If you’re wondering about the strange date (2602), then click here for the explanation.
From what we know, the first control tower at the Ipoh Airport was built in 1938. Hence, with reference to this photo below (from Edwin Seibel), could this be dated somewhere in the 1940s? Or, perhaps later…after the Second World War?
We have here an example of uniforms worn by the Federation Armed Forces. From left to right: Walking-out Dress, Ceremonial No.3 Dress, and Battle Order Dress.
We thank Ipoh Remembered for sharing this photo with us.
No, this is not an estate manager’s bungalow. Neither is it a holiday resort. This is the Perak Armed Police Commissioner’s Quarters. We thank our donor Chee Ong Ngai for this picture.
(This could be Taiping, but I could be wrong. What do you think?)
We thank Harvant Lisa Harper for sharing this picture with us. She also had this to say:
This is the army regimen house by the Ipoh Specialist Center. It was at one time occupied by the British. My dad was the guard there. Then the Japanese took over. Before they got there, he told me that he destroyed all the crystals that the British left behind so the Japanese could not hear what the British were talking about and also hid a pistol that was left behind.
If you’ve been to Temoh, you may have seen this building. No, it’s not an empty and abandoned house. It’s actually a post office.
We thank Rahman Majid Khan for these interesting photos.
If anyone could shed more light on this restoration project, we’d love to hear from you.
We thank Tomb Raider Hunter for these pictures ๐
We usually hear about historical landmarks being torn down to make way for modern structures. Here’s an old article about a famous landmark in Taiping…which was rescued!
Looks like a beautiful painting, doesn’t it? This postcard shows the hot springs at Tambun, Ipoh. It was posted to France on 28 August 1913. It shows three men in front of the geyser; behind the geyser are the famed Limestone cliffs of the Kinta Valley. This, of course, is a Kaulfuss postcard ๐
The photograph actually shows the ‘First Battalion Perak Sikhs’, the armed military arm of the Perak Police Force.
The Battalion had its roots in the โPerak Armed Forceโ which was a mix of races (Sikhs, Punjabi, Malays and Chinese), first commanded by Captain Swinburne and from 1879 by Major R S F Walker CMG. The ‘Armed Force’ was disbanded in early 1884 and โThe First Battalion Perak Sikhsโ, was established on 15 May 1884 to replace them. (read more here)
This was what the Japanese Garden (sponsored by the Perak Turf Club) once looked like. Of course, this picture was taken back in the 1980s. Sadly, this lovely tourist spot fell under poor maintenance and neglect over the years. It even fell prey to vandals ๐
I don’t know what has become of this place today.
However, there was another Japanese Garden built at D R Seenivasagam Park (formerly known as Coronation Park). This garden seems to have survived over the years, and has also been given a ‘facelift’ of sorts. (read more about it here)
We’ve always featured old photos of this famous bridge. Here’s something new – from V Radnell. Yes, it’s non other than the Hugh Low Bridge (now known as the Sultan Iskandar Bridge).
This is a recent view, probably a year or two ago.
With Raya round the corner, many will be travelling back to their hometowns this year. Of course, such kampong houses (like the ones above) may no longer be around…but they were once a common sight.
We thank Philip LaBrooy for sharing the above article with us. Unfortunately, we’re not sure of the date of this article (nor the newspaper it was taken from). This is a list of historical buildings, monuments and sites compiled by the Museums Department.
Here’s a close-up of the Perak column:
The above badge has the words โChristian Brothersโ Schoolsโ and โSignum Fideiโ clearly printed on it, one at the bottom of the badge and the other at the top. In between there is an image of Peninsula Malaysia as well as a figure of a Catholic Brother. At the top end of the image of Peninsula Malaysia the numbers โ1852โ can be seen while at the lower end the numbers โ1952โ are printed.
Here’s another picture from Eugene Lee. This one shows an old building in Taiping. Does anyone recognise it?
A map of the Ipoh Cantonese heritage trail walkable points. (15th December 2021) โ RONNIE CHIN/The Star
Yes, this is part of the famous Ipoh Padang. And the building in the background is of course the Ipoh Club. This was taken off a postcard, which seemed to date back to 1912. Hence, we believe this picture was taken around 1910.
