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An exhibition of photos, videos and publications to mark the Information Services Department's (ISD) 50th anniversary will not only showcase the department's evolution over the decades, it will also be an enticing stroll down memory lane.
Open from 10am to 7.30pm at Hong Kong Central Library's Exhibition Gallery on September 15 and 16, the Information Services Department 50th Anniversary Exhibition will feature about 200 historical and contemporary photos.
Exhibits will be arranged mostly in chronological order to let visitors see how the department has grown and changed in tandem with Hong Kong's development.
The exhibits highlight the ISD's early days, and include photos of workers piecing together plastic flowers in the 1960s and residents queuing to get water from public pipes during a severe drought in 1963.
Movie star Nancy Kwan features in another photo. She was engaged by the department in 1966 to act in a short colour drama entitled "The Magic Stone" based on a local legend on the origin of Amah Rock.
In the 1970s and '80s, the department extended its structure and functions. Photos from this era include the Hong Kong Pavilion at the World Exposition in Osaka in 1970. The department's Design and Display Section produced the pavilion, which resembled a traditional fishing junk.
Other photos show a publicity exercise for the Keep Hong Kong Clean campaign staged at the Star Ferry concourse in Central in 1972, as well as the famous "lap sap chung" (litter bug) cartoon character that was designed by the department.
In the late '80s, the Government announced Hong Kong's largest construction project ¡V the building of a new international airport at Chek Lap Kok and associated infrastructure, which included the Airport Express railway, the North Lantau Expressway, the Kap Shui Mun and Tsing Ma Bridges, the West Kowloon Reclamation, the Western Harbour Crossing and West Kowloon Expressway.
The ISD was responsible for the extensive publicity for this massive initiative - the Airport Core Programme.
A photo from that period also shows ISD officers on emergency duty at the department's old headquarters at Beaconsfield House, Central, during the passage of a typhoon.
In the '90s, the department prepared for the media coverage of the 1997 Handover. About 6,500 journalists descended on the city to cover the event. Several photos serve as reminders of this historic milestone.
The department has been keenly involved in promoting Hong Kong to the world.
To showcase Hong Kong's strengths to international audiences after reunification, the Government launched the "Brand Hong Kong" programme in 2001 to promote Hong Kong as Asia's world city.
The brand was launched on May 11, 2001, at the Fortune Global Forum - attended by distinguished guests who included President Jiang Zemin and former US President Bill Clinton, captured in a photo in the exhibit.
Major events in which ISD staff members have inevitably been involved this decade included the SARS outbreak in 2003, the World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference in 2005 and the Olympic equestrian events last year.
Photos from this period include Premier Wen Jiabao visiting a SARS- affected family in 2003, and China¡¦s first astronaut Yang Liwei autographing a poster designed by ISD staff to promote his visit to Hong Kong that year.
With the theme "50 Years of Dedicated Information Services", the exhibition is a visual showcase of the ISD's evolution and work over the past 50 years.
From learning about the changes that the department has undergone, visitors will also better appreciate the growing sophistication of Hong Kong through the decades, from colonial times to the present day as a Special Administrative Region of China.
Visitors will also see how technological advances have enhanced the way the department disseminates information to the media and the public.
Another exhibition section will feature award-winning government video messages on topics including Keep Hong Kong Clean, road safety, fight crime, anti-smoking, elections and environmental protection. Hundreds of publications ranging from posters to books and leaflets will also be on show.
Established on April 1, 1959, the ISD is the Government's public relations consultant, publisher, advertising agent and news agency, providing the link between the administration and the media to enhance public understanding of government policies, decisions and activities.
The scope of the department's work includes public relations support to government bureaux and departments, local and overseas promotions, media research, photography, video and creative design, book sales and government advertising.
Ends/Sunday, September 6, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:00
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