Overview
As part of the celebrations for the National Archives of Singapore’s (NAS) 50th anniversary, NAS is holding a public photo exhibition titled Jubilee Photo Studio: Photographic Highlights from The National Archives. The main exhibition will be held at the lobby of the National Library Building from 30 March to 30 June 2019 in a space designed like a vintage photo studio, complete with a green screen photo booth (please refer to Annex A for artist impressions of the main and roving exhibitions. The photo booth will only be available at the main exhibition).
The exhibition of over 130 photographic gems from the archives showcases life in Singapore during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Please refer to Annex B for a list of photos, oral history quotations and studio portraits on display. Our shared heritage is captured through photographs such as:
Some of the photographs are brought to life by oral history quotations from notable individuals such as Mr M. Bala Subramanion, the first Asian head of postal services in Singapore; Mr Rod Lim, owner of Singapore bak kwa business, Lim Chee Guan Pte. Ltd; (Mr) Haji Buang bin Haji Siraj, who performed the Hajj in 1952, 1982 and 1985; and Mr William Martinus, former manager’s assistant at one of Britain’s oldest telecommunications company, Cable & Wireless.
In addition, photographs from the Lee Brothers Studio, a premium photo studio in pre-war Singapore will remind visitors of a time when portrait photography was reserved for special occasions, such as festive celebrations.
Time Travel Camera
The Time Travel Camera adds a modern twist to the main exhibition. Visitors can pose against historical postcard images such as Telok Ayer Street in the 1900s or Tanjong Katong in the 1920s at a green screen photo booth, and bring home a digital copy of their photographs by scanning a unique QR code at the photo booth. Please refer to Annex A for artist impressions of the Time Travel Camera.
Multimedia Stations
The main exhibition also includes multimedia stations for visitors to view a selection of nine significant photograph collections that have been preserved by NAS, including the K. F. Wong, Ronni Pinsler, and NAS’ Historical Postcards collections. These collections can also be accessed on NAS’ Archives Online at https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/. The multimedia stations will only be available at the main exhibition. For details on the collections in the exhibition, please refer to Annex C.
Roving exhibition
A roving exhibition of a smaller scale will be available at the revamped NAS building and two public libraries. By bringing the exhibition to various locations, we hope that more Singaporeans can enjoy our rich photograph and oral history collections and learn more about the nation’s history and heritage. The schedule of the roving exhibition is listed below.
About National Library Board
The National Library Board (NLB) nurtures Readers for Life, Learning Communities and a Knowledgeable Nation by promoting reading, learning and history through its network of 26 public libraries, the National Library and the National Archives of Singapore. NLB also forges strategic partnerships that encourage awareness, appreciation and greater discovery of Singapore’s history through its rich collections on Singapore and the region.
NLB achieves excellence through innovation, focusing on citizen engagement and co-creation, resource and digital innovation. This creates learning opportunities, greater access to library resources, services and archival collections, as well as a continual development of innovative library spaces. Established on 1 September 1995 as a statutory board, NLB is under the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI).
For more information, please visit www.nlb.gov.sg, Facebook and YouTube.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Mr Ernest Lee
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Tel: 6390 3327 / 9010 9719
Email: Ernest.Lee@hkstrategies.com
Ms Hannah Yeo
National Library Board
Tel: 6718 3662 / 8322 4965
Email: Hannah_Yeo@nlb.gov.sg
Annex A - ARTIST’S IMPRESSION OF THE JUBILEE PHOTO STUDIO MAIN & ROVING EXHIBITIONS