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Vol. 12 Issue biblioasia02 2016 JUL–SEP 02 / A Grandmother’s Story 06 / The Story of Bahau 12 / Servants and “Mems” 20 / Forgotten Foods 26 / Bygone Brands 42 / Marshall’s Apple Tree BiblioAsia Director’s Note Editorial & CONTENTS Vol. 12 / Issue 02 Jul–Sep 2016 Production They say some stories should never be told, and indeed there are some skeletons that Managing Editor are best left in the closets where they belong. History is filled with many examples of Francis Dorai perpetrators who attempt to erase – thankfully without much success – horrific crimes OPINION against humanity from living memory: the Nanjing massacre in China comes to mind, Editor and closer to home, Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge genocide. Veronica Chee My Grandmother’s Story Singapore’s history, while much less dramatic, is no less interesting in its own Editorial Support 02 way. Some stories have yet to be told (people always surprise me with secrets they've Masamah Ahmad kept hidden for years) while there are many more stories that are in grave danger of Stephanie Pee being forgotten. This issue of BiblioAsia unearths some of the stories and memories of yesteryear, and celebrates the unsung heroes who have charted the course of our history. Design and Print Her grandmother’s unexpected recollection of how Japanese soldiers came Oxygen Studio Designs Pte Ltd looking for women one fateful night in 1942 sets Yu-Mei Balasingamchow thinking about Contributors unspoken memories and the stories that haven’t been written yet. Yu-Mei Balasingamchow 02 Still on the subject of World War II, Fiona Hodgkins – whose mother and her family Chen Jieyun were resettled in remote Bahau in Malaya during the Japanese Occupation years – tells Sue-Ann Chia Joey Chin a personal story of a wartime atrocity that few Singaporeans know of. Francis Dorai FEATURES On a lighter note, food columnist Sylvia Tan recalls some of the foods and flavours Fiona Hodgkins she grew up with in 1960s Singapore (handmade ice balls, anyone?), while Janice Loo Pattarin Kusolpalin Bahau: A Utopia that regales us with an engaging colonial-era account of European mems and their love-hate Leong Hui Chuan 06 Went Awry relationship with the domestic help. Janice Loo Among the many intrepid early settlers in Singapore was a lone Japanese man Marcus Ng Seow Peck Ngiam Mem, Don’t Mess with by the name of Yamamoto Otokichi – from remote Mihama in Aichi Prefecture – who in Bonny Tan 12 the Cook! 1862 became the first Japanese to make this island his home. Bonny Tan tells us how Sylvia Tan he ended up in Singapore. Chris Tang Forgotten Foods & The Singapore Volunteer Corps (SVC), which had its headquarters on Beach Road, was the precursor of the Singapore Armed Forces. Francis Dorai recounts the glory days Please direct all 20 Mealtime Memories 06 12 correspondence to: of the SVC from its modest beginnings in 1854 to when it disbanded some 130 years later. National Library Board Nursing too has come a long way since the time of Raffles when chained convicts Bygone Brands: Five 100 Victoria Street #14-01 doubled up as nurses. Pattarin Kusolpalin pays a tribute to our “angels in white” – National Library Building 26 Names That Are No More especially timely since Singapore celebrates Nurses Day on 1 August. Singapore 188064 David Marshall, who became Singapore’s first Chief Minister in 1955, used to Email: [email protected] Singapore’s First deliver his fiery lunchtime speeches – often railing against the British – under an “apple Website: www.nlb.gov.sg Japanese Resident: 32 tree” in Empress Place. Was it really an apple tree? Marcus Ng unravels this mystery. On the cover: Yamamoto Otokichi Whiteaways, Setron and Three Rifles are just three bygone brand names that It was not unusual for people of a certain vintage would remember. Sue-Ann Chia traces the history of these European households to have Beach Road Camp and and other household names that no longer exist in Singapore. several domestic servants the Singapore Volunteer Fortunately, the Eu Yan Sang brand, synonymous with traditional Chinese medi- during the colonial era in 36 Singapore and Malaya. As Corps cine, is still very much alive and thriving. Seow Peck Ngiam highlights a selection of seen in this illustration (from 20 26 32 business-related ephemera – receipts, invoices, bills, remittance notes, letters and the the left): houseboy (“Boy”), like – from the National Library’s Rare Materials collection. cook (“Cookie”), nanny (amah) On a final note, the National Library is pleased to announce the launch of a new and the water-carrier (tukang The Fruit of his Labour: service, the Index to Singapore Information (ISI). The ISI is a comprehensive archive of air). All rights reserved, Gibson, A. (1928).The Malay 42 David Marshall’s Old index records that lists articles on or related to Singapore – or written by Singaporeans Apple Tree Peninsula and Archipelago. – in magazines and periodicals. Chris Tang and Leong Hui Chuan tell you more about London: J. M. Dent. this service that is now available on our OneSearch portal. Angels in White: Early We hope you enjoy reading this edition of BiblioAsia. 