“Yes? What is the matter?” she asked.

We went through the usual drill of introducing the Singapore Snaps Project to her and explained our intentions of collecting old photographs from the public to provide them with free digital copies. At that time, I was with a student volunteer going door-to-door on a photo-collection drive in Toa Payoh, the first neighbourhood to kick-off our art and community program.

“You’ll get all your photographs back with a DVD of its digital copies within 1 week at your doorstep,” my student partner chirped.

The lady warmed up to our presence and emerged more confidently from behind her door.

“But I don’t have any old photographs. My parents didn’t take any for me. They never cared,” she said with a straightforward tone. But in her eyes was a tinge of sadness.

Both of us were suddenly thrown off-guard by a gush of empathy. For a short while we did not know what to say. We learned that her name is “Serene” and we explained to her that if she is visiting the neighbourhood library where our booth was based, it would be nice to be able to chat again.

Serene thanked us courteously before she closed her door.

Days later, Serene paid a surprise visit to us at our booth. She brought with her an envelope which she held endearingly close to her chest. Sitting together with her on our seventies-fashioned sofa, she revealed three black-and-white photographs and three large colour photographs from the envelope. The black-and-white photographs were of her as a child with her mother, looking very blissful. The large colour photographs were taken in a studio, of Serene in her convocation gown clutching a certificate and looking accomplished.

Photo credit: Jasmine Chan

“These are the only photographs, I have (of myself) when I was young… I worked very hard to study and get to where I am now, so that I can live independently and prove myself,” she told us.

Even though we set a minimum of twenty photographs for a contribution (any lesser will be a toil on the logistics), we accepted her photographs with appreciation. Serene’s sincerity in supporting our project has certainly moved us. Her situation also made us think about the individuals who never had the luxury of photographs to document their personal histories.

As we met more residents, it turned out that Serene’s story was not a remote one. Another resident had explained to us how he never had any photographs because his family could not afford a camera. There was also an individual, who told us how he had lost his entire life of photographs because an ex-fiance had burnt all of them in a fit of anger. Having those photographs of their lives documented, would mean everything to these people.

Yet, an absence is a presence of meaning – that absence of photographs is also a reflection of one’s personal history.

Photo credit: Pearl Pang

On the other side of the coin, we met many generous contributors with cupboards full of photographs waiting to be digitised. We recalled a contributor handing us a huge luggage worth of her family’s old photographs. We explained to her upfront that there was a limit to what we could accept, but she insisted that we take everything. I still can recall sitting alone in the cold activity room in the top floor of a library, browsing through multiple stacks of photographs from that particular family. Their personal memories whizzed through my head visually. For three hours I went through their photographs, album by album, selecting images that would be valuable to them and the project. While I am certain that these memories are precious to the family, there was also an underlying sense of insignificance of these printed photographs – like clutter to be cleared.

Whilst some residents whom we met at their homes, readily lent us their photographs for the project, there were others who found their personal memories too precious to be placed in the hands of a stranger. Both ways, we understand and respect their choices. After all, photographs mean different things and have different values to everyone.

Written by Samantha Tio
Edited by Tan Wei Keong

The Singapore Snaps team were delighted to welcome the photography club students of Fairfield Methodist Secondary School to join us for 3 sessions of their photography club program with the initiation of their insightful teacher-in-charge, Mr Larry Loh.

Kicking off the program in the first week, participating students started off getting to know a little more about the value of old photographs and how to handle them with care. The project orientation session with the students on was held in the cozy activity room at Geylang East Library. The students’ knowledge on photography was wide, but it was one of the first time they had come into close contact with photographs created from the analog era. Some students had even brought their personal family photographs from home to share with the group.

Following which, we accompanied the students straight into the neighbouring blocks across the road from the library to begin the door-to-door photo collection. For many of the students it was their first time in a door-to-door community involvement program like this, but all of them certainly had the courage and tenacity. Most of them started out shy whilst a number of the students were very forth coming with introducing the project to the residents.

