The multi-racial mix of early Singapore could already be seen in this postcard depicting Cross Street, Singapore (c. 1890s, Source: National Archives of Singapore)

Postcards are a window to vanished sights from the past. Fancy ice-cream from a bullock cart?
(undated, Source: National Archives of Singapore)


Penang grew wealthy on free trade with traders coming from the region and the opening of the Suez Canal (c. 1910s, Source: National Archives of Malaysia)

The Straits Settlements

Through the historical postcards, one is transported back to a time when Malacca, Penang and Singapore were collectively governed as the Straits Settlements under British rule.

Malacca had a long history of prosperity under the Malacca Sultanate, but it suffered neglect under the Portuguese, then the Dutch. It was overtaken by Penang and Singapore in terms of development by the 1800s. Penang was claimed as a British settlement in 1786 by Captain Francis Light. The development of tin mining and plantations on the mainland presented it with new economic opportunities.

Singapore , with its better location and aggressive entrepreneurs, was able to concentrate on its raison d'être of developing trade. The youngest settlement thus also became the administrative centre.

In terms of population, there were some shades of differences among the three Settlements. Centuries of racial and cultural inter-twining in Malacca had developed important communities of mixed ethnic communities such as the Jawi-pekans and Straits Chinese. Penang and Singapore developed largely migrant societies, dominated by the Chinese due to the large influx of labourers right up to World War II.

However, all three Settlements had significant similarities that far outweighed the differences. In fact, without the captions accompanying the postcards, it might be a challenge to identify whether some of the postcards depicted scenes from Malacca, Penang or Singapore.


An Entwined Past

Legacies of this period in our shared history are still evident today, ranging from the prevalence of the English language, to an array of colonial buildings, to our parliamentary political system. Liberal immigration also resulted in the multi-racial mix which have shaped our social and cultural identity. In fact, there was much movement of people between the three settlements, and it is not uncommon for Singaporeans to have relatives in Penang or Malacca and vice versa.

While the Straits Settlements was dissolved in 1946 in the run up to the independence of Malaya, the cultural similarities and ties among the people persist. The pictures in "Reminiscences Of The Straits Settlements Through Postcards" are vivid reminders of our commonalities and shared history with our closest neighbour, Malaysia.

Do You Know?

• Deltiology is the formal name for the study and collection of postcards.
• The world's first "official" postcard, the 'Korrepondenze Karte' with an imprinted Austrian stamp, appeared on 1 October 1869.
• The first Straits Settlements postcard was issued in 1879 by the Straits Settlements Postal Department. This was a blank card with no pictures.
• In 1899, the number of postcards sent from the Straits Settlements totalled more than 180,000.
• Many early postcards were devoid of people because early cameras could not capture moving objects sharply. Images of people were generally posed photographs or studio shots.
• Early postcards only allowed senders to write on the front while the back was reserved for the stamp and address. The "divided-back" postcard, which enabled the front to be used exclusively for the design, did not appear until the early 1900s.
• The "Golden Era" of postcards started from 1906 to just before World War I in 1914 as millions of postcards were produced and sold worldwide. When World War I ended, the telephone began replacing postcards as an easy and quick way to stay in touch.