I’ve always in the past stayed in Central, normally at the Mandarin, but this time am at the Peninsula in Kowloon. They support art projects with the RA. I like the ceremony of arrival in Hong Kong, the old fashioned and hyper elaborate courtesy. This is my attempt to do an Alvin Langdon Coburn of the view from the hotel:-
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 
I’m ashamed to say that I’d never heard of Alvin Langdon Coburn but as I liked your photo of Hong Kong skyscrapers I looked him up. What an interesting life he had, mysticism , vorticsm – and such wonderful photographs. I particularly like House of a Thousand Windows 1912, NYC. I wonder if the building that features in it is still standing .. as I couldn’t find a reference to the building itself. I was also interested to see that he lived his early life in East Springfield Street, Boston – I’ve just returned from a new england holiday and stayed in an apartment on that same street in Boston’s South End, different number but if I go back I’ll look to see if there’s a historic plaque.
Yes, an amazing and fascinating life in which he moved to Harlech, destroyed most of his negatives, turned to mysticism and died in Rhos-on-Sea.
Thanks for another great “Coburnesque” and HK Harbour one of my favourite views! “House of 1000 Windows” still there in NYC – Liberty Tower in Liberty Square. No historic plaque on Coburn’s home in East Springfield St, Boston, but one on his home in Harlech. Luckily, in the early 1960s, Paul Strand advised him not to destroy all his remaining negatives so he donated c.18,000 to George Eastman Museum.
Dear Pam, Thank you for this. Must look out for his house next time I’m in Harlech. Charles