Your thoughts on these Hong Kong photos please

[portybelle]

Would be interested in your opinions on these two photos - my great great and great grandfathers. They appear to have been taken in Hong Kong and I would like to have a rough idea of years.

The older man with the impressive beard is John Cameron born c 1846 in Kirkcaldy and died in Leith in 1923. He appears on all the census and had 11 children between 1871 and 1888 with no obvious gaps to have been away overseas.




The younger man is his son Alexander born 1873 in Leith and died 1928. Again, he appears on all the census and had 10 children between 1891 and 1914. There is a four year gap between 1893 and 1897 then the next child was born 1900 then 1903 so a few gaps. 1n 1901 census he was a patient in Leith Hospital.



So the family mystery is were they actually in Hong Kong as the photos suggest? And if so when? One brother of Alexander was definitely in Hong Kong at the turn of the century so I wonder if they all went out to work together? John was a joiner and Alexander was an engine fitter or iron turner depending on which record you look at.

[HeatherLynne]

How interesting, although of course to have a baby every year you only need to be at home for a few days at the right time and could have been abroad for the other 51 weeks of the year! 

I've found a J C Cameron departing London 28.03.1894 for Hong Kong (final destination of ship Valetta was Sydney Australia), although it says he is single not married. 

There may be others but my lunchtime is over and I've to do some work.  Will look later.

Heather

[AMBLY]

http://www.wattis.com.hk/cartographers/author-photographer/>
"Mee Cheung c.1890 - 1935 - was a commercial photographer who was active 1890s - 1930s in Hong Kong. He advertised himself as a "High Class Photographer". He was known to have taken small snapshot format pictures. These were often views commissioned for documentary purposes.
 
Messrs Mee Cheung & Co. of Ice House Lane, Hong Kong who executed a contract for Lloyd's Greater Britain Publishing Company in a manner that gave every satisfaction, are one of the oldest photographic firms in the Colony."


http://www.h-net.org/~urban/images/imglib/punlun1895_1.htm
Street scene; shop of "Pun Lun, Photographer" in foreground. [Hong Kong] (1895) (there a lot of these links - Pun-Lun was also a Silk Painter.

Cheers
AMBLY

[jim1]

Pun Lun Studios were around for a long time,1860's to around 1890.
Their dress style could be 1880's or 90's however the cardstock looks 1890's.
Can we see the backs?

jim

[portybelle]

Thanks for thoughts so far folks. Will get the backs scanned and put them on too. I don't have the originals but my dad does.

John was definitely still married in 1894 - his wife died in 1915. Not aware of him having a middle name from other records but he might have done.

[garydevine]

I think in picture one he looks like he is in his late 50's and in the second one i think he looks like he is in his middle 20's. hope this can help.

Gary

[Seoras]

The younger man I would say fits in with the 1897 - 1900 dates making him 24 - 27 which I think he looks rather than over 30 which he would do after the 1903 date.Were father and son there together? Well that would make the father in his early 50s,he looks older until you take the beard away.Do you know what the son was in hospital with in 1901,could it have been some disease picked up abroad.

[portybelle]

Seoras - I don't know if they were away together but have always assumed that they must have been. Nobody seems to know anything about their having been in Hong Kong and there is no-one left to ask now sadly. I did wonder about the hospital admission being related to some exotic illness but of course the census only says 'patient' with no further details. Alexander is back with his family in 1911 and died of heart problems in 1928.

Here are the backs of the photos as requested. They are both on thick card.


John first of all - not much to go on here!




Alexander's has more on it

[jim1]

The Pun Lun card has a late 80's - early 90's design.

jim