asiathroughalens

Just tracing some family history, my grandfather was General Manager of Whiteaway Laidlaw in Singapore in the years leading up to the capture of Singapore by the Japanese during WW2. It's quite possible he was inside the store when this photo was taken ! Amazing

IG is the Inspector General, Robert Hart, of the Imperial Maritime Customs Service (IMCS). Because it's hard work at the IMCS in China, Hart provided recreations for his staff, e.g. invite them home to play tennis and have lawn party. Hart was also in charge of Tung Wen Kuan 同文館, which was created to train Ching officials in western knowledge, such as mathematics, chemistry, and European languages etc. Tung Wen Kuan later evolved into Peking University. This should be part of the album originally owned by Henry Somerset Saunderson, who was a staff at the IMCS at the time. Later Saunderson married the ex-wife, Claire, of Walter Caine Hillier KCMG CB and he was the cause of their divorce. Walter was born in Hong Kong, so a Hong Konger in modern term. There is a street in Hong Kong named after his father. For Robert Hart see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Robert_Hart,_1st_Baronet For Saunderson see: www.wikitree.com/wiki/Saunderson-56 For Clare St George (Ord) Saunderson see: www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ord-98 For Walter Caine Hillier see: www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hillier-245

Masjid Zahir or Kedah State Mosque in Alor Star Kedah( north part of Malaysia). It was built in 1912. One of the most beautiful mosques in Malaysia