Apr–Jun 2018

In this issue, we uncover the real story behind Singapore's national flower, learn about biological warfare efforts and find out more about a band of extraordinary women who fought to overthrow British rule in India.

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Director’s Note

Blooming Lies: The Vanda Miss Joaquim Story
Is the Vanda Miss Joaquim a human-made hybrid or a happy accident? In this cautionary tale, Nadia Wright, Linda Locke and Harold Johnson recount how fiction becomes truth when it is repeated often enough. (PDF) ↗ (opens in new tab)

Portraits from the Lee Brothers Studio
Gretchen Liu casts the spotlight on the Lee Brothers Studio Collection. Comprising some 2,500 images, this is the largest single collection of photographic portraits in the National Archives of Singapore. (PDF) ↗ (opens in new tab)

Secret War Experiments in Singapore
The story of the Imperial Japanese Army farming bubonic plague-bearing fleas as biological weapons is very much fact, not fiction. Cheong Suk-Wai delves deeper. (PDF) ↗ (opens in new tab)

Hunting Down the Malayan Mata Hari
Ronnie Tan pieces together the fascinating story of Lee Meng, the Malayan Communist Party female agent who headed its courier network for a brief period in 1952. (PDF) ↗ (opens in new tab)

St John’s Island: From Gateway to Getaway
St John’s Island was once home to new migrants, opium addicts and political detainees. Marcus Ng charts the island’s transformation from a place of exile to an oasis of idyll. (PDF) ↗ (opens in new tab)

Chinese Renaissance Architecture
This unique style of architecture only reigned for five decades in China, yet several buildings in Singapore still bear the hallmarks of this hybrid form, says Julian Davison. (PDF) ↗ (opens in new tab)

Warrior Women: The Rani of Jhansi Regiment
A band of extraordinary women rose above oppression and poverty in Malayan plantations to overthrow the British in colonial India. Meira Chand has the story. (PDF) ↗ (opens in new tab)

Four Taps: The Story of Singapore Water
From a hole in the ground to running water at the turn of the tap. Lim Tin Seng tells us how far Singapore has come in its search for water. (PDF) ↗ (opens in new tab)

文言与白话的抗争与磨合: 近代华文教学语体的蜕变历程
Classical and Modern Chinese education in Mainland China and Taiwan has been debated for over a century. Chua Chee Lay analyses its development and provides valuable lessons from history. (PDF) ↗ (opens in new tab)

Ramen Teh: Food, War and Memory
Eric Khoo tells us how the Japanese Occupation, ramen noodles and bak kut teh became the inspiration for his latest film. Lu Wenshi finds out more. (PDF) ↗ (opens in new tab)

First Issues: Publications From the Past
Launch issues can make or break a new publication. Barbara Quek shares highlights of first issues from NLB’s Legal Deposit Collection. (PDF) ↗ (opens in new tab)