SingPost, NLB launch new stamps featuring historical images of the Singapore River

SINGAPORE: A new set of stamps highlighting the history and significance of the Singapore River was unveiled on Friday (Sep 29) by Singapore Post (SingPost) and the National Library Board (NLB).

The Early Singapore River Settlement stamps – with face values of S$0.80 (US$0.59), S$0.90, S$1.15 and S$1.50 – feature 19th-century images of the river gleaned from the National Library's rare materials collection.

"The National Library Board and Singapore Post Limited have collaborated to produce a set of stamps that highlight the Singapore River as the cradle of the nation's economic development and urban transformation in the early 19th century," NLB said in a media release.

"The Singapore River occupies an important place in the history of Singapore with visual records often depicting it as the focal point of commercial activity and urban development.

"These prints shown on the stamps have been specially selected from the rare materials collections found in the National Library."

NLB said that the stamps represent its ongoing collaboration with partners to bring more Singapore stories to the public as part of its Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025, or LAB25, initiative.

The 80-cent stamp features a view towards the mouth of the Singapore River from an upstream location.

It was captured by HS Melville, a draughtsman on board the HMS Fly, which visited Singapore in July 1845.

"It showcases the river as a hub of commercial activity with shophouses and godowns lining its banks, as well as boats transporting goods and passengers," NLB said.

The print on the 90-cent stamp, meanwhile, depicts a view from the south bank of the Singapore River towards Chinatown with Pearl's Hill in the background.

It was sketched by Barthelemy Lauvergne, an artist who was on board the La Bonite, a French warship that stopped in Singapore in February 1837 while on a voyage around the world.

"The Chinese had formed the core of the urban population that had settled on the southwestern bank of the river," NLB said.

"The sketch depicts a group of Chinese crossing a bridge, with Chinese-style houses in the foreground."

The panoramic view seen on the S$1.15 stamp was captured from the vantage point of what was then known as Government Hill, today's Fort Canning Hill.

Royal Navy captain and artist Robert James Elliot probably sketched it sometime between 1822 and 1824 while he was travelling through India and China.

"The background shows ships anchored in the waters off Singapore, and the middle segment depicts the European town to the left, and the wide basin of the Singapore River with boats and commercial buildings to the right. The human figures in the foreground provide a sense of scale," NLB said.

"The view conveys the impressive transformation of Singapore into a bustling port settlement, with the Singapore River at its heart, a mere few years after its establishment as a British trading post in 1819."

Finally, the S$1.50 stamp depicts Presentment Bridge, also known as Jackson's Bridge after Lieutenant Philip Jackson, a surveyor and engineer who supervised its construction.

This print was made from a drawing of the bridge by William Robinson, a midshipman who was on board the HMS Rainbow when it visited Singapore in 1826.

"Built in 1823, this wooden footbridge was the earliest bridge to span the Singapore River, connecting settlements on both sides," NLB said.

"The bridge joined North Bridge Road and South Bridge Road and could be raised in the middle to allow boats to pass. Elgin Bridge stands on the site today."

The set of four stamps is available for S$4.35, while first day covers affixed with the stamps are priced at S$5.95. Presentation packs containing the four stamps are also available for S$7.05.

They can be purchased at any SingPost branch or philatelic store and from SingPost's online store.