Gracie, Outreach Officer for Singapore Snaps with two students from FMSS Photography Club on our first day.

On the second session, the students continued going door-to-door speaking to the community. From the feedback session that we had with the students, disappointment from being unable to receive a single photograph from any resident was common:

“I felt pretty disappointed as we did not have a single contribution and most of the neighbours turned us down. (On what can be improved) Our communication skills. We need to improve on our mandarin (our mother tongue) and other dialects” – Hagen Li

The students recognised the value of being multilingual so they can communicate with more people in Singapore because of the diverse cultures here. Comfortable with a single language used amongst their families and friends, the students quickly realised the value of dialects in understanding people from the earlier generations.

But some of the students took the rejection in a very positive light. C.S Chan a student wrote:

“Through the collection of old photos and speaking to strangers publicly, I realised that photos are more than just memories. They are precious milestones (of individuals) in their golden years. Many were reluctant to offer (their photographs)… Perhaps that is how priceless the photos are to them.”

Chan also drew the connection between photography and biography in his reflection.

“One’s photography is another’s biography.”

Audrey, another student from the photography club gave us new insight to our project:

“I learned that stories are meant to be shared and the power of voicing our inner thoughts… This experience allowed me to treasure the community even more especially when there are so many stories waiting to be shared by them! Their fascinating stories bring Singapore’s past alive, so that us, the next generation could appreciate its beauty and see through its growth.”

One of the written reflections from the students of the FMSS Photography Club.

We were extremely heartened to receive handwritten reflections like these from the students. They were very honest and we were glad that this community involvement from the students were beyond simply achieving the project’s goals. The students took home with them new insights about the local community, and of themselves. The younger generation’s interest and participation are necessary and important for us because the observation and writing of history is a continuous task for us to gain insight of the present.

Singapore Snaps would like to thank the students of the Photography Club from Fairfield Methodist Secondary School and teacher-in-charge Mr Larry Loh. They had travelled far to join us and we have learned as much from them as they had during their journey with us.

All photo credits in this post are Chan Wen, Hagen Li and Larry Loh.

Written and edited by Samantha Tio

Top picture: Mdm Saraswathi with her first child, standing outside her block at the residential wing of the Seletar Camp. Photo Credit: Saraswathi

Mdm Saraswathi with a stack of old photographs of Seletar Camp in her hands. Photo credit: SG Snaps

As a clerk to the Singapore Armed Forces, Mdm Saraswathi had lived in residential quarters at the military facility together with her family. She shared with us her family’s long history there, since the camp’s former days of being the largest British Royal Air Force base in the Far East. Built by the British in the 1920s, the camp became operational in 1928 and had housed staffs to the British Airforce. Aside from the British, the Malay and Indian community had made up majority of the staff. Her father, who was an Indian migrant, had worked for the British as a labourer, and her uncle as a supervisor.

A photograph of Mdm Saraswathi, her husband, first son and her two brothers in her husband’s quarters. Photo credit: Saraswathi

The living quarters were located at the east side of the camp. Mdm Saraswathi described two different layouts of the quarters. Her husband was also a staff who lived in the bigger quarters, while she had grown up in the smaller one with her family – A three-room apartment consisting one hall, bedroom and kitchen. There were six apartments in a block, with toilets and water taps shared between all the families living there. She remembered how she needed to take her laundry and plates out to the public tap for cleaning. On the other hand, her husband’s house, where she had moved to after their wedding, had a private toilet, but the rent was higher.

“The rent for the three-room quarters (back then) was only $12 per month. For the bigger one, it was $20,” said Mdm Saraswathi.

In a photo taken right in front of the guardroom of the residential quarters, Mdm Saraswathi recounts how tightly guarded the facility was. Any of her relatives visiting the camp were required to report to the guard house, where she would have to produce her official pass in order to allow them onto premise. Public access into the camp was highly restricted, and any outsiders entering or leaving the camp were duly noted by the guards.

