HKU Bulletin May 2012 (Vol. 13 No. 2)

The illuminated manuscript letter of congratulations on our 50 th birthday from the Institutions of the Civil Engineers, the Mechanical Engineers, and the Electrical Engineers of Great Britain One of the original architectural drawings of the Main Building Relics Tell the Stories of HKU In this third of a series of stories on the University’s centenary, we look at how the past and present are interwoven in collections from the University Archives that chronicle the people and milestones of HKU. One hundred years is a long time to be collecting things and at HKU this has resulted in a University Archives with 3,000 linear metres of documents, paintings, silverwork, tapestries, a sword and many other valuable objects. Most of the items are kept in special archival storage facilities with security and environmental controls to ensure their preservation, but recently the University Archives brought some of the treasures into the light of day for a special exhibition and publication. “The whole point of the University Archives is to tell the story of HKU and make it available not only to HKU and the HKU family, but to the public, so they can understand these deep bonds between HKU and Hong Kong and between generations,” says University Archivist Stacy Belcher Gould. Some of the relics can be seen on these pages and in many cases represent the fruit of much restoration work. Fluctuating temperatures and humidity, pests and especially war have all done damage to the HKU collection. The most dramatic example is the portrait of Sir Cecil Clementi, former Governor of Hong Kong and lyricist of the HKU Anthem, which is the only surviving portrait from a group that hung in the Great Hall, now known as Loke Yew Hall. His portrait was removed during the Japanese occupation and survived, but suffered what appeared to be bayonet thrusts or bullet holes resulting in 11 major tears and more than 300 instances of paint loss. The picture was painstakingly restored by international conservator Dawne Steele Pullman who re-stretched it with copper nails backed by tyvek, cleaned the old varnishes off as well as the grime of decades, sanded it from the back, hand-mixed the pigments, and in-painted the repairs with tiny brushes. “Processing archive collections is labour intensive,” says Ms Gould. “We don’t just store things, we preserve and conserve them, we arrange, describe, build databases and assist researchers. We’re not the gatekeepers, we’re the path builders.” That path links past and present, and she hopes more people in the University and the community will come to appreciate its importance. “We’re trying to convey the excitement and passion we feel about HKU’s history. If we don’t do this now it will be gone, and once it’s gone, you don’t get it back.” 7KH RI¿FLDO VHDO RI +.8 7KH SRUWUDLW RI 6LU &HFLO &OHPHQWL EHIRUH UHVWRUDWLRQ OHIW DQG DIWHU UHVWRUDWLRQ ULJKW ZLWK 0V 6WDF\ %HOFKHU *RXOG 8QLYHUVLW\ $UFKLYLVW 'U WKH +RQRXUDEOH /HRQJ &KH KXQJ &KDLUPDQ RI WKH &RXQFLO DQG 3URIHVVRU /DS &KHH 7VXL 9LFH &KDQFHOORU The trowel used for laying the Foundation Stone for the Centennial Campus on March 16, 2010 War relics and officialdom Most of the University’s records and artefacts were destroyed or looted during the Japanese occupation, but one symbol of authority survived: the official seal of HKU. During the war, the seal’s cut-steel dies were detached from the hand press by Professor R.C. Robertson and smuggled to the British Army Aid Group (BAAG), and then made their way to London. They were later returned and the seal was re-assembled with the hand press, which had been hidden in the Hotung Engineering Workshop, – and continues to be used on all official University agreements and contracts. The BAAG was founded by future Vice- Chancellor Sir Lindsay Ride to help prisoners of war escape Japanese camps to Southern China, smuggle information about the occupying troops to the Allies, and resist the Japanese army. Uniforms, documents and other artefacts of the group are now part of the University Archives. So is Sir Lindsay’s sword which, because it has sharp edges, had to go through several red-tape hoops before the Customs and Excise Department would allow it back into Hong Kong three years ago. Foundation markers Three milestone ceremonies have involved the use of official trowels: the first ground- breaking in 1910, the redevelopment of the campus in 1978, and the Centennial Campus ground-breaking last year. All three trowels were on display together for the first time during the exhibition. The first trowel was fabricated in 14k yellow gold, with a carved ivory handle, two pieces of jadeite, and a gemstone that is possibly a pink tourmaline. The gold blade was annealed and softened in the process when it was soldered to the handle and it bent when laying mortar on the stone in 1910. The MacLehose Trowel is made of nickel alloy with gold plating. The Centennial Trowel was fabricated in brass, plated in 23k gold, and embellished with 10 pieces of jadeite jade. The original architectural drawings of the Main Building and first faculty quarters were donated by the great niece of former Governor Sir Frederick Lugard, who presided over HKU’s founding. They were rolled tightly into a tin tube that protected them from light, dust and extremes of humidity and temperature, thus helping to retain the brightness of their colours. However, it took six months for them to flatten and to remove a build- up of surface dirt on the drawings. 6LU /LQGVD\ 5LGH¶V VZRUG May 2012 07