Vol. 10 Issue biblioasia03 OCT–DEC 2014 Isabella Bird Raffles Hotel & the Singapore in the Dorothy Cator Over 02 in Singapore 06 Romance of Travel 12 Early 19th Century 20 in North Borneo 30 Orchard Travel & Landscapes BiblioAsia Director’s Column Editorial & CONTENTS Vol. 10 / Issue 03 Oct–Dec 2014 Production How does one convey the idea of a city? Editor In her exuberant account of 19th-century Singapore, Isabella Bird wrote of a Stephanie Pee city that was full of character, thanks to the varying skin tones of its Oriental inhabit- OPINION ants and their exotic multi-hued costumes while deploring the pallid and detached Managing Editor European residents whose primary obsession was to faithfully send mail home each Francis Dorai week. Truly, a tale of two cities depending on which side of the divide you stand. Editorial Support 02 04 Lee Meiyu’s review of Chinese traveller Wang Dayuan’s description of Singapore, Masamah Ahmad Punkahs Exploring My almost half a millennium earlier in the 14th century, was similarly of a city straddling Veronica Chee Everywhere Own Backyard two divergent parts – a rich ruling royalty ensconced at Fort Canning Hill and a more depraved pirate lair that perhaps gave Singapore its infamous early reputation of Design and Print crime and danger. Oxygen Studio Designs Pte Ltd The destiny of early Singapore was shaped by the rock-solid faith investors Contributors had in the colony. When Raffles Hotel faced imminent bankruptcy in 1933, Gretchen Nor Afidah Abd Rahman, Liu reminds us of the sanguine official who mustered up support from the hotel’s Sufyan Alimon, Eunice Ang, shareholders by proclaiming: “I can only put it to you this way, that the measure of Sundari Balasubramaniam, Desiree Koh, Lee Meiyu, your faith in the shares which you hold in Raffles Hotel must be the measure of your Lim Tin Seng, Gretchen Liu, faith in the colony.” Janice Loo, Sin Yee Theng, FEATURES The portrayal of Singapore as a city of promise is similarly conspicuous in 19th- Bonny Tan,Fiona Tan, century accounts of Singapore by Westerners. Nor Afidah Abd Rahman describes Jessie Yak landscape paintings of early Singapore as almost “visual propaganda” – the island’s richness often depicted from vantage points of hills and elevated points so that the Please direct all 06 24 correspondence to: Raffles Hotel & the Planning a Nation: distant squalor and mangrove swamps were scarcely seen. National Library Board Perhaps the most truthful representation of a city is seen in the work of its faithful Romance of Travel The Concept Plan 100 Victoria Street #14-01 and tireless documenters. In “Lee Kip Lin: Kampung Boy Conservateur”, Bonny Tan National Library Building highlights the life of architect and lecturer Lee Kip Lin, who fastidiously documented Singapore 188064 Singapore’s changing landscape from the 1950s into the 80s. The resulting 17,000 Tel: +65 6332 3255 Fax: +65 6332 3611 slides and negatives of modern Singapore along with maps and rare photographs Email: [email protected] were generously donated to the National Library in 2009. Website: www.nlb.gov.sg This time last year, I was in Hong Kong delivering a speech on preserving a nation’s memories. Even as many of the Hong Kongers I met were deploring the The online edition of relentless pace of development in their city, it suddenly struck me that Hong Kong BiblioAsia is available at: http://www.nlb.gov.sg/ has the unmistakable aura of a consummate city. Each time I walk through the streets Browse/BiblioAsia.aspx 12 30 of Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui or Mong Kok, the distinct waft of old Hong Kong and the Singapore Through Over Orchard sounds and chatter of Cantonese make it impossible for me to think I am anywhere On the cover: the Eyes of 19th- else in the world except Hong Kong. “Singapore from Mount century Westerners In that light, I read Lim Tin Seng’s tracing of Singapore’s fast-changing landscape Wallich,1856” by Percy through planning instruments such as master and concept plans. The 1958 Ring Plan Carpenter (see page 12 for the full image). of satellite towns separated by green spaces, the waterways in the Green Blue Plan Courtesy of National of the 1991 Concept Plan and the core of the city centre as envisioned in the original Museum of Singapore, 1823 Raffles Town Plan – in each generation of planning, we see an emergent trait National Heritage Board that eventually became dominant in our cityscape. The idea of a place, city or otherwise, that is constantly shifting course and transforming itself is what travel writer Desiree Koh encountered in every Southeast All rights reserved. Asian destination she has visited since the 1980s – lovingly remembered in her article National Library Board, 16 40 on “Exploring My Own Backyard”. Singapore, 2014. Tales of the 胡文虎及其虎标药品 在新加坡报纸的广告 ISSN 0219-8126 (print) Dragon’s Tooth ISSN 1793-9968 (online) Strait 研究，1916–1954 Gene Tan The views of writers and con- Aw Boon Haw tributors do not reflect the views Director, National Library and His Tiger of the Publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced in Balm Newspaper any form or by any means without Advertisements prior written permission from the Publisher and copyright owner(s). 