Discover Singapore’s National Museum

Gertie Roznovsky of the Friends of the Museum Writers Group takes us on a personal tour of Singapore’s “old lady” – the National Museum of Singapore – finally open after an extensive renovation.

Singaporeans love acronyms. So it comes as no surprise to hear the term NAMOS used for the city’s latest – and yet oldest – museum gem. Short for National Museum of Singapore, NAMOS could also refer to Singapore’s Newest And Most anticipated Opening of the Season. After more than three years and a $117.9 million makeover, the old History Museum Building on Stamford Road has finally re-opened as the National Museum of Singapore. With free entry to the actual building and a reasonable admission fee to access the galleries, the National Museum aims to attract visitors from all walks of life. Bound to become a new city icon – even without showcasing the famous blue whale skeleton imprinted on the collective memory of generations of Singaporeans – the Museum promises to become a favourite meeting point for locals and expatriates of all ages and is sure to be a must-see on the itinerary of many a tourist.

One of the Museum’s highlights is the ultra-large Singapore History Gallery. This 2,800 square-metre space tells the complete story of the Lion City, from its legendary 14^th century beginnings until today’s modern period. Visitors will literally “walk through” the stories – told in first person narratives by “little” people from Singapore’s past, such as fishermen or coolies. In addition, some previously neglected founding fathers – and mothers – of modern Singapore get the chance to speak up. Expect to hear from such historic figures as Lady Sophia Raffles, First Resident William Farquhar and Second Resident John Crawfurd.

The Singapore Living Galleries are bound to fascinate. These four galleries focus on lifestyle themes – food, fashion, film and traditional theatre (wayang) and photography. The Film and Wayang Gallery traces the development of Chinese opera and the emergence of home-grown films, whereas the Photography Gallery examines the history of Singapore and families from various races and religions over the past 100 years, through this particular medium. In the Fashion Gallery, visitors learn about the social, economic and political role of women in the 1950s to 1970s by means of a “shopping” experience. While The Food Gallery explores the origins of street food culture in Singapore, examining how the famous hawker-fare reflects the Lion City’s ethnic diversity and cross-cultural exchanges. For those hungry for real food and bargains, a number of restaurants and retail outlets await on the museum’s ground floor.

In addition to the permanent galleries, the Museum also will showcase special blockbuster exhibitions. Already, jewellery lovers’ pulses raced during the heavily-attended exhibition, The Art of Cartier, in October. Currently, the Museum’s official opening festival exhibition, Maria Theresia and the Schönbrunn Palace, beckons. This exciting imperial collection from Austria is on until January 31 and features 100 highly significant artefacts from the Habsburg Dynasty, reflecting the political, spiritual and cultural richness of Vienna’s Imperial era. Visitors also get the chance to learn about the lives of two world-famous Habsburg empresses – Archduchess Maria Theresia – one of the most highly respected heads of state in the 18th century and mother to sixteen children – and Empress Sissi, whose tragic and romantic life in the 19th century inspired several movies and a musical.

At 119 years, the National Museum is Singapore’s oldest museum building. Built in 1887 by order of Governor Frederick Weld, it was known as the Raffles Library and Museum and was particularly famous for its excellent zoological and ethnographical collections of South-East Asia. Its good reputation won the sympathy of Japanese officials-in-charge, who spared the building from destruction during the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945. Renamed the National Museum in the 1960s, the building was known as the Singapore History Museum from 1993 onwards. Now “the old lady” – as the building is often nicknamed – has not only undergone a complete facelift but is also infused with a youthful, innovative soul. Stunning developments to its architecture somehow manage to blend the well-preserved historical part of the building with the new extension – 10,000 square metres of floor space encased in glass, metal and black concrete. These architectural juxtapositions do not clash but form a titillating harmony of ultra-modernism and colonial charm – typical of Singapore’s evolutionary identity and perfectly befitting the country’s National Museum.

National Museum of Singapore, 93 Stamford Road. MRT: Dhoby Ghaut/City Hall. Tel: 6332 3659/6332 5642, Web: www.nationalmuseum.sg.

Gertie Roznovsky is a member of the Friends of the Museums (Singapore) Writers Group. Friends of the Museums (Singapore) is a non-profit organisation and volunteer group for the National Heritage Board. More than 1,300 diverse members support training, study and self-enrichment programmes at The National Museum of Singapore, The Singapore Art Museum, Singapore History Museum and the Asian Civilisations Museums at Armenian Street and Empress Place. To learn more about this society visit www.fom.sg  or call 6337 3685. A version of this article first appeared in the December 2006/January 2007 newsletter of the Friends of the Museums (Singapore).

Posted on Jan 07