Singapore Through 19th Century Prints & Paintings

Wong Hong Suen
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet and National Museum of Singapore, 2009
ISBN: 9789814260077

As sea transport evolved from sail to steam, the 19th century witnessed an explosion of travel, and Singapore - a port of call at the maritime crossroads of India and China - thrived as a result. Grand voyages of scientific exploration, trade and colonial conquest brought many visitors to Singapore, and globe-trotting tourists began to arrive in growing numbers as travel became increasingly convenient.

Today, we owe much of our understanding of early colonial Singapore, the city's appearance and the daily life of its inhabitants to the accounts of travellers. While many recorded their impressions in writing, some captured their in prints and paintings. Colonial administrators and surveyors also contributed to this body of work, and their colourful creations - now displayed in this book - have a special significance today as some of the few surviving visual records of Singapore's early history.

As Singapore developed into a major entrepot, documenting the changes to the natural and urban environment became a significant undertaking, resulting in many artworks that divulge intriguing details about a dynamic time. Two essays, along with comprehensive captions for each print and painting, offer insight into the context in which the images were produced.

Echoing the journeys that travellers to Singapore undertook - the places they went and the sights they saw - Singapore through 19th Century Prints and Paintings reveals how visitors made sense of the landscape, providing a vivid picture of modern Singapore in its first century.