The Lighter Side of Singapore

In Pursuit of Everyday Joys

by Sandy Harford

Magical Mini Museums of Singapore

There are some nifty little museums around Singapore that are definitely worth checking out. One common theme of the three that I’ve chosen is the deep passion the curators have for their collections. Their zealousness is indeed infectious and you will come away with not only a greater understanding of their unique pieces, but also a deep appreciation as well.

Vintage Camera Museum

Next time you’re galavanting around Kampong Glam, check out the Vintage Camera Museum. You can’t miss it as the museum is a giant white camera-shaped building. You’ll discover a collection of over 1000 amazing antique cameras including rare finds like a Japanese Machine Gun Camera, a huge six-meter Mammoth Camera and James Bond-style spy cameras. Our guide even showed us light-weight reconnaissance cameras that were attached to pigeons, the original drone cameras! Be prepared to spend about a full hour here marveling over the cameras and historic photographs on display. Marta and I enjoyed the fond memories of the first cameras we used as kids and also goofing around with the interactive Click Art portion of the museum. www.vintagecamerasmuseumsg.com

Marta "greeting" LKY at Camera Click Art

Singapore Musical Box Museum

Beatles Display at the Musical Box Museum

This delightful museum is housed in a beautiful UNESCO former Chinese girls school right next to one of Singapore’s oldest temples. Upstairs from the Peranakan cafe is a charming display of over 40 music boxes. My husband, Rob, and I were lucky enough to have a private tour by the collector himself, Mr. Mr Naoto Orui. He took us back in time to when music boxes were prominent symbols of 19th and 20th century European culture. Brought up by his grandfather in Nagoya, Mr Orui was surrounded by rare antiques and cuckoo clocks which created a desire to find out how things tick. Scouring flea markets in Germany and Switzerland, he started collecting and restoring music boxes. Incredibly ornate music boxes would stand on first class train platforms in London where you would throw a coin in to hear the magical notes of the William Tell Overture. Alas, Mr. Edison came along with his gramophone which ushered in a brand new era and end to music boxes. Thankfully, there are passionate people around, like Mr Orui, who have preserved these lovely treasures to share with us. www.singaporemusicalboxmuseum.org

MINT Museum of Toys

On our way to happy hour at Raffle’s Hotel Courtyard, which is fabulous BTW, Rob and I popped into the newly reopened MINT Museum of Toys. We had the whole quirky museum to ourselves and enjoyed examining the vast array of rarities from over 40 countries. Displayed on four levels, the toys date from the 1840s to 1970s with thematic areas such as Outer Space, Characters, Childhood Favorites and Collectables. I was nostalgic over the vintage Barbies (and Ken), Beatle’s bobbleheads and space robots as I was a huge space nut when I was a kid. The vintage Chinese one-of-a-kind Door of Hope Dolls collection of everyday people including farmers, policemen and mourning figurines are beautifully handcrafted. They offer a glimpse into a tumultuous period of Chinese history. As the museum grows, I’m hoping that more interactive exhibits can be included as well as multi media presentations to liven the place up and make it more playful.

www.emint.com

Barbie Display at the MINT Museum of Toys

There are loads more whimsical museums and curio shops around the Red Dot including the Singapore Philatelic Museum, Katong Antique House and Ant Museum. Some AWA friends joke that when you go to the Ant Museum, you have definitely done everything in Singapore.

Sandy moved to Singapore from California in Feb 2021. She has joined just about every AWA activity available. Professionally, Sandy does the marketing for Amazing Adventures Travel.