Object biography of war relics: a case study on the Japanese pillboxes on Luk Keng Knoll

Abstract In the research context of the growing interest in the object biographies of World War II relics, this case study of the field surveys of the Japanese pillboxes on Luk Keng Knoll, Starling Inlet, in Hong Kong, is a good illustration of an object biography “written” by military enthusiasts. It shows that even amateur onsite photos and measurements that are published and facilitated by government aerial photography and/or survey mapping might have contributed to official grading and institutionally-sponsored professional site surveys.