Jan–Mar 2021

Kueh lapis (and its original variant spekkoek) trace their roots back to the Dutch colonial period in Southeast Asia. Find out how its buttery layers came together in our cover story.

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Director's Note

Love Is a Many-Layered Thing
Christopher Tan delves into the origins and history of kueh lapis legit, a cake famous for its exacting recipe. (PDF)

St Andrew’s Cathedral and the Mystery of Madras Chunam
Was Madras chunam used inside St Andrew’s Cathedral? Maybe not, says Yeo Kang Shua. (PDF)

Raffles Displaced
Once revered as the founder of Singapore, Stamford Raffles has been portrayed in a more complicated light in recent years, as Ng Yi-Sheng tells us. (PDF)

Remembering Robinsons
Generations of people have patronised Robinsons since its founding in 1858. Gracie Lee and Kevin Khoo highlight some of the milestones in its history. (PDF)

Stories From the Stacks
The National Library’s latest book, Stories from the Stacks, is a guide to the treasure trove of artefacts held in the library’s Rare Materials Collection. (PDF)

Let There Be Light
Timothy Pwee enlightens us about the history of street lighting in Singapore. (PDF)

The Extraordinary Life of Kunnuck Mistree
Indian convicts contributed much to early Singapore. Vandana Aggarwal uncovers the story of one convict who made good. (PDF)

The Young Ones
Photographs of children in the 1960s show how much Singapore has changed since. (PDF)

Becoming Modern By Design
The now-defunct Baharuddin Vocational Institute was Singapore’s first formal school for design. Justin Zhuang charts the history of the institute. (PDF)

A Rugged Society: Adventure and Nation-Building
The call to create a “rugged society” has resonated through the decades. Shaun Seah looks at how it shaped young people in the 1960s. (PDF)

Asthma, Amahs and Amazing Food
Irene Lim recalls herbal remedies, home-cooked meals and domestic servants in this extract from her memoir, 90 Years in Singapore. (PDF)