Chan Kwan-po Collection

Collection — Box: 03876

Identifier: 2015-008

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Chan Kwan-po Photographs Collection, circa 1940s-1950s, includes a letter and 51 B/W photographs. The letter written in Chinese dated 1953-08-27 was written by Tsui Siu-mei 徐少眉, manager of Ta Kung Book Co., to Chan Kwan-po, the then Fung Ping Shan librarian for borrowing 5 books which had been out-of-print, and promised to return them soon after use. The 51 Photographs of the University members and places were identified either by the donor or the owner. Included snapshots, photo postcards, redevelop image. Most photos are identified by names and locations. Names include Lau Kwok-chun, Mr and Mrs Chan kwan-po, Ma Kiam, Hsu Ti-shan, F.S. Drake, Zhou Enlai, Edmund Blunden, Robertson, Choi Sheung-kuo, Chan Po-[], Ngan Man-leung, Yu Huk-ming, Yam Mei-yam and Chinese Society students. Locations are Fung Ping Shan Library, outside the University Main Building, and Rural Training College, Tso Kung Tam, Clear Water Bay, Stony Brook, and Castle Peak Monastery in Hong Kong, Zhongnanhai in China, Public Library in Dever Colorado USA. Subjects of photos include outdoor banquet, school picnics, society events, visitation, exhibitions, painting works (exhibits), group photo and group meeting.

Dates

1940-1959, bulk 1947-1952

Creator

Xie, Ronggun (Donor, Person)

Extent

0.2 Cubic Feet (1 Folder in a Container Type-2 box) : 1 letter and 51 B/W photographs with various size

Language of Materials

Chinese

Additional Description

Bibliography

Chan Kwan-po was born in Zhongshan, Guangdong province. In 1917 he was awarded a Hewett Memorial Scholarship to study politics and economics at HKU. He returned to the University in 1934 as a Translator, and concurrently served as Librarian of the Fung Ping Shan Library. He joined Hsu Ti-shan in promoting new literarcy movements and advocating reform and promoted arts education at the University. During the World-war II, the Library fell into the hands of the Japanese. Chan remained to look after the holdings under the surveillance of the occupiers. During this time he also collected discarded birth certificate documents found at the Central Post Office and kept them in the Library. He performed the work of a government archivist when the government was no longer functioning. These papers became extremely important in confirming the identities of Hong Kong citizens in the post-war period. Chan was awarded an OBE in 1947. He retired in 1956 and continued to write.