Did you know that the Perak Sultan once had bodyguards comprising members of the Mounted Police? Here’s an article from Harchand Singh Bedi, which appeared in The Star recently.
In the early 1880s, a small body of cavalry troops was established to suppress highway robberies, then of almost-daily occurrence in the pass between Taiping, Kamunting and Kinta. They guarded the pass at night; due to their vigilance, the dangers faced by travellers soon disappeared. The construction of the Taiping Kinta cart road and other roads in Kinta, telegraphs and railways, caused the troopers to be less necessary.
Following the formation of the Malay States Guides in 1896, the cavalry troop was separated and transferred from Taiping to Kuala Kangsar to form a royal bodyguard to escort His Highness, the Sultan of Perak. (read more here)
Dated 1st July 1983, this article mentions the Sun Cinema making its way for a skyscraper.
Do any of you remember that fateful day?
The first issue came out on 4 July 1894; a quarto 4-page bi-weekly edition, which evolved into a 4-page folio journal. By 1 January 1901, the Pioneer was converted into a tri-weekly issue – which soon expanded into 6 pages. By 1 March 1905, this paper transformed in a daily paper. It had 8 pages, with daily service of Reuter’s telegrams and the latest news relating to the Federated Malay States and the Straits Settlements. (read more here)
The picture shows the 1st issue and the printing offices. The gentleman shown is none other than the proprietor – Syed Abdul Hassan Ibnay Burhan.
A long long time ago, there was a wooden temple built onto the side of a limestone cliff. It had a zinc roof. Members of the Perak Heritage Society had visited the place in October 2007. It was located at a limestone hill halfway between Tambun town and Tanjung Rambutan.
This modern structure has since replaced the wooden one. We thank Charlie Choong for the pictures, as well as the short excerpt above.
Yes, staycation is a word ๐ It means “a vacation spent at home or nearby”. Well, now that you know what a staycation is….where do you plan to spend the coming holidays? Here’s an idea (ref. to picture above); why not do what the Jennings’ did?
In the above picture, J A S Jennings and his wife Freda are taking time-off at Rosedale – their cottage at Kledang Hill Station that they used on weekends and holidays. Ok, ok…so maybe you don’t own a cottage. But I’m sure there are some places near your town that offer a weekend getaway?
We were told that this building was along Togo Street. Our donor (Ruth Iversen Rollitt) also told us that this photograph dates back to 1933. Do you know what building this is? ๐
Ruth, if you’re reading this…SHHHH! Don’t give the readers the answer yet ๐
Here’s your “homework” for today: Study these pictures carefully. How many of these places do you recognise?
Some clues can be found here. ๐
Believe it or not, this was the first church building for Our Lady Of Lourdes Church, Ipoh. This photo dates back to 1905.
The Cenotaph came into being as a memorial for those from Perak who died in World War 1. Initially planned to be erected shortly after the war ended in 1919, building was delayed; only to be unveiled in 1927 in a ceremony organised by ex-servicemen. We believe this photograph shows that unveiling ceremony on Armistice Day 1927.
The Sultan Idris Training College (also known as SITC) was built in 1922. It was the first education training institution in Malaya. The above photo shows the inside of the SITC dormitory.
Any SITC alumni out there? We’d love to hear from you….
Those of you who’ve guessed it already know this to be part of the Elim Gospel Church. But what was this building used for?
We came across this article in the Star newspaper. If this plan goes through, perhaps we’ll be able to see the once iconic Station Hotel back in all its glory.
Here’s a recap of the inside of the Station Hotel, from the early 1920s, when a retirement dinner was given to the 14th British Resident of Perak, Lt. Col. WJP Hume.
Our donor tells us that, Lt. Col. Hume is in white, seated at the head of the table. Seated in the middle of the right row is J A S Jennings, the Editor of Times of Malaya.
Yes, there was a park such as this (pictured above) in Gopeng. Sadly, it is no longer there…
Do you remember this park?
There was a time when parks (such as the one pictured above) were considered ideal ‘dating’ spots ๐
The word Thaipusam is a combination of the name of the Tamil month, Thai, and the name of a star, Pusam. This particular star is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a Vel “spear” so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.
