Launch of New Stamps with Images of Singapore River from Rare Materials Collection of the National Library
The National Library Board (NLB) and Singapore Post Limited (SingPost) have collaborated to produce a set of stamps that highlight the Singapore River as the cradle of the nation’s economic development and urban transformation in the early 19th century.
Please see Annex A for more details on the stamps.
The Singapore River occupies an important place in the history of Singapore with visual records often depicting it as the focal point of commercial activity and urban development. These prints shown on the stamps have been specially selected from the rare materials collections found in the National Library.
This collection also represents our ongoing collaboration with partners like SingPost to bring more Singapore Stories to everyone as part of our LAB25 Singapore Storyteller role. The stamp set will be available for purchase at $4.35, First Day Cover affixed with stamps at $5.95 and Presentation Pack at $7.05 (all prices GST-inclusive). These can be purchased at all SingPost branches, SingPost’s online store at https://shop.singpost.com and philatelic stores.
Annex A
Source
On the River, Singapore
Joseph Beete Jukes, Narrative of the Surveying Voyage of H.M.S. Fly: Commanded by Captain F.P. Blackwood, R.N. in Torres Strait, New Guinea, And Other Islands of the Eastern Archipelago, During the Years 1842–1846: Together with an Excursion into the Interior of the Eastern Part of Java, Vol. 2, facing page 214.
London: T. & W. Boone, 1847.
Collection of National Library, Singapore
Description
This print depicts the Singapore River, as viewed from upstream towards its entrance. The sketch was made by H.S. Melville (1824–1894), a draughtsman on HMS Fly, which visited Singapore in July 1845. It showcases the river as a hub of commercial activity with shophouses and godowns lining its banks, as well as boats transporting goods and passengers.
Source
Vue prise à Sincapour (View Taken in Singapore)
Auguste-Nicholas Vaillant,Voyage Autour du Monde: Exécuté Pendant les Années (1836 et 1837 sur la Corvette La Bonite, Commandée par M. Vaillant, Capitaine de Vaisseau (Travel Around the World: Conducted During the Years 1836 to 1837 on the corvette La Bonite, Commanded by Mr Vaillant, Captain of the Ship), Plate 72
Paris: A. Bertrand, 1840–1866.
Collection of National Library, Singapore
Description
The French corvette (or small warship) La Bonite, commanded by Captain Auguste-Nicolas Valliant (1793–1858), stopped in Singapore in February 1837 during its circumnavigational voyage around the world. An artist on this expedition, Barthélemy Lauvergne (1805–1871), made five sketches of Singapore, including this view from the south bank of the Singapore River towards Chinatown with Pearl’s Hill in the background. The Chinese had formed the core of the urban population that had settled on the southwestern bank of the river. The sketch depicts a group of Chinese crossing a bridge, with Chinese-style houses in the foreground.
Source
View of the Town and Roads of Singapore from the Government Hill
John Crawfurd, Journal of an Embassy from the Governor-General of India to the Courts of Siam and Cochin-China: Exhibiting a View of the Actual State of Those Kingdoms, frontispiece. London: Henry Colburn, 1828.
Collection of National Library, Singapore
Description
This stamp features a cropped section of a print that offers a panoramic view of Singapore as seen from then-Government Hill (now Fort Canning). The artist, Captain Robert James Elliot (1790–1849), travelled to India and China between 1822 and 1824, and had probably made the sketch during this period. The background shows ships anchored in the waters off Singapore, and the middle segment depicts the European town to the left, and the wide basin of the Singapore River with boats and commercial buildings to the right. The human figures in the foreground provide a sense of scale. The view conveys the impressive transformation of Singapore into a bustling port settlement, with the Singapore River at its heart, a mere few years after its establishment as a British trading post in 1819.
Source
Bridge at Singapore
John A. Heraud, Voyages up the Mediterranean and in the Indian Seas: With Memoirs Compiled from the Logs and Letters of a Midshipman, facing page 207.
London: James Fraser, 1837.
Collection of National Library, Singapore
Description
This print was made from a drawing by William Robinson (1804–1827), a midshipman onboard HMS Rainbow, which called at Singapore in 1826. It shows Presentment Bridge, also known as Jackson’s Bridge (after Lieutenant Philip Jackson who supervised its construction). Built in 1823, this wooden footbridge was the earliest bridge to span the Singapore River, connecting settlements on both sides. The bridge joined North Bridge Road and South Bridge Road and could be raised in the middle to allow boats to pass. Elgin Bridge stands on the site today.
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 28 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 in 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).
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For media enquiries, please contact:
Eric Seow
Weber Shandwick
Tel: 9231 3834
Email: eseow@webershandwick.com
Hoe I Yune
Weber Shandwick
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Email: ihoe@webershandwick.com