During Christmas, the British would hold celebrations for the military staff. Families would go to the clubhouse carrying coupons previously handed out to them, to collect goodie boxes filled with cakes and ice-creams for every member of each household. The clubhouse was also a place where families held meetings, as well as movie screenings hosted for the families.

“We would bring out big mats to lay on the grass and watch the movies for free from the big screen,” she quipped.

Bride & Groom – A photograph of Mdm Saraswathi’s wedding held at a tent pitched on a field in Seletar Camp. Photo credit: Saraswathi

Amongst the photographs that Mdm Saraswathi had showed us, there were some of her wedding ceremony. Contrary to the rich and colourful festivities that typically surround an Indian wedding, Mdm Saraswathi’s wedding was very modest. Instead of a temple with a priest, her wedding was celebrated in a tent at the Seletar Camp, specially erected for this joyous occasion near her husband’s living quarters.

“(During the ceremony) we had followed our book, the tiripura, a book written by a sage to convey the knowledge. And somebody had read from that book. That was how we got married.”

Mdm Saraswathi’s brother on the eve of Thaipusam, preparing to carry the kavadi (behind them) for the ceremony the next morning. Photo credit: Saraswathi

Another eventful recollection she had at the camp was the preparation for her brother to carry the kavadi for Thaipusam, a Hindu celebration in honour of Lord Subramaniam. In the photo was her husband, uncle and brother on the eves of Thaipusam in their home, getting ready for the journey the next morning.

During the Thaipusam procession where Hindu devotees carry the kavadi. Photo credit: Saraswathi

When asked whether carrying the kavadi would be painful, she chuckled as she replied, “Actually, it would be, if you hadn’t followed the preparations properly. (The devotees carrying the kavadi) would fast for one week. You can take food only once a day in the evenings after your prayers.” The fasting devotees would be allowed to drink. But milk, she told us, is restricted because it is meant to be an offering to the God.

Wei Keong and Mdm Saraswathi outside her flat in Toa Payoh. Photo credit: SG Snaps

After our pleasant afternoon with Mdm Saraswathi, listening to her time-transporting stories of Seletar Camp, we thanked her for her time and exited her flat to the scenery of Toa Payoh today. The home in the black and white photographs of hers is so different from her current home. The times that we see in a single lifetime in Singapore has definitely changed, and we continue to wonder how the lives of people living here has changed too.

Written by Samantha Tio
Edited by Tan Wei Keong

For this blog entry, we recollect one of the best days with a group of 12 volunteers joining us at Redhill. The participating volunteers were the staff of the Halogen Foundation, teamed together with students from CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent and Hwa Chong Institution. It was daunting, thinking how to coordinate 6 pairs of volunteers scattered in the neighbourhood, but we knew one thing for sure – that each of their participation will be unique with every resident they meet.

The volunteer experience at Singapore Snaps means a lot to us. We believe, for an individual who shares our vision and comes forward to work with us, every precious minute of their time counts. The best returns of volunteering will always be the learning and interaction in a social sphere where the public gathers to do good. Because of that, before we head out to the neighbourhoods to interact with the local residents, a warming-up briefing session with our volunteer team would be the key to a rewarding volunteer experience.

Each volunteer gets to introduce himself or herself in the quirkiest of ways – by recounting his or her first memory; the first thing you remember consciously. This is SG Snaps’ unique way in getting to know everyone better. This part of the session is always filled with comical moments that even the shyest volunteer would join the conversation and have a good laugh.

Simply because SG Snaps is one project which is interested in excavating memories, being acquainted with our volunteers means learning their memories too. First memories are significant to us, because it is intimate and it signifies the beginning of our consciousness as an individual. We also had the honour of some volunteers bringing their own photo albums to share with the group. Looking through old photographs is one definite way of knowing a person better.

Most certainly, the most important aspect of our briefing session is appreciating and handling the old photographs. We prepare our volunteers to receive the photographs in an array of formats – from the ones pasted into adhesive albums, to the ones inserted in sleeves or even piled up in loose sheets. SG Snaps team member and photographer Samantha Tio, shared with the student volunteers the technicalities of handling photographic prints. She also shared her views on why images created during the era of analog cameras are important and relevant to us even today.