48 Nursing in Singapore All rights reserved. National Library Board, Singapore, 2016. Mrs Wai Yin Pryke ISSN 0219-8126 (print) Director ISSN 1793-9968 (online) National Library The views of writers and con- 36 42 48 tributors do not reflect the views of the Publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without LEE KIP LIN through the lens of lens of the through “This is an important book on Singapore’s history and on our built heritage. Reading the book has prior written permission from the made me more determined to conserve our historic buildings, places and neighbourhoods.” through the lens of — toMMNLy koH , HonorAry cHAIrMAn, nAtIonALNOTES HerItAGe BoArD Publisher and copyright owner(s). “Lee Kip Lin spent much of his time photographing what he feared would disappear under the LAi Chee Kien is an architectural and urban Lee Kip Lin (1925–2011) was a well-known sledgehammer of redevelopment. He has left us with an invaluable record of buildings and places, historian, as well as a registered architect in LEE KIP LIN architectural historian, educator and many of which have disappeared over time. This book is a must-read document that captures the Whilst reasonable care has been Singapore. he researches mainly on the histories qualities and textures of Singapore’s buildingBest and landscape heritage.” Non-Fiction Photographs of Singapore 1965 –1995 professional architect. After graduating of art, architecture, settlements, urbanism and — tAy kHenG Soon, ForMer PreSIDent oF tHe SInGAPore InStItute oF ArcHItectS from University College of London’s Bartlett taken to ensure the accuracy of landscapes in Southeast Asia. he graduated School of Architecture in 1955, Lee returned from the national University of Singapore with Book of The Year 2016 to Singapore to practise, and subsequently the information in this publica- an M. Arch. by research in 1996, and a phD in 54 began teaching architecture at the Singapore history of Architecture & Urban Design from the polytechnic from 1961, and later at the BiblioAsia is a free quarterly publication produced by the National Library Board. It tion, the Publisher accepts no University of California, Berkeley in 2005. his University of Singapore from 1969. in the publications include A Brief History of Malayan Singapore of Photographs 1970s, he was a member of the p reservation legal liabilities whatsoever for Art (1999), Building Merdeka: Independence of Monuments Board and advocated many features articles on the history, culture and heritage of Singapore within the larger Asian Architecture in Kuala Lumpur, 1957–1966 (2007) Index to Singapore efforts to conserve buildings and historic the contents of this magazine. and Cords to Histories (2013). he collaborated districts in Singapore. From 1982 onwards, 1965–1995 with Koh hong Teng for the graphic novel he researched and published several books context, and has a strong focus on the collections and services of the National Library. Last Train from Tanjong Pagar (2014), which Information on architectural and urban heritage, among introduces readers to the railway histories of 56 them the seminal work The Singapore House: Singapore and Malaysia. 1819–1942 (1988). BiblioAsia is distributed to local and international libraries, academic institutions, Eu Tong Sen and His In 2009, the family of the late Lee Kip Lin donated to the National Library Board, Singapore government ministries and agencies, as well as members of the public. The online over 14,500 slides and negatives of modern Singapore that he had taken, among other items of historical merit such as maps, rare photographs and prints,Business and books. Over three decades Empire from 1965 to 1995, Lee captured the many landscapes and buildings that would eventually edition of BiblioAsia can be viewed at: http://www.nlb.gov.sg/biblioasia/ disappear from the island and 58its shores. Close to 500 photographs have been reproduced in this 54 56 Front cover 58 BAck cover book to showcase the exuberance and eloquence of the different余东旋与他的商业帝国 built forms – in an era when time orchard road, looking towards tanglin (1983). the urban this early 1970s photograph by ray tyers, in Lee’s collection, and space in Singapore was more accommodating. history of orchard road developed in two stages; the first shows the junction of robinson road (left) and cross road took place at the end of orchard road near Dhoby Ghaut, (right) where shophouses were being torn down. Hong as shown in the photograph with Amber Mansions on the Leong Building, built in 1975, now occupies the area. In the left, and various showrooms on the right.