Historic Malacca Post Cards

Old photographs tell many private and secret stories. Old photographs in the form of picture postcards, in particular, are a public exposition of things, people, sights seen by travellers along the way, that momentarily captured their private attention.
This is an exhibition of more than hundred postcard views of Malacca between 1900 -1950 seen through the eyes of colonial travellers. Organized along four broad topographical themes: Sea, Life of Town, Country-Side and Town Center—most, if not all are of sights, places and practices that have since changed or have disappeared altogether.
What was seen and experienced? What was represented?
What was valued?
There is no nostalgic value in re-visiting these visual records, for those “old Malacca(s)” have surely passed. Rather, its value is to encourage us to re-connect to and to critically reflect upon the qualities of these past(s) that made Malacca unique in the eyes of the early travellers. And then, perhaps ask: “How pertinent are these qualities today?” and “What have we gained and lost through time?” Only then, can the past authentically mean anything at all to us.

Please ADD US$15 for Surface Postage for Overseas Orders. To purchase, please email akisec@nus.edu.sg with the NAME and TITLE of the publication.