The students started out with great energies, and with positive attitudes they had managed to encounter some amazing finds. During this particular door-to-door collection drive in Redhill, we found our first hand-coloured photographs. For many of the young participants, it was the first time seeing anything like that. Read more about studio portrait trends from the 1950s-80s in our previous post.

What was also remarkable about that photograph was the handwritten message on the back in Chinese characters in calligraphic style, dating and addressing the portrait to a beloved. The photograph was taken and developed in 1967, and was addressed to the sender’s aunt. We later noticed more photographs with such personal messages. It was a trend then, to give a copy of the photo with accompanying text to relatives and friends, just like a postcard.

One of our youngest volunteer, Edison recounts how he was so delighted when an elderly resident had invited his group into his house. He described the house to be filled with incredible antiques and the series of portraits that he had kindly contributed for the project seemed to be dated to the early 20th century.

Unfortunately not all the students managed to interest a resident to participate and contribute old photographs. Rejection is part of this learning process and it pushes us beyond of our comfort zones, humbling and motivating us continuously. We truly hope our volunteering students had learned beyond the textbooks, and benefited from their unconventional afternoon with Singapore Snaps.

Written by Samantha Tio

Edited by Tan Wei Keong

Photographs by Khee Shi Hui

Top photo: Volunteers Quince (left) & Xuan Jin (right) visiting the residents at Redhill. Photo: SG Snaps

Before our team decided on the idea of knocking on the doors of residents from three neighbourhoods for three months, we had  considered the many ways which can make our collection a lot simpler. The first instinctual idea was to start an open call on social media, and then to receive photo-contributions from our direct networks of friends. If any contributor brought 1,000 photographs, which would be the average quantity taken by a snappy-happy household, all we needed were 15 contributors to be able to hit our target of 15,000. But what would that all mean – featuring those photographs from such a tight demographic and treating it as a survey of the family photographs taken in Singapore? Nothing much, we thought. What is, after all, a social art project without being “out there”, meeting new people and to be headed on by chance, discovery and adventure? Though passé enough, going door-to-door would be the best approach which we could pay tribute to the spirit of civic participation.

Students volunteers from the Photography Club of Fairfield Methodist School going door-to-door at Geylang East. Photo: Larry Loh of FMS(S) Photography Club

After gathering all of that rationalisation and plucking up the barest bit of courage, my volunteer partner, Stacy and I pressed on our first doorbell. Nobody responded. I went on to the next apartment, and then to the next, until somebody opened the door. There were a lot of nervous stutters and eyeballing each other at first when we tried to introduce and explain the project. Putting aside our rough take-off, it was what seemed like a snowball of adrenaline that had shuttled us from one door to the other. Until the final day of our collection drive, we  achieved and reached way beyond our target of receiving, scanning and returning over 15,000 old photographs.

It would be very tempting to celebrate the numbers but it is the journey that mattered. Looking at the collection process on hindsight,  we realise how humbling it has been for our team. We really have to salute the team of young volunteers from the secondary schools who had accompanied us on this expedition. The sweltering heat, along with our aching heels in our vertical marathons through the HDB flats were enough to slow us down. Yet, truth be told, it was the feeling of rejection that made each step heavy; the countless times when residents ignored our presence and pretended not to be at home, or when we were met with hostile “No’s” before we could even speak a word. Curious residents opened their doors, but only to a gap small enough for their eyes to peek through, and for them to quickly shut it as soon as they find out that what we had to offer was not up their alley.

It is simply uncommon for local residents to be greeted by a group of individuals doing an art project in the heartlands. So, naturally, this caused a handful of wary and skeptical residents with whom we spent more effort in sharing the value of preserving old printed photographs, and recognising the intangible values of art in a modern society like Singapore. By having a digital duplicate of a physical print, we can ensure that personal memories are not subjected to physical conditions of the print, like discolouration and paper disintegration. By connecting common themes through different contributors, we seek unity and hopefully see the ‘spirit of the times’ through strings of photographs in the animations.

