News and Talks

My beautiful book Chinese Dress from the Qing dynasty to the Present, published by Tuttle at the beginning of 2008, was the culmination of 30 years of collecting and researching Chinese dress. By a lucky coincidence Harvard-Yenching library heard of this and asked if I would consider depositing my research notes and pictures, especially those from the New Territories, with them for safe keeping. Accordingly 2 large cartons are now at Harvard.

Photos taken from the 1970s-90s will be digitised at the University of Hong Kong as part of the HK Memory Project, and a set sent to Harvard to add to my collection. A wonderful finale to my years of collecting!

My Talks.

I am a frequent speaker at many organisations. In Hong Kong these include the Oriental Ceramic Society, Royal Asiatic Society, the Hong Kong Museum of History, the HK Textile Society, Corona society, directors of Coca Cola company, YWCA and AWA. Overseas I have been invited to speak at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney, the University of Singapore, the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, and the Macau Ricci Institute. I have been guest lecturer on the ship, The World, down the south China coast. Please contact me for information on the fifteen Powerpoint presentations and details of fees and minimum numbers.

My Trips

I led a two day visit to Guangzhou with a group of Friends of the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong on 8th-9th October 2009. The trip was written up for Guangzhou Morning Post - read all about it under Articles!

My Work for the HK Memory Project

I am presently working on a year long project for the HK Memory Project, run by HKU and funded by HK Jockey Club. I am updating my notes made from the 1970s-90s on Shataukok, the village in the northeastern part of the New Territories which straddles the border with China. Together with my assistant Sheena Yap, we are interviewing Hoklo and Hakka villagers on the changes they have witnessed over the past 50 years. The village has gone from a thriving fishing port to being almost deserted today.