My Father and His Cameras

 My father was very fond of cameras and was the first to study Journalism in Yenching university from Sibu, besides economics, graduating in 1937. He probably bought his Rolleiflex before the war.

I am sure my very frugal and practical Grandfather would think that he was wasteful, Foochow style. My grandfather was a very practical man who loved mechanical gadgets and tools. He loved engines and kept all his farming tools in good conditions. He had a special liking for tools which he needed to work on concrete and wood work. Concrete or "Western Ash" Yong Hui, was only introduced to Sibu when the Lau King Howe Hospital was built. And after that, the Foochows believed that concrete could really solidify! That was a story from that time.

My grandfather for all intent and purpose was an excellent carpenter for stools and wooden shutters made by him were in those days, state of the art creations. He was also an excellent Chinese stove maker.

My father on the other hand was a scholar and was not skilled like my grandfather.

My paternal grandma Siew,equally frugal, used to say that my grandfather liked to ask whenever he came across something new, " Can it be eaten? How can it be used? Can it make money?"

But strangely, my spartan and frugal grandfather was happy with my father’s love for photography because he could "order" my father to make prints of the photographs he took, and grandfather would proudly give away the photos to relatives. Perhaps my grandfather remembered what Rev James Hoover had told him about photographs, as Rev Hoover was a keen photographer too. If the good reverend did not take photos of those days, probably the first pioneers would not have any photos to show today.

There were only very few photographers in the 1930's and 40's in Sibu in those days.

There is one good result of my grandfather’s loving gesture of printing photos for relatives - many relatives have some old photos now, otherwise they would have none to pass on.