We at IpohWorld would like to wish everyone a Happy Thaipusam ๐
We thank Keith Nelson for the above photographs.
Did you know…that the foundation stone for the present building of St John’s Church was laid on 15 December 1910? Here’s a picture of the church when it was just completed (in 1912).
Anyone here a fan of spelunking? Hmm…maybe I’ve lost you guys for a minute ๐
Spelunking is the exploration of caves, especially as a hobby. So, back to the question in hand; anyone here been spelunking before? If so, have you come across this cave (picture below)? This place is somewhere in Ipoh, by the way…
from Nick Band
How sharp are your eyes? Can you identify some of the familiar/popular buildings in this aerial view photograph? Some of you experts out there may already know which part of Ipoh this is too ๐
No, we’re not being ‘bitter’ about it…but did anyone realise that this beautiful floral clock is no more? For those who’ve never had the chance to see it, here are two pictures for you; both are from Ann Kesselring Hamon. The lady in white (left image) is Ann’s mother Florence Kesselring. As for the right image, it was taken from a 35mm Kodachrome slide.
For those (like me) who have never seen this lovely clock, it was once part of the Japanese Garden along Tambun Road.
courtesy of: Ann Kesselring Hamon
Remember this memorial? Any idea where in Ipoh Town it stood? Or…maybe you might know WHO built it?
Ever wondered what was at the back of the Ipoh Railway Station? Well, here’s a late 1930s view (picture courtesy of Winson Saw):
courtesy of: Ang Eng
Remember the Times of Malaya? Well, here’s a photo of their second building; probably around the 1930s (we could be wrong though). Last we heard, this building was rented out to the Yayasan Perak company.
courtesy of Ann Kesselring Hamon
Yes, folks…believe it or not, this is what the YMCA building looked like back in 1954.ย Pity the beautiful garden is no longer there today ๐
We’ve all heard (and seen videos) of shopping-adventures (and misadventures too). For those of you who’ve been to Emporium Perak, do share some stories with us ๐
courtesy of: Ann Kesselring Hamon, USA
Perhaps this was once a familiar sight in Ipoh town – dulang washers walking through the town, either going towards or coming back from the river.ย Anyone wants to guess which part of town these ladies are passing through?
courtesy of the Estate of William Kellie Smith
Some of you may recognise it. Some of you are still scratching your heads. Worry not, this is in fact the ruins of a brick bungalow built by none other than William Kellie Smith. Last I recall, these ruins were within the grounds of the famed Kellie’s Castle (hope they haven’t disappeared or made way for ‘development’).
from: Ipoh Remembered
Yes, you read it right. This is the old Town Hall…in Taiping ๐ We think this photograph was taken in the early 1900s (we could be wrong). Anyone from Taiping reading this? We’d likeย to know what’s become of this building.
“Fancy travelling down the memory lanes in Ipoh?
Commander Ian Anderson would bring you through the tourist trails of Old Ipoh, to allow you to relive the good old glorious Ipoh.ย
The speaker will guide the audience along the first published tourist trails of Ipoh in 1914, continuing with a look at the differences created by development in the trail of 1921.The lecture will conclude with a look at the development of todayโs Old Town Heritage Trail.”
Mark your calendars, folks. Come by to STG Ipoh Old Town this Sunday 19th August 2018, from 2.30pm – 5pm.
For more details, check out the link below:
https://www.samasamaperak.my/jom/tourists-trails-old-ipoh/
Quite a view, eh?
Back in the day, if you didn’t know what to eat on a Saturday night you could just head to the Station Hotel. Their dinner menu on 15th October 1955 would definitely NOT leave you hungry ๐
This photograph was taken high up from a nearby building. Yes, it’s the Yau Tet Shin Market. You can also see some of the shophouses in Cockman Street.
courtesy of: Ngai
Left picture: Tinted photograph from 1950 Right picture: Same bridge and street from 1989 (courtesy of Ngai)
Yes, this IS Clayton Road – named after Mr R J B Clayton who retired as British Adviser in Kelantan, in November 1930. He was also the brother of Tubby Clayton, founder of Toch H during the Great War.ย
UPDATE: We believe that the bridge in the background was the once wooden structure of the Hugh Low Bridge; therefore the village shown was most likely Kampong Laxamana.
