Jan–Mar 2018

The documents that establish Southeast Asian as a major centre of learning, the stories behind old war photographs and the impact of female missionaries in colonial Singapore are some of the things we look at in this issue.

Director’s Note

Manuscripts from Our Global Past
An exhibition of old Southeast Asian writings showcases the region as a major centre of learning. Farish A. Noor explains why we should reclaim our heritage. (PDF)

The Stories They Could Tell
Old photographs and documents can reveal new things about our history, as Yu-Mei Balasingamchow discovered when she sieved through the National Archives’ war collections. (PDF)

Women on a Mission
Female missionaries in colonial Singapore have made their mark in areas such as education, welfare and health services. Jaime Koh looks at some of these intrepid trailblazers. (PDF)

Living It Up at the Capitol
Capitol Theatre was the premier venue for film and stage when it opened in 1930. Bonny Tan uses oral history recordings to piece together pre-war narratives of the theatre. (PDF)

Warm Tidings in a Cold War
Remittance letters between Singapore and China during the height of the Cold War from the 1950s–70s recount both the joy and angst of relationships across the miles. Dong Hui Ying delves deeper. (PDF)

Memory Laps: Pool-time Recollections
Between the mid-1930s and 1960, only four swimming pool complexes in Singapore were open for public use. Jocelyn Lau speaks to people who remember these pools. (PDF)

Recipes for the Ideal Singaporean Female
From cooking, cleaning and becoming a good mother to outsourcing housework as careers for women took off. Sheere Ng charts how home economics lessons have evolved over the years. (PDF)

Stamping History
Postage stamps are more than little squares of paper to be stuck on envelopes. Justin Zhuang discovers how stamps have helped forge Singapore’s identity over the past five decades. (PDF)

When Tigers Used to Roam: Nature & Environment in Singapore
Urban development has destroyed much of the original landscape, as Goh Lee Kim tells us. But Singapore has taken great strides in conserving its natural heritage. (PDF)

Kelly & Walsh: Purveyor, Publisher and Printer
Established in the 1880s, Kelly & Walsh was an iconic name in the Singapore book trade until its closure in 1956. Gracie Lee traces its history as bookseller, publisher and printer. (PDF)

May Singapore Flourish: Revisiting the Municipal Coat of Arms
In April 1948, the municipality of Singapore received a coat of arms by royal warrant. Mark Wong highlights the significance of this document. (PDF)

Textbooks We Remember
Shereen Tay pores through the National Library’s collection of old primary school English textbooks, and uncovers some classics in the process. (PDF)