE TAI KOO SUGAR REFINERY.
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