Singapore in 1941 seems a year that was well documented by the international media. We have seen an extensive set of photographs taken by Carl Mydans’ for LIFE magazine, which show both scenes in Singapore and Malaya, as it was being readied for war. Another extensive collection is that of Mydans’ compatriot, Harrison Forman, whose extensive collection of photographs also include rare photographs taken on colour film. Forman, a photo-journalist with a degree in Oriental Philosophy, wrote for the New York Times and National Geographic. His extensive collection of 50,000 photographs are in the His collection of diaries and fifty thousand photographs are found in the American Geographical Society Library of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
A selection from the Harrison Forman Collection of Singapore in 1941
Corner of North Bridge Road and Middle Road.
St Joseph’s Institution (now SAM) with brick blast walls put up.
A view up Cross Street with a trolley bus in view.
A view up Collyer Quay. Buildings from left to right are the Union Building (later Maritime Building), Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Chambers and the GPO (now Fullerton Hotel).
North Bridge Road.
North Bridge Road.
Middle Road – there were quite a number of shoe factories and shoe stores.
The then former Supreme Court (now Old Parliament House / The Arts House).
John Littles at Raffles Place with a pillbox seen in front of it.
Raffles Place towards the Mercantile Bank (Malacca Street end).
North Bridge Road – where the Raffles Hotel extension is today. Note the number of Japanese owned businesses. The pre-war Japanese community, which was centred on Middle Road and several of the streets around numbered several thousand at its peak.
Middle Road, where the Mercure Bugis now stands.
Bencoolen Street.
Bencoolen Street, where Sunshine Plaza now stands.
Capitol.
A drinks vendor on Collyer Quay.
A bullock cart on Collyer Quay.
The Battery Road corner of Raffles Place looking towards Chartered Bank Chambers (Six Battery Road).
Raffles Place / Battery Road.
Connaught Drive.
Connaught Drive.
Cathay / Dhoby Ghaut.
A chandu (opium) shop.
A chandu (opium) shop.
A chandu (opium) shop.
China Street.
The meeting of Pickering, Church and Synagogue Streets.
Electra House – Cable and Wireless (and previously the Eastern Extension Telegraph Co’s HQ – now SO Sofitel).
Rex Hotel on Bras Basah Road (were Carlton is today).
Orchard Road Market (Orchard Point today).
Cross Street and Robinson Road.
North Bridge Road.
South Bridge Road.
Whiteaways at Fullerton Square (later Malayan Banking Chambers – where Maybank Tower now stands).
Gian Singh at Bank of China Building.
Battery Road.
Raffles Place.
Corner of Cecil and D’Almeida Street.
Meyer Chambers at Raffles Place.
Japan Street (now Boon Tat Street).
Robinson Road.
Singapore River.
Trade on the river.
Coleman Street and the Adelphi Hotel.
Dhoby Ghaut (Cathay towards Prinsep Street).
The Medical Hall at Battery Road.
Packing Opium.
Rare pre-war colour photo of Amber Mansions on Orchard Road (where Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station is today).
Rare colour photo of the corner of South Bridge and Circular Roads.
Rare colour photo of Battery Road – notice the row of rickshaws, which were withdrawn after the war.
Haw Par Villa – in full colour.
Reclamation off the Esplanade (what would provide land for Queen Elizabeth Walk).
Dhoby Ghaut with Cathay.
Construction of an air raid shelter on the Raffles Reclamation at Beach Road.