Interestingly, a small group of residents expressed an aversion towards programs associated with the government. Even after we had explained that our project was initiated by independent artists and supported by the National Library Board, there was a sense of disassociation by some people who felt it was too good to be true. On polarised ends to members of the public who were excited and supportive of the project, there were also people who expressed disgruntled feelings to a project that conveyed the impression of nationalism. “I am a Singaporean but I do not want to have anything to do with Singapore” was a retort from one resident that left us bewildered.

Our volunteers (from the right) Alfred, Zhi Hong & Choon Pin visited the home of Mr Fu Ya Bo (left) were treated not only to photographs and packet drinks but also a rare glimpse of a his wedding certificate from 1938. Photo: SG Snaps

All these experiences had taught us to be grateful every time someone supported the project. Their mutual respect and encouragements are immediate oasis to our parched motivation. When residents opened their doors to invite us into their homes, never did the granite floors of the HDB apartments felt so cooling, and the chilled packet drinks that they had offered tasted so sweet. The moments that rejuvenated us the most was when we experienced the warmth and openness in the contributors in sharing with us their photographs and the personal stories that they narrated so fondly alongside them. It is those stories which had made this journey through the corridors of our heartlands and the private-historical passageways of our country’s psyche, entirely worthwhile.

Written by Samantha Tio
Edited by Tan Wei Keong

We strive to do this through door-to-door visits with the residents of the neighbouring HDB near the public library, where the team sets up the collection booth. With the involvement of student volunteers, the project connects the residents with students of a younger generation, and engage meaningful conversations about personal histories and memories.

For the past three weeks, we have been collecting photographs from the residents, who we got to know better by talking to them about their memories, of a moment in time of the stories they captured with their photographs. Students from Hwa Chong Institute and Hougang Secondary School, as well as friends who participated in this journey, have been making their rounds together in the Toa Payoh neighbourhood. The photographs and stories they collected are nothing short of intriguing, informing and in fact, unexpected.

Student volunteers arrive in the afternoons after school, or on weekends to visit the neighbourhood either in pairs, or in small groups. Prior to heading out, they are briefed on their introduction of themselves and the project to the residents, and having positive attitudes throughout the visit. Should a resident be interested in learning more about the project, and in the event that the resident wishes to participate, volunteers may be invited into the resident’s home. While accepting the photo contributions, volunteers are encouraged to be curious and inquisitive so Contributors are encouraged to share their personal stories in relation to the photographs at hand.

The student volunteer team from Singapore Snaps taking part in a slightly uncommon volunteering endeavour.

The corridors of our HDBs may look similar, but each home holds stories waiting to be discovered – These are the stories our volunteers get access to when a willing resident opens the doors to let them in.

When a Contributor submits his or her photographs, we take great care in ensuring that the photographs are kept in its original condition until they are returned. These are the steps that we take:

Step 1: We account for all the contributed photographs.

For each set of photographs collected, we have two types of calculations: 1) Total number of photos submitted 2) Of these, the total number of photos selected for scanning. This way, we ensure full accountability for the photos submitted.

Step 2: We protect the photographs and albums with bubble wrap.

Loose photographs and photo albums are wrapped in protective bubble wrap before delivering them to our professional scanning studio for digitising.

Step 3: We deliver the package personally for scanning. Once scanning completes, the SG Snaps team returns the original photographs and albums to the contributor, together with a free personalised DVD containing the digitised photos.

And that, folks, is what we do on a typical “workday” at SG Snaps. We have just finished our stint at the Toa Payoh library and will be at the Central Library and Bukit Merah library from 11 June onwards.

Thinking ahead, we wonder… how will the photographs collected at Bukit Merah differ from the contributions and stories in Toa Payoh? Will we see a greater variety of photographic types and content, or more similarities? How will our collections in Bukit Merah and Central Library shape the 3 animations? Join our journey, and we shall see!

Till then – Much Love & Be Well.

Writen by Annette