‘We didn’t know about the lives of Hong Kong people’: how a pictorial history of the then British colony changed a museum director’s life

Brian Lam Kwok-fai, the director of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, shares his experience with a book that significantly impacted his life. The book, titled 'Hong Kong 100 Years Ago: A Picture-Story of Hong Kong in 1870', was initially a catalogue for an exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of History. It contains a wealth of images depicting Hong Kong in the 19th century. Brian first encountered this book during his visit to the Hong Kong Museum of History in 1990. Prior to this, he had not visited any museums in Hong Kong. Nowadays, museums like M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum are easily accessible through television and social media. However, in the 1980s, museums did not enjoy the same level of exposure. At the time of his visit, Brian was a student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, studying in the education department. He aspired to become a teacher after completing his degree in history and was pursuing a diploma in education. His tutor advised him to visit the Hong Kong Museum of History and utilize it as a learning resource. The museum boasted impressive displays about Hong Kong's history. Brian and his peers learned how to incorporate stone inscriptions, public records, booklets, and other manuscripts into their teaching content. Despite purchasing the book during his visit, Brian did not foresee his future role as a curator. He realized that his knowledge of Hong Kong's history was lacking, despite his ambition to become a history teacher. As a secondary school student, his curriculum included Chinese history and world history, but not Hong Kong history. His undergraduate studies primarily focused on Chinese history. He was aware of the opium wars and the interactions between the Qing government and the British, but he knew little about the everyday lives of Hong Kong's residents in the past. Questions about their leisure activities and the architectural style of the city intrigued him. Reading the book was a revelation for Brian. It provided a glimpse into the old buildings and the faces of Hong Kong Island's inhabitants in the 19th century. It's often challenging to gain insights into the lives of ordinary people, and these photographs serve as a valuable resource to enhance our understanding. In 1990 and 1991, Brian was a secondary school teacher. He felt a strong desire to return to academia and pursue a master's degree in history. The university's history department offered him a tutoring role, which he could undertake alongside his studies. This opportunity altered his career trajectory. Upon graduation, he noticed a job advertisement for a curator position at the History Museum. His ultimate goal was to educate people about history, and working in a museum would enable him to fulfill this ambition. He finds the book's content incredibly rich, covering various aspects of life in the 19th century. It serves as an excellent reference when preparing exhibitions and seeking information about Hong Kong's history. The book is a treasure trove of information.