Did you know that the Rollei 35 LED camera, recognised both locally and abroad for its quality, is a proudly made-in-Singapore product that became a household name way back in the 1970s?
Rollei was one of the international companies that set up operations in Singapore during the industrialisation years when founding leaders pursued a bold vision of transforming the economy. To achieve this, Singaporeans had to show the world that Singapore was open for business. This was an uphill task for small, land-scarce Singapore, and the first generation of leaders and people had to be resilient in the face of challenges while remaining open and adaptable to new opportunities.
The Share Your Story, Shape Our Memorial travelling exhibition that features a public call for artefacts and stories will present Singapore’s nation-building years, and introduce some of the founding values that will anchor the Memorial’s content. The travelling exhibition has already kicked off at Gardens by the Bay and will be travelling to various locations around the island, including shopping malls, community hubs, libraries and schools, till February 2023.
An online version of the travelling exhibition will also be available on the Founders’ Memorial website to enable greater access.
The Founders’ Memorial will honour Singapore’s founding generation and leaders by commemorating the ideals and values on which independent Singapore was built. Since the inception of the Founders’ Memorial in 2015, Singaporeans have been engaged at various stages and on various aspects of the Memorial’s development, including its objectives, concept, location, design, and visitor experience.
In 2019, Singaporeans were invited to vote for their favourite architectural design among the shortlisted designs from the international design competition. More than 50,000 votes were cast and the jury took these into consideration when selecting the proposal by Kengo Kuma & Associates and K2LD Architects.
Singaporeans are once again invited to play a part in the making of the Memorial by contributing their very own artefacts and stories from the 1950s to 1970s, such as the Rollei 35 LED camera, to the Memorial. The Share Your Story, Shape Our Memorial travelling exhibition and public call provide another opportunity for Singaporeans to play a part in the making of the Memorial in the lead-up to its opening slated for 2027.
The public call invites Singaporeans to submit artefacts and stories from the 1950s to the 1970s – a critical chapter in Singapore’s nation-building journey. The artefacts and stories can be related to a national policy or historical milestone linked to Singapore’s independence and/or encounters with the founding leaders, including establishing citizenship, building a shared Singapore identity, or industrialisation and Singapore’s pursuit for economic progress.
Artefacts and stories should also illustrate the founding values of multiculturalism, boldness, openness, resilience, integrity, and service to others before self, which were identified and distilled from earlier engagements with Singaporeans.
Mr Timothy de Souza, a Founders’ Memorial Committee member, who has also stepped forward to contribute an artefact – a 1968 photograph of his training days in the United Kingdom to become one of Singapore’s first fighter pilots – said: “The 1950s to 1970s was a period of dramatic transformation for Singapore. The founding leaders were confronted by the most daunting challenges and pressing questions, and we, the people, rallied behind them. It was almost like all of us were in a lifeboat together. To succeed, we had to give all our heart and soul to row together as one. It is this togetherness that forged our nation, and that is why the Memorial is looking for artefacts that bear witness to our formative years. The histories and stories behind them give life to the founding generation’s spirit that resonates till today. We hope that more Singaporeans will come forward to share their personal artefacts and stories, and help shape our Founders’ Memorial.”
The public can submit their artefacts or stories online via the Founders’ Memorial’s multi-lingual website (go.gov.sg/shapeourmemorial). Physical submissions of objects will not be accepted at the travelling exhibition venues. To guide submissions, a wishlist containing examples of artefacts and stories that the Memorial is looking for can be found on the Founders’ Memorial website.
All submissions will be evaluated and assessed for their relevance to Singapore’s nation-building history, experiences with the founding leaders, as well as embodiment of founding values. Selected contributions from the public call will be featured in the Memorial’s galleries when it opens.
Ordinary items, extraordinary stories have an artefact or story like theirs? Contribute here.
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