Detailed town plan of Singapore
By [OUR HALF SHARE] [Anonymous] , 1945
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Map of Singapore Town.

Asia China
  • Author: [OUR HALF SHARE] [Anonymous]
  • Publication place: [?Singapore
  • Publication date: c.1945].
  • Physical description: Lithographic map, original folds flattened, with small repairs at folds, discrete ink mss.
  • Dimensions: 305 by 510mm (12 by 20 inches).
  • Inventory reference: 11843

Notes

A commercial map of Singapore, overprinted with a red ink stamp of ‘Fraser & Neave Ltd’, a Singaporean printing and brewing company, suggesting it was owned by someone with connections to the company or possibly produced for it. Fraser and Neave had published a handbook to Hong Kong with an accompanying map in 1907, although their focus had turned to brewing by this point. The establishments shown date the map to the 1940s, possibly after the Japanese occupation of Singapore. The leader of the Allied forces, Lieutenant General Percival, was forced to surrender the island to the Japanese in February 1942, and it remained under Japanese control until the end of the war. Manuscript additions have highlighted some features: the Adelphi, a grand hotel where General Yamashita met with Singaporean leaders in a bid to reconcile them with Japanese occupation; the offices of Sime, Darby & Co, a rubber and palm oil exporter; and Singapore General Hospital, the oldest in the country.

We have not been able to trace any institutional copies of this map (the National Archives of Singapore does not appear to hold one), or any copies appearing at auction.

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