Over Singapore: 50 years ago is a view of old Singapore from a new angle. Many of the streets and buildings have changed; but many others are still instantly recognisable, and this book helps the reader make connections between places as they were and are today.
In the 1950s, much of the landscape outside the city was still dominated by agriculture. However, this period saw the beginnings of rapid and dramatic change in the face of Singapore. As time moved on, Singapore was to be transformed gradually into the largely urbanised island that is today, and many parts of the city were developed.
This book is based on aerial photographs taken vertically, some 50 years ago, from altitudes in the range of 2,500–23,000 feet. These photos have been specifically combined to form large, composite views similar in impact to photographs take today from satellites. The result is a fascinating and detailed portrait of the city and many major outlying areas as they once were, a “time machine” revealing street by street, building by building, exactly how the place looked to an earlier generation. Enriching the book even further is a wealth of more conventional aeriel and ground-level shots from the same era, many of them never before published.
Younger readers will be fascinated by this portrait of the past; the older generation will be taken back to the Singapore they remember. Visitors will gain insights into Singapore’s history, which will enrich their understanding and enjoyment of the island state today.
