From the stacks, a history of Singapore

Photographs of the Opening of the War Crimes Trials in Singapore, Jan 21, 1946 are on display at the exhibition, From The Stacks: Highlights Of The National Library which showcases artefacts from Singapore’s pre-independence days. Photos: Straits Times, Singapore/ANN

Back in the 1890s, when horse-drawn carriages and rickshaws roamed the dusty streets of Singapore, travellers docking here had a travel guide to turn to: the officious-sounding Handbook To Singapore by George Murray Reith, a Scottish Presbyterian minister posted to Singapore.

First published in 1892, it is one of the country’s earliest guidebooks. Visitors with a few free hours can follow Reith’s favourite walking and driving tours around the island.