1950s – Encik Yusof bin Ishak becomes the Head of State of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew becomes first PM, Hock Lee bus riots ...
"555" METAL CIGARETTE BOX
"In the 1950s, cigarettes were not sold in cardboard boxes. People could buy individual sticks off the shelf, from round metal boxes. Cigarettes were also packed in metal boxes like those that are shown in the photo. I kept two of these boxes as souvenirs."
– Tan Peng Ann, 68
Document - Certificate of Identity
My late mother and elder sister arrived in Singapore from Hong Kong in the early 50s. My late father and late mother decided to migrate to Singapore because my late father was a sailor and his vessel would make regular stopover in Singapore, making it an inconvenience for him to return to Hong Kong.
Singapore, back then was part of the Straits Settlement, and the British were then busy fighting the communists. As a result, newly landed immigrants were required to register their identities with the local government.
- Wong Soon Hong, 58
MERDEKA BOOK
"Malaya became independent on August 31, 1957. To commemorate the occasion, The Straits Times published a small booklet and it was sold for a dollar then. My father bought a copy and it was passed on to me after he passed on in 1968. I kept the booklet to this day. It is a 60-year-old document."
– Tan Peng Ann, 67
TOBACCO-SMOKING BAMBOO TUBE
“A empty milk can would be attached to the tube so the ash could be thrown in. The tobacco leaves would be placed in the holder, which is then burned. The user would then inhale from the top portion (which had holes).
The tube was used back in the 1950s. I bought it from an antique shop in Singapore for S$150. I had bought a similar one in Hong Kong earlier, around 20 years ago.”
– Charlie Lim, 65
COMPANY SOUVENIR
"My uncle John Hugh Mack (third picture, above) was an orphan who was adopted by my grandmother. He was born in Penang and his real father was a Scotsman doing business in Penang, while his mother was Chinese. When the Japanese War broke out in December 1941, my older brother George and I were living in Kuala Lipis, Pahang, where my mother was a nurse, and we went to stay at the family home in Kuala Lumpur with Uncle John, two aunts and my grandmother. My father was teaching in Muar, Johor, at that time. As the Japanese Army advanced rapidly down the peninsular, the whole family including my father evacuated to Singapore arriving in the colony by mid-January 1942. At the end of the War on August 1945, my father who had initially been with us went back to Malaya as he was a Government schoolteacher. My mother was killed in the War. The rest of the family stayed on in Singapore. Soon after the War ended, Uncle John got a job as a clerk with Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) (an organisation created by the British government to run recreational establishments needed by the British Armed Forces, and to sell goods to servicemen and their families) in 1946. Around 1950, he then got a job at Boustead & Co and remained there till be retired as a financial clerk. He was a loyal staff and on the occasion of the company's 150th anniversary, he was given this gold-plated souvenir (which has its own box (second picture)) (fourth picture is Boustead employees at the time).
He lived with me in Tiong Bahru until he died in 1995 at the age of 78. I inherited whatever he left behind as he never got married but I kept this particular item as it is historical and also, not many people would have it. He led a frugal life and had nothing fancy. He was also a voracious reader, reading three books in one week when he retired."
- Donald Wyatt, 80
PARENTS' MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE
"This was my parents' marriage certificate when they got married in 1956 when my father was 22 years of age and my mother was 20. The wedding was held at my grandfather's shophouse at Merchant Road, while the dinner was at Great Southern Hotel or Nan Tian (now Yue Hwa Department Store, Chinatown).
On the certificate, the witness was my grandfather's good friend. Also, if you notice, the year was written in the Minguo calendar (following the Republic of China calendar). For instance, 104th year of the Republic is the year 2015. It was only in 1912 that they started counting.
Originally, I found half of the certificate (both husband and wife had their own copies). With the termite infestation in my current shophouse, I found this complete one." – Jeffrey Eng, 54
TEACUP
"I remembered when I was about in Primary six (in 1950s), I surprised my mother by presenting her with four sets of cups that I bought with my savings. If memory was correct, it cost a dollar each. I took a number 6 Hock Lee bus to Chulia Street and walked to Robinsons, then at Raffles Place (before it burnt down) and bought it.
My mother was surprised that at such an early age I was such a ‘responsible family boy’. I remained so, ha ha. I decided after many years to retain one for keepsake."
- Tan Peng Ann, 66
SAVINGS BANK
"When I was young, I think about six or seven years old, my parents inculcated in me the importance of thrift and savings. In school, we had to buy stamps and paste it on a card and bank all the money in when the card was filled. This was fun way of teaching us on saving.
My parents opened a savings account for me at Chung Khiaw Bank then at Outram Road. I was given a “safe” for putting in my coins. My sister got a pig and frog. These were made of metal, unlike the later versions. I kept it and passed it on to my son Adrian.
When I was young, I used to drop in coins, but later found that I needed the money. Not knowing how to open the safe, I would overturn the safe and try to dig out the coins, with some success. Overtime the part of the metal gave way (as you will notice from the picture). When I was older, I figured out the way to open the lock located at the bottom of the safe." - Tan Peng Ann, 66
PICTURE
"This picture was taken by my husband in 1956 of the Kota Bharu (Malaysia) beach. It is significant as it was after I got married and this was the first time, I went back to Kota Bharu to visit my relatives and family. I had gone to visit a relative who lived by the beach.
