By Wong Kah Wei
A delightful part of reading books, especially old books, is letting the illustrations of the book enliven the story within.
NUS Libraries holds a large collection of rare books collected through many years. To celebrate NUS’ 120th anniversary, we wish to share with you some rare books which feature lovely illustrations. The books were selected not for any specific theme or purpose, but rather for the pure joy that comes from turning a page and discovering bursts of vibrant colors or beautifully crafted lines that bring the story to life.
An exhibition featuring these rare books is currently on display at Level 5 of the Central Library, located outside the Singapore/Malaysia Collection. The display will end by late June 2025.
From intepreting each illustration to curating the book display, three librarians discovered the fun of working together to share the beauty and charm of these timeless tomes.
Gladys Toh and Chow Chai Khim setting up the display
Three librarians and one exhibition
Enjoy the illustrations and let your imagination take flight!
Abu Nawas: Dipetik dari beberapa naskah kepunjaan Koninklijk Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen / by N. St. Iskandar. Djakarta : Balai Pustaka, 1949
Stories of Abu Nawas tell of his wisdom in solving problems. This page relates to the story of a merchant’s promise which he could not keep. Abu Nawas shows how the promised goat could be found using his child’s hand.
The Dragon of Kinabalu / by Owen Rutter; illustrated by, Mary Penrose-Thackwell. London : Clement Ingleby, [1923]
These stories of Borneo are beautifully illustrated in vibrant colors. Taken from the story “The Vampires of Tempassuk”, this page shows vampires screaming and flying over a graveyard waiting to unearth and devour the remains of the boy’s father.
Fables & Folk-tales from an Eastern Forest / by Walter Skeat; illustrated by F.H. Townsend. Cambridge : [Cambridge] University Press, 1901
A compilation of folk tales from Malaya with the mousedeer as Skeat’s favorite character. This page is from the story of “The Mousedeer’s Shipwreck”. In order to escape from being eaten by a shark, the mousedeer tricks the shark into being tied up by promising to teach the shark magic.
The Golden Chersonese and the Way Thither / by Isabella L. Bird. New York : G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1883
Isabella Bird was an explorer and writer and the first woman to be elected as a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. This page shows the Straits Settlements government presenting a buffalo as wedding gift to a Malay princess.
The Head-hunters of Borneo: a Narrative of Travel up the Mahakkam and down the Barito ; also, Journeyings in Sumatra / by Carl Bock. London : Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, 1882
Carl Bock, an explorer in the jungles in Borneo recorded his observations of the headhunters he befriended. With this color plate, Bock describes the Tring Dayak woman’s “ear mutilations”. The text on the opposite page describes the different lengths of the ear holes.
The Illustrated History of the British Empire in India and the East (Vol.2) / by E.H. Nolan. London : J. S. Virtue, [1858-60?]
In illustrating his observations, historian E.H. Nolan provides fine steel engravings of scenes of British India. This title page shows the “Temple of Juggernaut” which is likely to be the Jagannath Temple in Puri, India. The attention to detail is remarkable, while also showing depictions of devotees, vendors, beggars and animal.
Malay Sonnets / by A.W.H. Hamilton; illustrated by W.G. Stirling. 1932
Malay Proverbs / by A.W.H. Hamilton. Sydney : Australasian Pub., 1937
The covers of batik of these books capture the imagination with the bold “parang” pattern with a hint of Art Deco style. In the books are captivating pencil illustrations of the Malays, drawn by WG Stirling, an Assistant Protector of Chinese in Singapore and an artist.
The Malay States / by Philip C. Coote. London : A. & C. Black, 1923
This book is written for travellers and contains many color illustrations. This page showcases a luminous watercolor of a street corner in Kuala Lumpur. The intricate details, including the lively facial expression of the young girl carrying a baby, brings the scene to life.
Our Tropical Possessions in Malayan India / by John Cameron. London : Smith, Elder, 1865
Cameron who was the editor of Straits Times from 1861-1867 wrote about his observations of Singapore, Penang and Malacca. This page shows a country road in Penang rendered in detail to illustrate the lush greenery of the countryside.
The White Man’s Garden: a Tale of Borneo / by Mervyn Skipper. London : E. Mathews & Marrot, 1930
These stories are of a little island called Daat near Borneo. Each story is told by plants growing in a garden. This page shows Pa Kelau tricking the mousedeer who is seeking to kill Pa Kelau to avenge an injured tiger. Note the details of Pa Kelau’s sarong, headdress and expression.
I hope you enjoy the artistry of these illustrations as I did. If you are interested to read these books or to see more of the pictures online, click on each of the book links or visit our exhibition at Central Library Level 5 for more!
