Museum Matters – A look at our museums in the national landscape

Posted by Simply Jean under Buildings and Monuments, Museums/Heritage Galleries, National History
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“When was the last time you visited the museum?” a friend of mine asked me suddenly as the bus we were on drove past the Renaissance-styled building along Stamford Road. “Just a few months ago”, I replied to a pair of eyes that spoke of disbelief.

The glass passage at the National Museum of Singapore - a sight to behold when daylight filters in (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Indeed, museums in Singapore are not places that are frequented by Singaporeans. In fact, some of my friends probably have the misconception that the items on display at the museum are always the same and any changes in the exhibits are probably the exception rather than the norm.

Well, to be honest, that’s what I thought so too; that is, before I started writing on the various exhibits at the different museums last year. In fact, it was an eye-opener because I found out that the displays at the museums are not always about Singapore, but they sometimes host exhibits from overseas too.

But amongst all the frenzy lies a deeper purpose to the existence of museums in Singapore. I’m saying this because we have grown so quickly economically that I sometimes feel that we are at the brink of disassociating ourselves with our past and heritage. In this context, I feel that museums serve as a good link between our past and present.

It has often been joked that anything that’s old (and even unwanted) should be “best left at the museum”. In fact, museums are often thought to house antiques. However, if you could pardon me from being pedantic, a museum is really “a building or place where works of art, scientific specimens, or other objects of permanent value are kept and displayed” – well, at least to the definition of Dictionary.com.

Contrary to popular belief, the National Museum of Singapore along Stamford Road is not the only museum in Singapore, but one of the seven national museums!

Together with the other six – the Asian Civilisations Museum, the Singapore Art Museum, Singapore Philatelic Museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu, Memories at Old Ford Factory and the Peranakan Museum, they cater to different interests and hence host various events and exhibitions that are themed distinctively.

Having said that, do you know that there are over 50 other museums in Singapore? These include themed museums that preserve the history of cultures and heritage, as well as more tangible items such as stamps and even toys!

MINT Museum of Toys will appeal to the child in anyone with its collection of toys (Courtesy of Google)

The privately-run Mint Museum of Toys is probably one of the few places in Singapore where you can hop by to reminisce the times when children played marbles, five stones and Old Maid instead of the omnipresent PSPs, Nintendo DS Lites and games that comes embedded in flashy touchscreen phones.

However, despite the large number of peripheral museums, only the seven national museums are officially under the government’s jurisdiction.

The old Raffles Library and Museum along Stamford Road (MICA collection, Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore)

The National Museum of Singapore, the oldest of them all, undoubtedly went through the most amount of changes – not just in name, but in its focus as well. In 1849, when it was first opened, it was known as the Raffles Library and Museum and was part of a plan to revive the cultural heritage of that time. This idea, by Sir Stamford Raffles himself, founder of Singapore, was first mooted in 1823 – just four years after he founded Singapore.

The museum once occupied the library of the old Raffles Institution along Bras Basah Road. (MICA collection, Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore)

At that time, the museum was located at Raffles Institution along Bras Basah Road where Raffles City Shopping Centre now stands. However, it was relocated to what is Victoria Theatre today in 1874 before moving back to its original location in 1876 due to expansion of its compounds.

It finally moved to its current location in Stamford Road where it underwent more  changes between 1906 to 1934. However, it is probably the redevelopment works in 2003 that is most remembered by the people of Singapore - certainly doesn’t help that it was peppered with ghost stories during the restoration process.

Throughout the years, the focus remained relatively fixed as the museum collected various pieces of artefacts and books relating to Southeast Asia but particularly in the areas of zoology and ethnography. However, after Singapore gained independence in 1965, the focus shifted to national building as well as the history of Singapore.

I guess this was how the National Museum of Singapore is often long regarded as being one of historical value. As a matter of fact, it was briefly known as the Singapore History Museum between 1993 and 2006, which resulted in some of us having a feeling of amnesia when most of us distinctively remembered it as being referred to as a historical museum more so than just an ordinary exhibition museum.

The Asian Civilisations Museum sits along the banks of the scenic Singapore River at Empress Place. (Courtesy of the National Heritage Board)

On the other hand, the Asian Civilisations Museum, first opened in 1997, hosts some of the finest exhibitions. One of my personal favourites was The Unguarded Moment by Steve McCurry – a selection of photographs by the National Geographic photographer who took the widely publicized picture of an Afghan girl that was published on the front cover of the June 1985 issue of the National Geographic magazine. Of course, much closer to the hearts of my friends and I was the special exhibition held earlier this year of the Kangxi Emperor which featured treasures from the Forbidden City.

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and the Peranakan Museum (TPM) were opened in 1995 and 2008 respectively. 8Q SAM – an extension of the Singapore Art Museum was opened much later in 2008. Did you know that SAM was borne out of a project that started with the restoration of St. Joseph’s Institution along Bras Basah Road? In fact, it was known as the Fine Arts Museum in 1992 before the restoration works started and was earmarked for hosting collections of art by notable painters from Southeast Asia and East Asia.

Situated along Armenian Street, the Peranakan Museum is housed in the Old Tao Nan School building. (Courtesy of the National Heritage Board)

With this prior knowledge, what do you think the Peranakan Museum aims to restore?

More than just another restoration project, it was actually started to house a wide collection of Peranakan artefacts. Beyond that, it also aims to preserve the gradual erosion that is unique to this part of Asia. As cultures get intertwined, it is not surprising that the practices and customs of the minority get forgotten or sometimes lost in translation. Hence, in this aspect, I feel that museums are not only places of exhibitions, but are also places that provide a roof to house the preservation and restoration of a diminishing heritage.

“How would you want to be remembered?”. Video clip courtesy of Ogilvy and Mather.

Looking back at the history of our museums and at the video clip above, I can’t help but note how the growth of the museums in Singapore reflects the changing environment and to a certain extend, the need for preservation in a fast growing nation. The Peranakan Museum, being one of the latest additions to the National Museums, is probably most evident for this need.

Inevitably, history and cultures are lost in a rapidly changing environment. No doubt the museums have been changing to suit the needs and the times of the people, a constantly changing environment may just mean that more of what matters is retained while others get swept away.

To read the other offerings in this special series, see:

• The Road to Nationhood
• Symbols of State
• From Muted Mutterings to One Victorious Voice - The Cries of Merkeda Were Heard
• Under One Roof - Public Housing in Singapore
• The industrialisation of Singapore
• One Nation for all - National Day Celebrations through the years
• Singapore and the United Nations
• Appreciating our efficient transport system
• Preserving the past – Singapore and its Monuments
• Surfcity Singapore
  

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