How I met Alvin was most likely to be a museum event, I was introduced by Belinda, the great connector and networker. “Come and visit the Intan!” Alvin said to me. “Alright, sure!” I replied to Alvin. Fast forward to 16^th June 2019, I finally visited the Intan! I had one of my most memorable visit to a museum here in Singapore, an exquisite Peranakan Experience at the Intan. Let me bring you through on my story of learning and exploring up close and personal Peranakan history, heritage and culture at the Intan with Alvin Yapp.

I joined a scheduled Intan Tea Tour with two other visitors from overseas, along with another family based in Singapore, on a Saturday morning. The Intan attracts both local and international visitors. The tour took about an hour, starting with a brief history on the origins of Peranakan history, heritage and culture by Alvin. Thereafter, he brought us around a tour of his Peranakan museum on the ground floor, telling the stories, the origin and history behind them.

On the second floor, there are even more Peranakan treasures! Prior to going up, Alvin kindly requested “No photography is allowed to be taken on the second floor”. We respected his privacy and request, no questions asked. Oh, what are the type of Peranakan treasures and collection on the second floor? I would like to keep this a suspense, for you to visit the Intan and discover them for yourself!

Upon finishing the tour, we went back down to the ground floor, sat down, had tea, delicious Nonya kueh and continued chatting with Alvin, listening to his stories. As the other visitors left, I stayed behind for a bit longer, preparing for the second half of my exquisite Peranakan experience. While chatting with Alvin, he shared this with me, “Every piece of Peranakan artefact inside the Intan has a story behind it.” I was curious, wanting to learn and understand more about Intan.

Me: When and how did the Intan get started?

Alvin: The Intan is sometimes referred to as an ‘Accidental Museum’ I started collecting Peranakan antiques to learn about my own culture. When I had my own apartment, visitors were keen to visit me to view and learn about P culture. We eventually registered ourselves at The Intan in 2006, and NHB appointed The Intan as a member of the museum roundtable association in 2010.

Me: What are some of your favourite Peranakan collections and what are some of the stories behind them?

Alvin: Each piece has it’s own story. My first piece is a humble planter’s chair. I got it from a garage sale by using my Dad’s station wagon. Another piece that is special to me would be a pair of beaded slippers that my g’ma gave to my mum. I always say….everything else, money can buy. Heirloom pieces are priceless.

Me: What makes the Intan so special and unique?

Alvin: Everything Here are some things we keep hearing from our guests

1. Am surprised that the owner still lives in the house
2. Special to visit a ‘house’ museum where we can interact and engage with the owner/collector himself.
3. It’s a living museum
4. Very experiential where we can ask all the questions we want
5. You can also check out Tripadvisor reviews….wat travelers’ say about The intan is extremely interesting!

There were stories on some of the Peranakan collections, some were heart warming, some heart wrenching when I heard it from Alvin, while looking at the Peranakan collections, I was amazed, touched and enlightened by them. That is the exquisite Peranakan experience that I am talking about earlier, only at the Intan, surrounded by a vast and wide collection of Peranakan history, heritage, culture, conservation and preservation, through the private stories, heart, mind, soul and amazing passion of Alvin Yapp, the owner of the Intan.

The Intan is not a big museum by floor size, it is a “huge” museum by the diversity of Peranakan culture packed inside there, filled with such a rich Peranakan history, heritage, culture, stories behind them and a level of passion unparalleled by the private museum owner Alvin Yapp. This is definitely one of the best private museum in Singapore, in my personal humble opinion.

I would like to invite you to book a visit to the Intan, go for your own exquisite Peranakan experience adventure! Thank you Intan, thank you Alvin, for this memorable exquisite Peranakan Experience!

<A TGH Photography x Canon EOS RP Explorer series production>

Information on the Intan

Address: 69 Joo Chiat Terrace, Singapore 427231

Telephone: +65 6440 1148

Email: contactus@the-intan.com

Important! Take note!

The Intan is a private Peranakan Museum. Please be kindly reminded that visits to the Intan are STRICTLY by appointments only! Book your Intan tour here on their website!

Social Media

Website: http://the-intan.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheIntanSG/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theintansg/

Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/theintansg/

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Now, think back, how did photography came about and in which year? How was the early days of photography like? Photographs provided us with a lot of rich and cultural insights into the history, culture, development, changes and growth in the community, society and country, not just through the eyes of the photographers, you can also see the world during their time through the eyes of the subjects.