1916–1954 Whilst reasonable care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the in- formation in this publication, the 20 NL NOTES Publisher accepts no legal liabili- Writing from the ties whatsoever for the contents of BiblioAsia is a free quarterly publication produced by the National Library this magazine. Periphery: Dorothy Cator 46 52 56 Board. It features articles on the history, culture and heritage of Singapore in British North Lee Kip Lin: Designed for Use: In Vogue: Singapore within the larger Asian context, and has a strong focus on the collections Borneo Kampung Boy library@orchard Fashion Trends from and services of the National Library. BiblioAsia is distributed to local and Conservateur Makes a Comeback 1960s to 1990s international libraries, academic institutions, government ministries and agencies, as well as members of the public. 01 BIBLIOASIA OCT–DEC 2014 Vol. 10 / Issue 03 / Opinion Punkahs Everywhere One of the great travel writers of the 19th century, Isabella Bird (1831–1904) was one of the first female Isabella Bird was 47 when she visited Singapore. She had explorers and travellers. Wikimedia Commons. “View of Singapore from the Sea”, produced around 1848 by an unknown artist, offers a glimpse of what early travellers would have seen as they arrived in Singapore by sea. Courtesy of National Museum of just spent several months exploring Japan and was about white; Bombay merchants in great white Singapore, National Heritage Board. to embark on a journey through the Malay Peninsula. In turbans, full trousers, and draperies, all white, with crimson silk girdles; Malays in It is only the European part of Singapore shady alleys, in which crowds of buyers and between, she made a brief stop in Singapore and wrote red sarongs; Sikhs in pure white Madras which is dull and sleepy looking. No life and sellers chaffer over their goods, the Chinese about it in a letter to her sister in Edinburgh. muslin, their great height rendered nearly movement congregate round the shops. The shopkeepers asking a little more than they colossal by the classic arrangement of their merchants, hidden away behind jalousies in mean to take, and the Klings always asking draperies; and Chinamen of all classes, from their offices, or dashing down the streets in double. The bustle and noise of this quarter on the hope of going “home!” It is a dreary, the coolie in his blue or brown cotton, to the covered buggies, make but a poor show. Their are considerable, and the vociferation min- This extract is taken from Traveller’s Tales of Old Singapore by Michael Wise (2008), aimless life for them – scarcely life, only wealthy merchant in his frothy silk crepe houses are mostly pale, roomy, detached gles with the ringing of bells and the rapid published by Marshall Cavendish. This letter existence. The greatest sign of vitality in and rich brocade, make up an irresistibly bungalows, almost altogether hidden by the beating of drums and tom-toms, an intensely was first written by Isabella Bird in 1879 and Singapore Europeans that I can see is the fascinating medley. bountiful vegetation of the climate. In these heathenish sound. And heathenish this great published in The Golden Chersonese in 1883. furious hurry in writing for the mail. To all The Kling men are very fine-looking, their wives, growing paler every week, lead city is. Chinese joss-houses, Hindu temples, Reprinted with permission. sorts of claims and invitations, the reply is, lithe and active, and, as they clothe but little, half-expiring lives, kept alive by the efforts and Mohammedan mosques almost jostle “But it’s mail day, you know,” or, “I’m writing their forms are seen to great advantage. of ubiquitous “punkah-wallahs;” writing each other, and the indescribable clamour of had scarcely finished breakfast at the for the mail,” or, “I’m awfully behind hand The women are, I think, beautiful – not so for the mail, the one active occupation. At a the temples and the din of the joss-houses hotel, a shady, straggling building, with my letters,” or, “I can’t stir till the mail’s much in face as in form and carriage. I am given hour they emerge, and drive in given are faintly pierced by the shrill cry from the much infested by ants, when Mr. Cecil gone!” The hurry is desperate, and even the never weary of watching and admiring their An artist’s impression of clothing worn by Indian directions, specially round the esplanade, minarets calling the faithful to prayer, and Smith, the Colonial Secretary, and his feeble Englishwomen exert themselves for inimitable grace of movement.