Media

Pictures of the Past: Hungarian Photographer Dezső Bozóky in Hong Kong
-- captured Hong Kong’s past through a foreign lens

25 Oct 2016

Man Mo Temple,124–126 Hollywood Road 
1908
Hand-coloured glass slide
30 x 30 cm

The University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG) of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) will collaborate with the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts in Budapest to present an exhibition Kong and publication Pictures of the Past: Hungarian Photographer Dezső Bozóky in Hong Kong featuring early photographic images by Dezső Bozóky from October 26, 2016 (tomorrow) to January 8, 2017.

Poised to learn more about Asia and to experience China firsthand, naval doctor Bozóky (1871–1957) travelled to the East during the first decade of the twentieth century, recorded his journey in a diary and photographed and self-developed hundreds of images that today present rare visual resources of the former colonial city and its busy and world-famous Victoria Harbour.

An opening ceremony of the exhibition was held at UMAG today (October 25). Officiating guests included General Director of the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts, Budapest, Dr László Baán, Consul General of Hungary in Hong Kong and Macau Dr Pál Kertész and UMAG Director Dr Florian Knothe.

In an ever more developing Hong Kong, Bozóky’s beautiful black-and-white and hand-coloured pictures present historic documents that allow us to re-trace their master’s steps and offer insights into the bustling merchant town, culturally mixed society and lush natural landscape that he encountered. Bozóky’s images displayed a foreign world to his compatriots at home where they formed a treasure trove of information in the early 1900s Budapest, just as they do today.

Details of the Exhibition
Period: September 26 (Wednesday) to January 8, 2017 (Sunday)
Opening Hours:
09:30 – 18:00 (Monday to Saturday)
13:00 – 18:00 (Sunday)
Closed on University and Public Holidays
Venue: 1/F, Fung Ping Shan Building, UMAG, 90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam
Tel/Email: (852) 2241 5500 (General Enquiry) / museum@hku.hk
Admission: Free
Website: http://www.umag.hku.hk/en/

Connect with UMAG on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/umag.hku
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UMAG_HKU
Instagram: #Hungary, #OldHK, #Photographs, #Black&White, #HKUMAG
Weibo: @香港大學美術博物館UMAG

About University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong (UMAG)
UMAG was founded in 1953 as the Fung Ping Shan Museum. It was originally established as the Fung Ping Shan Library in 1932 in honour of its benefactor. For more information on UMAG, please click here.

Media enquiries
UMAG Communications Officer Miss Elena Cheung, Tel: (852) 2241 5512, Email: elenac@hku.hk

Hong Kong Harbour:
Queen's Building, Central waterfront, and Kowloon Ferry Pier
1908
Hand-coloured glass slide
30 x 30 cm

60 Queen's Road, Central,
looking towards the Pedder Street Clock Tower; 

Sign for D. Noma Tattoo Artist
1908
Hand-coloured glass slide
30 x 30 cm

(From left to right) Ribbon-cutting ceremony by General Director of the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts, Budapest, Dr László Baán, Consul General of Hungary in Hong Kong and Macau Dr Pál Kertész, UMAG Director Dr Florian Knothe, Director of the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts, Budapest Dr Győrgyi Fajcsák and UMAG Associate Curator Mr Cris Mattison.