PERSONAL IDENTITY THROUGH ARCHITECTURE IN SINGAPORE AT THE TURN OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY by VALERIE A. WINGFIELD A THESIS Presented to the Department of Art History and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts June 2012 THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Student: Valerie A. Wingfield Title: Personal Identity Through Architecture in Singapore at the Turn of the Nineteenth Century This thesis has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Art degree in the Department of Art History by: Albert Narath Chair Erin Cunningham Member Charles Lachman Member and Kimberly Andrews Espy Vice President for Research & Innovation/Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded June 2012 ii © 2012 Valerie A. Wingfield This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (United States) License. iii THESIS ABSTRACT Valerie A. Wingfield Master of Arts Department of Art History June 2012 Title: Personal Identity Through Architecture in Singapore at the Turn of the Nineteenth Century People from many different ethnic backgrounds settled in Singapore over the course of the nineteenth century, making new lives for themselves on an island with very little recent human habitation. The homes they chose to build for themselves reflected new, sometimes aspirational, hybrid identities. A close observation of these structures helps to form a more complete picture of social conditions in turn of the century Singapore. iv CURRICULUM VITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: Valerie A. Wingfield GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon Mills College, Oakland, California University of Edinburgh, Scotland Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, Merrimack, New Hampshire DEGREES AWARDED: Master of Arts , Art History, June 2012, University of Oregon Bachelor of Arts, History and Minor in Asian Studies, May 2006, Mills College v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my friends and family for their unflagging support during this assuredly trying process. Without the formatting and copy editing of my parents Isaac and Lissa, as well as close friends Rich and Vicki, this thesis would look much shabbier and be rather harder to read. Thanks also to my advisor, Albert Narath for his creative thinking on demand through this process when things seemed quite bleak, deserves many thanks as well. Finally, I would like to thank Damien for his great patience and support throughout this trying process. You're amazing. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 1 About the Study.............................................................................................. 1 Research Restrictions................................................................................... 3 II. ESTABLISHMENT OF TERMS....................................................................... 5 Self-Identification Through Architecture........................................................... 5 Foundation of Singapore.................................................................................. 7 East India Company and Raffles................................................................... 7 Territorial Claims........................................................................................ 8 Disputed Ownership.................................................................................. 11 Conflict of Interest.................................................................................... 12 III. THE RAFFLES PLAN....................................................................................15 Allocation of Land......................................................................................... 15 Social Engineering.................................................................................... 16 Progressive Policies.................................................................................... 18 Racial Policies........................................................................................... 20 Social Conditions in Singapore 1860-1900....................................................22 Reasons for Growth................................................................................... 22 Colonial Governance..................................................................................24 IV. HOMES AS SIGNIFIERS OF IDENTITY....................................................26 Introduction.................................................................................................. 26 Performative Identity in the Straits Settlements...............................................27 Defining Terms......................................................................................... 27 vii Chapter Page Chinese in Singapore..................................................................................... 27 Working Poor........................................................................................... 27 Middlemen of Trade...................................................................................29 Merchant-Princes...................................................................................... 31 Relevant Conditions in China..................................................................... 32 Evolution of Wealthy Chinese Identity............................................................ 34 Architectural Evolution.............................................................................. 34 Chinese Investment in Community............................................................. 35 Malays in Singapore....................................................................................... 37 First Arrivals............................................................................................. 37 Malay Identity Through Architecture..............................................................39 Traditional Homes.....................................................................................39 Malay Domestic Conditions....................................................................... 44 Analysis of a Typical Malay Home in Singapore..........................................45 Indians in Singapore...................................................................................... 49 Modes of Arrival........................................................................................ 49 Indian Domestic Conditions....................................................................... 51 Analysis of a Typical Indian Home.............................................................54 V. DEFINING THE ANGLO EXPERIENCE.......................................................57 Postcolonial Considerations............................................................................ 57 Attempting to Enforce a Racial Order......................................................... 60 Englishmen Overseas..................................................................................... 62 Favored Architectural Form....................................................................... 62 Architectural Lineage..................................................................................... 63 Coleman................................................................................................... 63 viii Chapter Page Bidwell...................................................................................................... 66 Factors in Popularity......................................................................................71 British Pride............................................................................................. 71 Racial Insecurity........................................................................................ 72 VI. CONCLUSION............................................................................................... 75 Summation................................................................................................... 75 Possible Further Research.......................................................................... 77 APPENDICES...................................................................................................... 79 A ANGLO-CHINESE RELATIONS...........................................................79 B. CULTURALLY PLURAL SOCIAL HIERARCHY IN COLONIAL SINGAPORE.............................................................................................. 82 REFERENCES CITED............................................................................... 84 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. A Somewhat European-Styled Home....................................................................34 2. Traditional Malay Home...................................................................................... 40 3. A Standard Floor Plan in a Traditional Home......................................................42 4. How a Traditional Home Stays Cool.................................................................... 43 5. Front and Side Elevation of a Typical Home.........................................................47 6. Side Elevation of Shophouses.............................................................................. 54 7. A Typical "Tudorbethan" in England.....................................................................63