People
The Search for a “Lost” Towkay of Malaya
The writer’s attempt to trace the contours of his grandfather’s life was complicated by the fact that, unknown to him, his grandfather had more than one name.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 20 Issue 3/Lost Towkay/lost_towkay.png)
Local Icons
The Early Years of the Singapore Zoo
The zoo was able to overcome major setbacks in its formative years to become the well-loved tourist attraction it is today.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 20 Issue 3/Zoo/zoo_primate_topics.jpg)
Sports
30 Years of The Great Singapore Workout
Launched in 1993, the Great Singapore Workout has spawned variations and helped to make Singaporeans lead a more physically active life.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 20 Issue 3/Singapore Workout/workout_topics.jpg)
Podcast
Seaside Foraging and Eurasian Cuisine
MasterChef Singapore judge Damian D’Silva talks about the influences in his cooking philosophy and the importance of heritage cuisine.
![Image alt text](/images/Podcast/isomer_Damian.jpg)
Podcast
Food of the Peranakan Indians
Tanya Pillay-Nair talks about ancestor worship in the Chetti Melaka culture, when the community serve the dishes that the ancestors enjoyed the most.
![Image alt text](/images/Podcast/isomer_tanya.jpg)
Podcast
The Chinese Vegetarian Foodscape of the 1950s–60s
Set up by five Buddhist women in 1946, Loke Woh Yuen was the first Chinese vegetarian restaurant in Singapore.
![Image alt text](/images/Podcast/isomer_kelvin.jpg)
Worship
At Wat Ananda, Thai Buddhism with a Singaporean Twist
Despite the golden stupa and ornate roofs that indicate this is a Thai Buddhist temple, the Singaporean influences are not hard to spot at Wat Ananda Metyarama.
![Image alt text](/images/Online Only Articles/Wat Ananda/Picture3.png)
Podcast
Hajah Asfiah: A Guardian of Traditional Malay Culture
A tireless steward of Malay culture, Hajah Asfiah worked all her life to preserve and pass on Malay crafts.
![Image alt text](/images/Podcast/isomer_toffa.jpg)
Collection Highlights
The Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Collection
Materials donated by the association shed light on its contributions to the nation's social and cultural landscape.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 20 Issue 2/Hokkien/hokkien_deed_topics.jpg)
Podcast
Kampong Gelam: Kitchen of the Malay World
Here you find different curries and bread, nasi padang, sup tulang, mee siam, a Javanese kitchen, Hainanese coffeeshops and more.
![Image alt text](/images/Podcast/isomer_home_khir.jpg)
Video: From Book to Cook
Kueh Pie Tee or Kwei Patti
What’s in a name? Food writer and cooking instructor Christopher Tan delves into the origins of this tasty Peranakan snack.
![Image alt text](/images/Videos: From Book to Cook/1Kueh pie tee/1kueh_pie_tee_rev.jpg)
WAR and Military
The Other Men Who Surrendered Singapore
Eleven other men had taken the decision with Arthur E. Percival to surrender Singapore to the Japanese on 15 February 1942
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 20 Issue 2/Men Who Surrendered Singapore/british_surrender.png)
History
It’s a Cat’s Life: Airborne Felines Fight War Against Rats
In 1960, 23 unsuspecting cats found themselves being airdropped into Bario, Sarawak, as part of a rat-busting operation.
![Image alt text](/images/Online Only Articles/Cats/valetta.png)
History
A Cool Business: The History of Ice-Making in Singapore
Ice has been an indispensable commodity in tropical Singapore since the late 19th century.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 20 Issue 2/IceMaking/image6.jpg)
Art
Memory, History, Art: Yip Yew Chong’s “I Paint my Singapore”
Yip Yew Chong’s 60-metre-long work, “I Paint my Singapore”, melds memories and research to produce stories about Singapore.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 20 Issue 1/Yip Yew Chong/ruralscene3_topic.png)
Collection Highlights
The Trishaws and Tricycles of Singapore By Liesel Strauss
These photos by Liesel Strauss spotlight the humble trishaw and cargo tricycle and remind of us of how Singapore used to be not too long ago.
