Old Photographs of Singapore: Preserving Our Island's Visual Heritage

Picture this: you're flipping through a collection of black-and-white photographs, and suddenly you're transported to a Singapore that's almost unrecognizable. Rickshaws pulling passengers past the Thian Hock Keng Temple, traditional kolek boats racing in the harbour, and families posing proudly outside the now-demolished National Theatre.

These aren't just random snapshots, they're old photographs of Singapore that serve as precious windows into our nation's past. For Singaporeans looking to deepen their connection with our heritage, national education guided walks offer an incredible opportunity to explore these historical stories in the very places where they unfolded.

The Dawn of Photography in Singapore

Singapore's photographic journey began remarkably early, just five years after Louis Daguerre invented the daguerreotype process in France. The earliest known photograph of Singapore was captured in 1844 by French customs officer Jules Itier, who created a stunning panoramic daguerreotype of Boat Quay along the Singapore River, taken from Government Hill (now Fort Canning). This laterally reversed image, as all daguerreotypes are, shows the bustling commercial activity that so impressed Itier during his two-week stay.

Jules Itier’s 1844 daguerreotype of Boat Quay and Singapore River from Government Hill | National Museum of Singapore

Itier's visit coincided perfectly with the emergence of photography as a revolutionary new medium. He stayed at Gaston Dutronquoy's London Hotel on Coleman Street, where the hotelier also operated a photographic studio that provided Itier access to the chemicals needed for developing his daguerreotypes. The Frenchman was so captivated by Singapore's rapid transformation that he wrote admiringly about seeing "a huge town, bustling with an industrious population" rise from what had been "a few wretched Malay villages" just two decades earlier.

Commercial Photography Takes Root

G.R. Lambert & Co.: The Photography Pioneers

By the 1860s, commercial photography had found its footing in Singapore, led primarily by European photographers who recognized the growing demand from tourists and residents alike. The most significant of these was G.R. Lambert & Co., established by German photographer Gustave Richard Lambert in 1867.

Lambert's company became the largest and most successful photographic studio in Southeast Asia by the end of the 19th century, boasting an impressive inventory of about 3,000 subjects covering Singapore, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and Sumatra. The studio was renowned for its artistic portraiture and sweeping landscape views, producing large format original photographs (8 x 10 inches) that could be easily identified by the company's dry-stamped logo in the lower right-hand corner.

Singapore Club and the Post Office with Cavenagh Bridge at the back. This photograph was taken before 1906. The Victoria Memorial Hall clock tower, which was completed in 1906, could be seen in later photographs.

What made Lambert's work particularly valuable was its comprehensive documentation of Singapore's development as a British colonial center. The studio was extensively patronized by colonial authorities to record political occasions and official visits, and even earned the prestigious appointment as official photographer to the King of Siam and the Sultan of Johor. Lambert's photographs captured not just the grand architecture and sweeping vistas, but also the multicultural fabric of Singapore's society—from Malay royal families to wealthy Chinese and Indian families, all posed in their finery among Victorian studio props.

The Golden Age of Picture Postcards

Lambert's company also pioneered Singapore's postcard industry, producing the first picture postcard of Singapore in 1897. These weren't the printed postcards we know today, but actual photographs pasted onto postal stationery. The Golden Age of Singapore Picture Postcards lasted from 1906 to 1913, ending abruptly with World War I, which effectively brought G.R. Lambert & Co.'s operations to a close in 1918.

Capturing Singapore's Transformation

The Lee Kip Lin Legacy

While early commercial studios documented Singapore's colonial grandeur, later photographers like Lee Kip Lin (1925-2011) captured the nation's dramatic transformation during independence and rapid development. An architect by profession and passionate conservation advocate, Lee undertook extensive photographic surveys between 1965 and 1995 to document Singapore's changing landscape.

PHOTO FROM THE SINGAPORE HOUSE 1819 -1942 BY LEE KIP LIN CAPTIONED: LIFE ALONG THE COAST. THE HOUSE AT PASIR PANJANG IS DATED 1926 AND BELONGED TO THE ALKAFF FAMILY. (C.1920S)

Lee's meticulous approach resulted in over 14,500 slides and negatives that he donated to the National Library Board in 2009. His work provides an invaluable visual record of Singapore's architectural heritage and spatial transformation over three decades, capturing buildings and streetscapes that would eventually disappear from the island. Shot primarily on black-and-white film for greater architectural detail and contrast, Lee's photographs traverse both the city center and outlying areas, showcasing everything from bungalows and shophouses to markets, schools, and places of worship.

