William Ah Young & Wah Lok. (c1925)
This is a rare studio portrait of my father William Ah Young with his brother Wah Lok taken in China about 1925. It was discovered in the possession of my nephew in 2016. It was originally owned by his mother who had died the previous year. He understood the photo was of his grandfather (William Ah Young) and others unknown to him. I was able to confirm the older man was Wah Lok as I had another image of him.
This is the first photo I had seen of my father as a young teenager. My oral history records indicate that Wah Lok was about 10 years older than my father. This image confirms that difference. Both subjects are wearing traditional formal Chinese attire. I often wonder what was the occasion for this photo? Why are there no other family members in this image? The smaller image in the bottom corner is also of my father (family consensus).
This image is important as a rare family photo of my father and uncle. It is a visual record of the age relationship of two brothers. Two brothers who in the next ten years leave China and depart their separate ways. William Ah Young to Australia and Wah Lok to Cuba. Sadly they did not communicate with each other and never saw each other ever again.
Terry Young
Image Source: Young/Woon Family Collection
Creator: unknown
Date of creation: About 1925
Place: Sunwei, China
People: William Ah Young 温振霞, Wah Lok 温振賀