![Transport by three wheels](/images/Online Only Articles/Liesel_Trishaws/with_passenger.png)
People
Pioneering Local Journalist R.B. Ooi
As a journalist, R.B. Ooi always had his finger on the pulse of Malaya, bringing to the fore issues at the heart of the nation.
![Image alt text](/images/Online Only Articles/Pioneering Journalist RB Ooi/05.png)
people
Joseph Conrad's Singapore
Joseph Conrad’s visits to Singapore in the late 19th century are immortalised in some of his novels, such as Lord Jim and The Shadow-Line.
biblioasia reels
Kranji War Memorial: Lest We Forget
Unveiled on 2 March 1957, the Kranji War Memorial honours the men and women who gave up their lives defending Singapore during the Second World War.
Nature and the Environment
Growing Food in a Garden City
Urban edible gardening in Singapore might be all the rage now, but the movement has roots that date back to the early 20th century.
![Urban arden](/images/Online Only Articles/Growing Food in a Garden City/kim_tian.png)
Photography
Photo Studios and Photography During the Japanese Occupation
During the Japanese Occupation, local photographers worked under challenging conditions.
![Photo Studios](/images/Vol 19 Issue 4/Photo Studios/TheJapanesedelegation.jpg)
BiblioAsia Reels
Singapore’s Early Publications
Printing in Singapore dates back about 200 years when Christian missionaries established a printing press here to spread the gospel.
![Image alt text](/images/Videos: BiblioAsia Reels/early_print.jpg)
Music
American Troops. Singapore Bands. The Vietnam War
Lured by the prospects of money and adventure, local performers braved the dangers of the Vietnam War to provide entertainment to American troops.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 20 Issue 1/Vietnam War/sgband_vietnamwar_boonlai_cropped1.png)
Sports
Conquering Everest, the World’s Tallest Mountain
David Lim led the first Singapore team to successfully summit Mount Everest in 1998. This is an excerpt from his book, Mountain to Climb.
![Image alt text](/images/Online Only Articles/Conquer Tallest Mountain_12_23/mok_on_fixed_ropes_homepage.png)
BiblioAsia Reels
The Modernist Home of Pioneer Architect Lee Kip Lin
The family home of architect Lee Kip Lin has stood the test of time with its simple and yet modern design. His wife, Mrs Lee Li-ming, shares her insights.
![Image alt text](/images/Videos: BiblioAsia Reels/BiblioAsia_Reels___binjai_park_small_.png)
Music
Singapore's Got Talent: When Talentime Ruled the Airwaves
Although Talentime has been replaced by reality talent contests, it will be remembered as a show that launched the musical careers of many Singaporeans.
![A Brief History of Talentime](/images/Vol 19 Issue 4/7 Talentime/titbits_homepage.png)
BiblioAsia Reels
Operation Jaywick Retold as a Comic Book for Boys
Disguised as local fishermen, Australian and British commandos launched a clandestine raid on Japanese ships in Singapore’s Keppel Harbour.
![Image alt text](/images/Videos: BiblioAsia Reels/victory boys.png)
Sports
The 1973 SEAP Games in Singapore
The 7th SEAP Games marked the first time that Singapore hosted an international sporting event since gaining independence in 1965.
![Women's Relay](/images/Vol 19 Issue 4/4 SEAP Games/image4.png)
BiblioAsia Reels
The Frying Pan Piano
A world-renowned pianist described this concert grand of the Victoria Memorial Hall as a "cooking pot and a frying pan". How did it have such a reputation?
![The Frying Pan Piano](/images/Videos: BiblioAsia Reels/biblioasia reels - website standfirst.jpg)
Film and Photography
Restoring Classic Films from Asia
Besides restoring made-in-Singapore films, the Asian Film Archive is also involved in the preservation of other seminal Asian works.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 19 Issue 4/2 Restoring Classic Films/vlcsnap_image 9.png)
BiblioAsia Reels
Interview with Rachel Heng, Author of The Great Reclamation
What does it take to write an internationally acclaimed historical novel set in Singapore?
