A mother and her young son sit alongside one of many professional letter writers who could be found on any Hong Kong street in those days when illiteracy was not unknown in many hard-working families. A large number of these poorer households still had older relatives in mainland China with whom they still had regular contact with.
As Hong Kong itself prospered and free education was expanded illiteracy began to dramatically decline however even until the late 1930s some professional letter writers still plied their trade on the 'Streets of Old Hong Kong'.