Preserving Our Visual Heritage Today

The PictureSG Collection

Today, Singapore's photographic heritage is carefully preserved and made accessible through digital platforms like PictureSG, the National Library's online collection featuring over 35,000 digitized photographs spanning from the 19th century to modern times. This treasure trove includes images from major collections like the Percy Hill Collection (1900s glass slides), Edwin A. Brown Collection (1920s-30s civic life), and the extensive Lee Kip Lin Collection.

A row of two-storey shophouses on Kitchener Road, 1966. These dwellings have typical Peranakan features such as the half-length swinging doors (pintu pagar) at the entrance. Lee Kip Lin Collection, PictureSG, National Library, Singapore.

The collection's diversity is remarkable—from classic 19th-century topographic views and carte-de-visites to stereoscopic images, studio portraits, and picture postcards. Visitors can explore everything from daguerreotypes of early Singapore to photographs documenting the construction of Marina Bay Sands, making it an incredible resource for anyone interested in our island's visual evolution.

Beyond the Archives: Making History Accessible

The National Archives of Singapore, National Museum, and various heritage organizations work tirelessly to make these photographic collections available for research, education, and public enjoyment. The digitization efforts have been particularly successful—the New York Public Library even released dozens of high-resolution images of early 1900s Singapore as part of their public domain collection, making these historical documents freely accessible to the global community.

The Stories Behind the Images

Everyday Life in Old Singapore

What makes these old photographs of Singapore so fascinating isn't just their historical value—it's how they capture the everyday moments that defined life in different eras. The Kouo Shang-Wei Collection, for instance, documents street scenes featuring itinerant trades that were once common sights: trishaw riders, storytellers, letter writers, and satay vendors. These images preserve not just the physical appearance of old Singapore, but the rhythm and character of daily life.

(Left) A family posing outside the National Theatre, 1965. Designed by local architect Alfred H.K. Wong, the National Theatre was built to commemorate Singapore’s attainment of self-government in 1959. The theatre was situated at the corner of Clemenceau Avenue and River Valley Road. It was closed in 1984 and subsequently demolished to make way for the Central Expressway. Donated by Chang Wei Jie Jerroy, PictureSG, National Library, Singapore. (Right) Scene of the New Year Sea Sports, 1939. This was an annual regatta that took place in the harbour, off Collyer Quay. The Supreme Court building and Municipal Building can be seen in the background. Edwin A. Brown Collection, PictureSG, National Library, Singapore.

Similarly, the Edwin A. Brown Collection captures the "colourful civic and cultural life of pre-war Singapore" through photographs of royal visits, airport openings, theatrical performances, and scouting activities. Each image tells a story of community, celebration, and the social fabric that bound Singapore together during its formative years.

Architecture as Memory

The architectural evolution captured in these photographs is particularly poignant for modern Singaporeans. Images of the National Theatre (demolished in 1986), the old Kallang Airport, and rows of shophouses that once defined our streetscapes serve as reminders of how dramatically our physical environment has changed. Yet they also highlight the continuity of Singapore as a place where diverse communities have always come together to build something greater than themselves.

Connecting Past and Present

For Singaporeans today, these old photographs of Singapore offer more than just nostalgia—they provide context for understanding how our island nation evolved from a colonial trading post to the modern metropolis we know today. The images remind us that Singapore's multicultural character, entrepreneurial spirit, and strategic importance aren't recent developments but have been defining features since our earliest days.

Whether you're exploring the historical shophouses of Chinatown, walking through the Civic District, or simply curious about the Singapore your grandparents knew, these photographic archives offer an incredible journey through time. The careful preservation and digitization of these collections ensure that future generations of Singaporeans will be able to connect with their heritage, understanding not just where we've come from, but how the struggles and successes of previous generations shaped the Singapore we love today. Through platforms like national education guided walks, we can experience these historical narratives firsthand, walking in the footsteps of those who came before us and developing an even deeper appreciation for our shared heritage.