Provenance in Books in a Post British Colony

Examples from the University Archives and Special Collection at the University of Hong Kong

Authors

  • Garfield Lam University of Hong Kong

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26686/arch.10593

Keywords:

University of Hong Kong, Special Collections, Provenance

Abstract

This essay aims to introduce the research in provenance of some of the western books in both the Morrison Library and Hankow Club Collection held by the Special Collection (SC) and Edmund Blunden’s rare books collected by the University Archives (UA) at the University of Hong Kong Libraries (HKUL). The provenance includes their history of use and acquisition, physicality, marks of ownership, colonial legislation that affects acquisition, and the loss of ownership during the Japanese Occupation. It will also discuss the different bookplates found in some of the books and the use of the University Coat of Arms which indicates colonial ties.

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Author Biography

Garfield Lam, University of Hong Kong

Garfield currently works as Head of Archives, Special Collections and Preservation and Conservation at The University of Hong Kong Libraries. He previously worked as Archivist at the Legislative Council of Hong Kong SAR Government, and Archives Manager Asia-Pacific at the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. He serves as Executive Bureau Member of Section on University and Research Institution Archives of International Council on Archives (ICA-SUV).

Garfield is a member of the Academy of Certified Archivists (CA) in the USA, Chartered Librarian of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (MCLIP), and Fellow of Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). He has a Master of Science of Library and Information Management (Hong Kong), Master of Arts in Museum Studies (Sydney), Master of Letters in Archival Studies (Dundee), a BSSc (Hons) in German Studies (Leipzig), and a Postgraduate Certificate in History of the Book (London).

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Published

2022-01-01

Issue

2022

Section

Articles