There is a very special exhibition taking place at The Perankan Museum, titled Amek Gambar (Taking Pictures): Peranakans and Photography, it would not just amaze the historian, heritage enthusiast, this special photography exhibition would be very beneficial to photographers (whether you are young or old, enthusiast or professional), from observing how photographs were taken during that era (especially portraiture photography) and the history of photography that started in 1839.

John Teo,  General  Manager of  the  Peranakan Museum,  said:  “Every photograph captures  a moment  in  time, andtells  a  story. Today,  we  take photographs  to  mark important  life  events – births,  marriages,  deaths –butalso  the  mundane, the  ordinary,  the everyday.  The  ‘photographs’in  Amek Gambar–from  monochrome  early images  on  metal plates,  to  dazzling digital  displays  –provide a  fascinating  insight, not  only  into the  Peranakan  world, butlife  in  Southeast Asiaand  Singapore,from  the mid-19th  centuryto  today.As we  enter  the museum’s  10thyear,  it is  also  timely to  showcase  our collectionof  photographs  of Peranakans,  one  of the  bestin  the world,  in  part through  the  generous donation  of  more than  2,500  photographs by  Mr  and Mrs  Lee  Kip  Lee.“

Source: Press Release from The Peranakan Museum

When you arrive at The Peranakan Museum for Amek Gambar exhibition, proceed to start off your photography discovery journey on the thrid floor. Your journey takes you through more than a century and a half of photography, their arrival in Southeast Asia, the early adoption, growth and evolution of photography in Southeast Asia. The affluent Peranakans were among the first to participate in this phenomenon thing called photography.

Walk slowly, observe each and every photograph, looks at their eyes, are they watching you watching their photograph? How and where did the subjects position themselves during a family portraiture shoot? Each and every photograph tells you their own unique story.

On the third floor where you kickstart your photography discovery adventure at The Peranakan Museum, the first section of the exhibition showcases early photography techniques that are not even commonly heard in today’s modern digital society. From albumen print, daguerreotype, negative prints, large format prints, glass plate negative, you can view and learn about the photography technology of the early days since the invention of photography.

For the photography gear heads, there is a display of old cameras, from twin lens reflex (TLR) to rangefinders, single lens reflex (SLR) cameras and modern digital cameras today. A pit stop that most (or all) photographers will stop, spend time admiring the old cameras and thinking to themselves, should I get one of those?

After you have finished admiring all the vintage analogue cameras on display, continue to the second floor of The Peranakan Museum where the Amek Gambar exhibition continues. Walking through the timezone, observe the changes in the photographs, from the studio settings, posture and positioning, clothings and fashion, the occasions when photography was brought into beyond the portraiture shoot, to the modern digital photography in today’s society.

As you leave the second floor Amek Gambar exhibition space, your Amek Gambar journey has not ended yet! Remember to participate and contribute your own photographic memories through “Space, Time and Memories” at The Peranakan Museum.

At the lobby on the ground floor, enter into this big and modern digital space artwork titled “we stop to watch the world go by” by local artist Sarah Choo and Larry Kwa. Do pop into this “My Best Side Photo Studio”, specially designed for the Amek Gambar exhibition and do your own photo shoot! Oh yes, the theme and props change at different times of the year! Share and tag your photo #tpmsg for the world to view your photography works!

This special and unique exhibition, Amek Gambar at The Peranakan Museum, would definitely interest history, heritage and cultural enthusiasts. A shout out to all photographers, I highly recommend fellow photographers (whether you are enthusiast or professional) to visit this exhibition, it’s not just about the cameras and gears, this exhibition presents the purist side of photography, capturing memories and moments lasting beyond generations.

Information and details on the exhibition

Amek Gambar (Taking Pictures): Peranakans and Photography

Dates: 5th May 2018 to 3rd February 2019

Venue: The Peranakan Museum, 39 Armenian Street, Singapore 179941

Admission fee:

Website:www.peranakanmuseum.org.sg

Enquiries: 6332 7591 / nhb_pm_vs@nhb.gov.sg

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday: 10am to 7pm (to 9pm on Friday)

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