The picture was taken by camera which was bought around the 1950s. The photo was entered in a global photography competition but it didn't win." - Ng Suan Loi, 77
PHILIPS' WORLD ATLAS
"I used this atlas when we studied geography in primary school. I must say that the school then gave us world views. We used the maps in the atlas to understand rainfall and wind patterns across the world. Other relief patterns, mountain features and vegetations, deserts, etc, were taught in primary school.
I attended primary school between 1956 and 1960. We skipped Primary 3 because there wasn’t enough classrooms, we were told."
– Tan Peng Ann, 67
SHAVER
"This shaver was used in the early 1950s and it came from the US. The blade is changeable and can be used on both sides. I bought this for S$15."
– Charlie Lim, 65
EAR WAX CLEANER, SCISSORS & HAIR TRIMMER
“I bought all these objects. Most of these items I bought from shops in Malaysia. The prop trade secret is that the dealers have ‘runners’ who buy things and sell to them.
I wanted to have a complete set to gel with my barber chair, which I bought first. Altogether the items cost around S$350 and they all were used in the 1950s.”
– Charlie Lim, 65
CAMPHOR CHEST & LOCK
"My sister-in-law was going back to Hong Kong and didn't want to take this chest back with her so she gave it to me in the late '50s. It is meant to store clothing and it is made of camphor wood to keep the clothes free of moth and insect damage. I use it now to store things.
Usually a mother would buy one for her daughter who gets married but I already had this one so my mother didn't have to get me one. The chest is from Hong Kong.
It also came with the old-fashioned lock and key (which folds)."
- Wong Hup Kheng, 80
SOUVENIR SPOONS
"These spoons are souvenirs from a cruise ship called the Chusan. My father-in-law travelled from Singapore to Japan in 1955 and visited the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the cities that took the heat of the atomic bombs in 1945. The ship belonged to the P and O Lines, a big time tour group of the times. The ship was scrapped in 1973. My husband has six of these spoons and will present one each for our six grandchildren."
– Linda Tay, 65
AERATED WATER “Today, we are swarmed by the wide range of soft drinks. We had our share of enjoyment half a century ago, going for the cool Framroz, the Peacock Brand and the Phoenix, not forgetting the old F&N bottle. Then we called them aerated water. I keep the bottles to remind me of the past and these bottles are almost non-existent today.”
- Tan Peng Ann, 66
CAMERA (inset: two photos taken from the camera)
"This camera is from the 1950s. You must use Kodak 127 film. Sadly, I have since lost the flash!"
- Tan Peng Ann, 66
BAMBOO STEM "I was Primary Four (when I was 10) and I needed to do a piece of art and I didn't know where my father got the bamboo stem but he got it for me for my art. He drew the picture of the house (top) and the bamboo shoot (bottom) on the stem and held my hand to carve it. He then held my hand to colour it. There is a moon there behind the trees and by the hill. I currently use it to put my calligraphy brushes." – Lim Guat Khim, 65
RAZOR BLADE & COVER, SOAP CONTAINER WITH BRUSH, RAZOR SHARPENER & WATER SPRAY
“With my other items (showcased on the left), I almost have a complete set of grooming items, except for one standing light stand which was used back in the old days to see inside the ear at the barber’s, which I remember. All these items, which were used in the 1950s, I bought from dealers at different times for a total of about S$500.”
– Charlie Lim, 65
JACKPOT MACHINE
“I was shocked when I first saw the jackpot machine that it was working. Today, it still works! I bought it from a guy from Malaysia about 30 to 35 years ago who sold it here in Singapore for around S$400. The museums don't have it. A lot of people have asked me to sell it but I have no intention to as I want to keep it as part of my heritage concept for props in my little museum. Today, it is hard to find such a piece which was used in the 1950s and it is German technology!”
– Charlie Lim, 65
SCHOOLS SAVING SCHEME CARD
“I have the original Schools Saving Scheme (SSC) card from the 1950s whereby pupils were taught to save by buying stamps and pasting them on the card. Once they were filled up, they brought the card to the post office and their savings account was credited with $2.
I believe that was the start of what we call today POSB (Post Office Saving Bank). The card belonged to my eldest sister Alice, who is nine years my senior and residing in the US.
This card was left together with some old documents which was found in my dad's house while we were clearing the house after my dad passed away a few years ago. My sis asked me if I wanted to keep it or have it thrown away, of course I said I would keep it." – Bobby Wee, 53
FROG SAVINGS BANK
"I was taught the importance of savings by my parents. They started a savings account for me when I was young. The bank provided this savings bank in 1956. I kept it so to teach my daughter the same values – to save and be thrifty."
– Veronica Tan, 63
BEER DECANTER
“This glazed porcelain beer decanter with the words ‘How Happy I Am’ was given to me by mama in 1970. It was displayed in papa’s old-style coffeeshop since the late ’50s, until it was leased. I may be the only one in Singapore who has such an item! Being papa’s, I keep it. Ha ha, bet this particular one is now priceless!”
– KK Wong, 65
COMPASS
"When I was in primary school, I joined the Boy Scouts. As a way of learning directions, I bought a simple compass which I have kept to this day."
- Tan Peng Ann, 66
CUPBOARD "The cupboard has no nails. It was given to me by my mother-in-law when I got married in 1956. It actually came in a set, including the bed and chairs, and a coffee table. However, a thief came into our kampung and stole the coffee table and chairs. When I moved from the kampung, I decided to scrap the bed as it was too big to bring along, however, I insisted on keeping the cupboard as it was a reminder of my marriage. I currently use the cupboard to keep my clothes.
I also wanted to keep the shoes I wore during my wedding but unfortunately, they were also stolen from the kampung." - Ng Suan Loi, 77