This postcard, from the J. J. Series, shows Selibui Road in Ipoh. We believe the postcards from this series ranged from 1905 – 1910. From what we found out from the book ‘Perak Postcards: 1890s-1940s‘, this photo probably shows the early intake dam and waterworks in Selibin (Silibin today). To quote from the book: “Water supply to Ipoh was originally conveyed from Selibin (also spelt Selebin). The great want there [in Ipoh] at present is a good water supply. This can be met by bringing water in pipes from Selibin, a distance of some three miles, and the Datoh Penglima Kinta has offered to undertake the work“.
Anyone care to guess the exact date of this postcard?
No, not our website….but this beautiful icon of Ipoh is said to be turning 100 years old this year!
This special heritage building was even mentioned in the Star recently (read the article here).
These two postcards show a Then and Now view of the famous Hugh Low Bridge, which connects New Town and Old Town in Ipoh.
We know such pictures often lead to a debate between preserving the ‘old’ and embracing the ‘new’. However, we’d love to hear your thoughts on this ๐
picture source: Heritage Asia magazine, January-March 2007
The first headquarters of the British in Kinta was Kota Bharu, the lowest landing stage on the Kinta River, and also the river port for the important mining centre of Gopeng. However, Kota Bharu was so malarial that it had to be abandoned, and in 1884 the capital was shifted to Batu Gajah, the next landing stage.
This picture was taken off Heritage Asia magazine, back in 2004. The description reads as:
Perak, as in many parts of Malaysia, has a large number of pre-war and colonial shop-houses. Distinctive in their decorative sturdy look with sculpted openings and large columns guarding the shaded five-foot ways, they were the mainstay of retail business then. Somehow, new shop houses lack that character. Quiet towns like Papan still have these old edifices.
So, is this a photo of Papan? Or, could it be another town in Perak….?
It’s obvious that the writer of the above article had a good time in Perak recently. We’re glad he and his friends enjoyed themselves. We’re also glad that they visited our Hakka Museum (ref. to ย the area highlighted in blue).
ps: Have YOU visited the Hakka Museum lately? If not, what are you waiting for?
“Commonly made of bamboo, plastic, wood or stainless steel, Chopsticks were first used by the Chinese. This later spread to various parts of the world through cultural influence or through Chinese immigrant communities. How does one use chopsticks? Well,ย the lower chopstick is stationary, and rests at the base of the thumb, and between the ring finger and middle finger. The second chopstick is held like a pencil, using the tips of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger, and it is moved while eating, to pull food into the grasp of the chopsticks….” (Wikipedia)
Some of you may have seen this video, but since we’re still in the CNY mood…I thought I’d share it again with you!
photo from: Lay Jin Chew
Here’s another river scene, from one side of the Hugh Low Bridge. Can you see the wooden bench near the lamp post? I doubt there’s such a thing there today. Even the bridge is different now. But don’t let all the changes discourage you from enjoying this nostalgic photograph.
Looking at this picture (from Lay Jin Chew), I couldn’t help but wonder how much Ipoh’s landscape has changed over the years. Could that bridge (far left) be part of the Hugh Low Bridge, or part of the Birch Bridge? I would also like to draw your attention to the area on the left of the shop houses (other side of the bridge). Any idea what that building is?
Shocking but true. While we’re busy building new structures, our heritage sites are paying the price. Some are either ignored or just left to ‘fend’ for themselves.
One such place is the famed Tambun Caves which recently fell victim to vandals.
As the Star Metro report states: ” The prehistoric cave drawings are still there, but if nothing is done they are in danger of being overwhelmed by random scrawls of vandals.” We couldn’t agree more.
picture courtesy of: Star Online
We featured the above picture in a previous blog. Do you know what this looks like today? The pictures below are courtesy of Charlie Choong.
Here’s more proof…that with a little hard work and determination (and love for heritage as well!), historical buildings like these CAN be restored (instead of being demolished).
