The Trials of
Wong Foon Sing

SYNOPSIS

This exhibition was based upon an almost forgotten murder case that took place in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1924. My work was centered upon the murder of a Scottish nursemaid, Janet Smith at the home of F.L. Baker, a prominent exporter of pharmaceutical drugs. Because the prime suspect was a Chinese house boy, Wong Foon Sing, and the murder had occurred in the Shaughnessy Heights neighborhood, the ensuing investigation and court cases created a great deal of controversy. The involvement of a Point Grey reeve, the police, and a detective agency in the kidnapping and torture of Wong Foon Sing resulted in charges being laid against these officials. Although, Wong Foon Sing was charged with murder, he was eventually released for lack of evidence. Rumors of police cover up, and the involvement of the attorney general of the province as well as the wealthy and powerful, made this one of the more sensational news items of the day. The proposed extension of the law (The Janet Smith Bill) forbidding Chinese men from working in close proximity with white people failed after the many intriguing facts surrounding the scandal came to light. The Janet Smith murder remains unsolved.

PRESS

Keith Langergraber – The Trials of Wong Foon Sing – Hilary Wood, brunt, September 2005
Traveling on Our Breath: an online curatorial project – Curated by Daina Warren, grunt gallery, 2006