Look back in wonder

Morrison had a knack for gaining her subjects' trust, and it may be that the limp she walked with - the result of childhood polio - only helped in this regard. "Knowing about her disability and short stay in Hong Kong, I appreciate Hedda Morrison's great passion and determination in going into every corner of the city," says Elaine Wong, assistant curator at Asia Society Hong Kong.

In 1947 - the same year Morrison departed - Lee Fook Chee stepped ashore as a seaman from his native Singapore. The 20-year-old learned the basics of photography at the studio of his cousin and began plying his trade on the Peak, taking and selling tourist portraits. In later years, he focused on photographing Hong Kong itself, still with tourists as his intended customers. Almost all Lee's cityscapes were produced between 1954 and 1960, a period of monumental change.

"He was a rare individual who had an innate talent that could never, perhaps, become fully flowered," says Stokes, "because he simply lacked the education or the means to take it further than he did."

"His resilient spirit mirrors the times," adds Wong, "with the city facing many challenges."