This is said to be the original building of the Batu Gajah Police Station. Our donor, Daljit Singh Guram, told us that his late grandfather is in this very photograph (back row, 11th from the left). Daljit’s late grandfather – Gurcharan Singh Guram – was in the Malaysian Police Force from 1920 to 1945.
This photo was taken in the late 1950s / early 1960s. Yes, it’s none other than the Straits Trading Building, in Ipoh!
click to enlarge
Do you recognise this panorama? Can you guess which part of Ipoh this is? While you’re trying to name the buildings and streets, can you also give us a rough date? We look forward to your comments ๐
Do you recognise these panels? They can be found on the four sides of the Birch Clock tower. Still wondering what I’m talking about? Well, the next time you pass by the clock tower, take a closer look ๐
THE J W W BIRCH MEMORIAL CLOCK TOWER PANELS
The Growth of Civilization.
The following is a description of the figures represented in the painted panels:
PANELS A AND B: Prehistoric Times to the Time of Christ.
PANEL A NORTH.
The Stone Age – A Hunter.
A Fisherman.
A Woman spinning.
The Iron Age – Man and Woman.
The Early Eastern Peoples – A Nubian with gold and ivory.
A Chaldean Astrologer.
A Woman making pottery.
An Egyptian.
An Assyrian.
A Persian.
PANEL B WEST.
The Eastern Meditteranean – Judaism.
Moses.
David
A Phonecian.
A woman representing the Agean civilization.
The Far East – Confucius.
Buddha.
Lao Tzu.
Greece and Rome – A woman representing Greek Art.
Alexander the Great.
A Greek Philosopher.
Augustus.
PANELS C AND D โ From the Time of Christ to the Present Day.
PANEL C SOUTH
The Byzantine Empire – Constantine the Great.
Islam – Mohammed (pbh).
The Age of Chivalry โ A Crusader.
The Age of Faith โ St. Clara.
Gothic Art – A Bishop with a model of a Cathedral.
The Renaissance – Science – Galileo.
Art – Michael Angelo.
Literature – Vittoria Colonna.
Enterprise – Columbus.
The Reformation – Luther.
The Elizabethan Age – Shakespeare.
PANEL D EAST – Modern Science, Art and Social Services.
Physics – Newton.
Medicine – Harvey.
The use of steam – Watt.
Easter Art – Embroiderer.
Music – Beethoven.
Engineering – Stephenson.
Photography – Daguerre.
Social Service – Miss Nightingale.
Natural Science – Darwin.
Electricity – Edison.
Humane Surgery – Lister.
Sometime ago, we featured this building – the former Oriental Hotel, which was turned into an electrical store.
One of our readers, Charlie Choong, sent us the following photographs recently.
Looks like the electrical store is closing down….or perhaps they are relocating….we don’t know. Does anyone know what’s going on?
Sometime last year we gave all of you hints about a project of ours – at No. 1 Treacher Street (Jalan Bijih Timah) in Old Town. Yes, the blue building next door to Han Chin Pet Soo.
The story is in today’s Star Metro (15/1/2016) – “Telling A Tale Of Tea”. This new exhibit will be fully open to the public by Chinese New Year. Stay tuned for more updates!
source: NSTP
Sometime ago, the NST featured the Taiping Central Market – which was built between 1884 & 1885. Yes, the market is 130 years old! The above picture shows the wood and cast iron latticed structure which is a prominent feature of this landmark.
Taiping folks, we want to hear YOUR stories / adventures about this market ๐
We thank Sally Everist for the above postcards. Does this building look familiar? We’re wondering what it is – is it a house, or some kind of monument? We’re also wondering which village is pictured in the postcards…
picture courtesy of Star Publications
We admit that it was not easy, but through much hard work and determination we managed to restore the Han Chin Villa (Han Chin Pet Soo) and turn it into a museum. As can be seen in the above picture, the restored Villa stands proudly amidst the other shops. Our up-and-coming project is the blue building next to it (a secret we shall reveal in the near future, so stay tuned!).
From what today’s Star newspaper says, restoring / maintaining such buildings can be a burden to the owner(s). What do YOU think? We’d like to hear your views on the matter.
