National Museum to open revamped galleries on Sept 19

SINGAPORE — A zoetrope inspired by Singapore’s first female Olympian and a section incorporating holograms and artefacts, such as the armchair of one of Singapore’s founding fathers, S Rajaratnam, are among the new features that visitors will see once the National Museum of Singapore opens its revamped permanent galleries next month.

The museum, which is in the final stages of a S$10 million facelift that began last year, will be unveiling its new sections with a special opening weekend programme on Sept 19 and 20.

Admission will be free and activities include storytelling sessions, vintage costume photography and henna painting.

The revamp not only coincides with the Republic’s 50th anniversary celebrations, but also marks the next phase in the museum’s transformation since its initial revamp in 2006, said museum director Angelita Teo.

“At the heart of the revamp is a greater focus on creating personal and emotional connections with our visitors,” she added.

The updated Singapore History Gallery, located on the first level, will be divided into four sections, spanning Singapore’s history from 1299 to the present. Among the artefacts on display are a gold necklace given to war heroine Elizabeth Choy by Lady Shenton Thomas; a barrister gown worn by founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew; and a 1959 flexi disc of Majulah Singapura by the late composer Zubir Said.

One of the areas in the Gallery’s post-war section is titled A Nation In The Making, which is named after a radio play by Mr Rajaratnam, Singapore’s first Foreign Minister, and features the “Pepper’s ghost” illusion technique combining objects and holograms to tell the story of a newspaper photographer who lived through the 1950s and 1960s.

On the second level is the Goh Seng Choo Gallery, which features works from the William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings, as well as the new Life In Singapore: The Past 100 Years galleries, where personal histories take centre stage across four periods, from 1925 to 1985.

Among its features are the zoetrope contraption based on Singapore’s first female Olympian, hurdler Tang Pui Wah, who took part in the 1952 Games in Helsinki; and a playful recreation of a drive-in cinema, complete with car “cut-outs”.

These galleries, which go deeper into specific decades, replace the previous Singapore Living Galleries, where areas were divided into themes such as fashion and food.

Ms Teo said they decided to move away from the thematic approach based on the museum’s collection. Instead, the museum has opted to create galleries based on personal experiences and stories. “So, the things that interest Singaporeans — entertainment, food — all are made available in all the areas,” she added.