Gretchen Liu

With over 1,200 images, Singapore: A Pictorial History 1819-2000 tells the story of Singapore through the eyes of the artists and photographers who witnessed and recorded it. Faded pencil sketches, brilliant watercolours, engravings but mostly photographs - including the first views produced by 19th century professionals, stunning studio portraits and the remarkable experiments of early amateurs. With eloquence, they present the history of a society originally composed mainly of immigrants and of the island they transformed from a fishing village to a global city. The quest for the new and the fascinating has unearthed many fresh images reproduced here for the first time alongside classics without which no visual history of Singapore would be complete. What makes them so extraordinary are their unique ties to Singapore, ties to ordinary people and everyday affairs as much as to major events and personalities. From this sumptuous trove, Singapore's history is brought vividly to life. Images were gathered over a two-year period from many different sources around the world. The majority are from the National Archives of Singapore and the Singapore History Museum, both of which have had their photographic collections enriched by recent donations and acquisitions. Museums in Europe, Japan and the United States of America yielded some unusual and very special material. Several private collectors, both in Singapore and abroad, allowed access to rare and precious images while others generously loaned old and cherished family albums.

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