Abstract
The teaching of the history of Southeast Asia at the undergraduate level in an institute in Nanyang Technological University included a sub-theme on urban colonial history. The study of this history has integrated a walk about the town on an 1860 map for some years now. Entailing students to take measurements of objects and structures on the trip as well as match the contemporary situation to old images gave rise to room for students to analyze themes on the development of the town as a corollary of the rise of the British in Southeast Asia as well as critically discuss aspects of technological and urban development in colonial ports or towns. In the process, students are also encouraged to explore adjacent discourses such as heritage studies in order to better understand past developments in context of their change and continuity to contemporary society.
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Notes
- 1.
The Read bridge was later built upriver for pedestrians and bicycles in the 1880s.
- 2.
Quantifying things in the museum draws upon the sub-field of museum studies (archaeology). Heritage studies broadly speaking looks at the relationship between people and tangible and intangible heritage through the use of social science research methods. The meanings of heritage are defined by social, cultural, and individual processes and understood through contemporary sociocultural and experiential values; therefore its meanings are rooted in the present and often subjective (than objective). Sometimes interview techniques in cultural (or social) anthropology (depending on whether it was classification in American or British scholarship) are deployed to elicit information from the specialist guide whether in a museum or overseas. Since the writer of this chapter is involved with early modern or more contemporary history, there is little or no room for use of physical anthropology (scientific discipline specifically concerned with the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings, their related non-human primates and their extinct hominin ancestors) in his fieldtrip or fieldwork.
- 3.
The length of one side of the market was estimated by multiplying 29 paces of the side by the length of a single pace of the writer (0.89 m); which amounted to 25.8 metres.
- 4.
The length of the width of the road was estimated by multiplying 55 paces of the side by the length of a single pace of the writer (0.89m); which amounted to 49 metres. An alternative method is to make an estimation of the distance “using the thumb” (see method suggested in “Outdoor Herbivore Bog”). Width of road = 1.96 (length of estimated object (railing)) × 2.5 (multiplication factor for selected object in relation to distance estimated by thumb) × 10 (suggested multiplication factor to achieve actual distance) = 49 m.
- 5.
Discussion in Municipal office on why the Cavenagh bridge needed to expand. As goods were unloaded on the western side of Singapore river, they needed to be transported to the eastern side; hence the need to upgrade the crossing. As a ‘barometer’ of trade, this also explained why the Telok Ayer market faced pressures to expand over time. As a gauge and comparison, the Coleman bridge (serving Clarke quay) was already expanded to a 3-lane road/crossing by the 1880s.
- 6.
See for instance, Toh, Singapore through 19th century photographs, pp. 80 and 89; Wong, Singapore through 19th century prints and paintings, p. 71.
- 7.
A market selling perishables such as fresh meat, fish, vegetables, and other produce.
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Acknowledgements
The author would like to express his special thanks to Dr Meng Ieng Ung for the interest taken in this project and for the time and effort taken to geo-tag the 19th century map of Singapore to a modern/google map.
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Appendices
Appendices
Market (M)
See Figs. 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, and 13.4.
1890 reconstruction of Old Market
(Image courtesy of Teddy Sim)
Arch, Lau Pa Sat
(Image courtesy of Teddy Sim)
Pillar and design, Lau Pa Sat
(Image courtesy of Teddy Sim)
Canopy, Lau Pa Sat
Bridge (B)
See Figs. 13.5, 13.6, 13.7, 13.8, 13.9, and 13.10.
(Reproduced with permission from Dover Publications. Source Feller Josef [2005]. Traditional Ironwork Designs (Dover Pictorial Archive). New York: Dover Publications, Inc.)
Railing design
(Image courtesy of Teddy Sim)
Coleman bridge, modern
(Image courtesy of Teddy Sim)
Railing, Coleman bridge
(Image courtesy of Teddy Sim)
Street lamp, near bridge
Jackson Bridge
Read Bridge
Post office (P)
See Figs. 13.11, 13.12, and 13.13.
(Reproduced with permission from Fullerton Hotel, Singapore)
Plan view of post office
(Image courtesy of Teddy Sim)
Fullerton, modern front
(Image courtesy of Teddy Sim)
Mail delivery and indigenous remittance company
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Sim, T.Y.H. (2021). Exploring Singapore as an Archetypal Urban Settlement in Southeast Asian History: A Walk About the Town on a Nineteenth Century Map. In: Sim, T.Y., Sim, H.H. (eds) Fieldwork in Humanities Education in Singapore. Studies in Singapore Education: Research, Innovation & Practice, vol 2. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8233-2_13
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