![The Great Reclamation](/images/Vol 19 Issue 4/An Interview with Rachel Heng/book cover_homepage3.jpg)
podcast
What’s Become of the Seafaring Orang Seletar?
The Orang Seletar used to live on boats that plied the Johor Strait. They were here when Raffles landed in 1819.
![Seafaring Orang Seletar](/images/Podcast/ilya ep12.jpg)
Archaeology
Revisiting the Mystery of the Missing Gold Coins
Two ancient gold coins, probably from Aceh, were discovered in Singapore in the middle of the 19th century. Unfortunately, they disappeared a few decades later.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 19 Issue 3/8 Gold Coins/missinggoldcoins_homepage_img2.jpg)
podcast
Lest We Forget: Kranji War Cemetery
Librarian Janice Loo profiles those buried or memorialised at the Kranji War Cemetery, such as Lt Adnan of the Malay Regiment and civilian fighter Sim Chin Foo.
![Kranji War Cemetery](/images/Podcast/janice ep11.jpg)
Nature and the Environment
The Famous Whale Skeleton at the Raffles Museum
A blue whale skeleton took centre stage at the former Raffles Museum for more than 60 years before it was gifted to the National Museum of Malaysia in 1974.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 19 Issue 2/Whale Skeleton/image1-edit.png)
Arts
A Grand Piano's Chequered History
A grand piano that was to be the pride of Singapore failed to silence its critics. The odds, however, were always against it.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 19 Issue 3/2 Grand Piano/hungarian pianist.jpg)
Literature
Panton Malaijoe dan Portugees: A Rediscovered Manuscript
A forgotten manuscript found in a Portuguese museum offers insights into the languages and traditions of a unique community in the Dutch East Indies.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 19 Issue 3/5 Panton/image4.png)
Food
Going Against the Grain: The “Eat More Wheat” Campaign
The call for Singaporeans to switch from eating rice to eating wheat in 1967 did not take root despite best efforts by the government.
![eat more wheat](/images/Vol 19 Issue 3/Wheat/19980005442 - img0104v2.jpg)
Podcast
Stone Tools in Singapore
Stone tools have been found in and around Singapore since the late 19th century, but much about them remains a mystery.
![Stone Tools in Singapore](/images/Podcast/edm content for 12 jul (eps 6-7).jpg)
podcast
The Forgotten Murals of Paya Lebar Airport
Three large murals used to grace the walls of Paya Lebar Airport, depicting scenes from Singapore and Malaysia. Only one is left.
![murals paya lebar airport](/images/Podcast/ba ep3 dahlia.jpg)
podcast
Taoist Folk Goddesses of Singapore
Award-winning writer Ng Yi-Sheng tells us about the legends and worship of local goddesses Maiden Lin, Maiden Lei and Maiden Huang.
![Taoist Folk Goddesses](/images/Podcast/ba ep2 yi-sheng.jpg)
Places and Buildings
Bridging Past and Present in Pasir Ris
Once dotted with plantations and mangrove swamps, Pasir Ris is today a bustling residential town with modern facilities and amenities.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 19 Issue 2/Pasir Ris/lorong halus red bridge (stb).jpg)
Architecture
Golden Mile Complex: Five Decades of an Architectural Icon
The collective sale and conservation of Golden Mile Complex will restore a visionary building designed for a “new look Singapore” 50 years ago.
![Image alt text](/images/Vol 19 Issue 2/Golden Mile Complex/golden_mile_complex_3.png)
Culture
Muhammad Ariff Ahmad’s Hari Raya Puasa Greeting Cards
Unique greeting cards collected by a giant in the Malay literary scene. (From the National Library’s Blog on Medium).
![Greeting Card](/images/Hari Raya Cards/hari raya greeting card.jpg)