You can read the full Star article here.
Any Sam Tet alumni reading this? Well, I’m sure you recognise this building. According to our donor, Ruth Iversen Rollitt, her late father – B M Iversen – designed it!
We thought we’d share this interesting article with you, about the 6 mile long bridge in Gerik. What’s so special about this bridge? Well, it has no pillars! ๐
special thanks to Ruth Iversen Rollitt
Believe it or not, this was what Ipoh looked like back in the 1930s. The area under construction is none other than the Mercantile Bank!
Xiangqi is played on a board nine lines wide and ten lines long. As in the game ‘Go’, the pieces are placed on the intersections, which are known as points. The vertical lines are known as files, and the horizontal lines are known as ranks.
Centered at the first to third and eighth to tenth ranks of the board are two zones, each three points by three points, demarcated by two diagonal lines connecting opposite corners and intersecting at the center point. Each of these areas is known as gลng –ย a “palace” or “fortress”.
Dividing the two opposing sides, between the fifth and sixth ranks, is the “river”. The river is often marked with the phrasesย chว hรฉ, meaning “Chu River”, and hร n jiรจ, meaning “Han border”, a reference to the Chu-Han War. Although the river provides a visual division between the two sides, only two pieces are affected by its presence: soldier pieces have an enhanced move after crossing the river, and elephant pieces cannot cross it. The starting points of the soldiers and cannons are usually, but not always, marked with small crosses. – extract from Wikipedia.
Here we have a picture showing a game of Xianqi or Chinese Chess in progress. Note the placement of the tokens.
Yes, folks. This trap door opens up to a tunnel!
The door can be found in the court room floor of the Ipoh High Court building, and it leads to the Town Hall. During the Emergency, it was used to moved prisoners in temporary lock ups in the Town Hall (which at that time was a police station) to the court house. These prisoners were from the Taiping and Batu Gajah prisons. Today however, there is only a few metres of tunnel left as it has been blocked.
“Lady Justice is most often depicted with a set of scales typically suspended from her left hand, upon which she measures the strengths of a case’s support and opposition.She is also often seen carrying a double-edged sword in her right hand, symbolizing the power of Reason and Justice, which may be wielded either for or against any party. Since the 15th century, Lady Justice has often been depicted wearing a blindfold. The blindfold represents objectivity, in that justice is or should be meted out objectively, without fear or favour, regardless of money, wealth, power, or identity; blind justice and impartiality.”
This icon can be seen on the outer wall of the first floor, of the Ipoh High Court (the wall facing the flag poles).
Wayang kulit is a unique form of theatre employing light and shadow. The puppets are crafted from buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. When held up behind a piece of white cloth, with an electric bulb or an oil lamp as the light source, shadows are cast on the screen. The plays are typically based on romantic tales, especially adaptations of the classic Indian epics, theย Mahabharataย and theย Ramayana. Some of the plays are also based on local happening or other local secular stories. It is up to the conductor orย dalangย or master puppeteer to decide his direction. (source: Wikipedia)
Thought we’d share this picture (taken from a calendar) with our dear Readers. Here you can see the Puppet Master in action, as he presents his story. From what I’ve read, this form of theatre has its roots in Java, Indonesia. This art caught on in Kelantan….did it ever take flight here in Perak? Wonder if our Arts experts know more….
We thank Ruth Iversen Rollitt for this photograph. It was taken in 1947, showing her father B M Iversen at Fair Gardens? Does anyone know WHERE Fair Gardens is?
Picture from Ruth Iversen Rollitt
“Rental was $60 a month, a bargain in the immediate post-war years with the shortage of housing. Each house had 3 bedrooms upstairs; and downstairs. a living room, dining room, a modern flush toilet (very rare for Ipoh at that time), a small kitchen and backyard. There was a built-in wood fired stove….A concrete stairway near the front door took you up to the first floor bedrooms and bathroom. There was an under-stairs storage area and next to it the toilet. All the windows were of the steel casement type…..The houses were built in 1937 by Loke Wan Yatt….The architect was the well known Berthol M. Iversen.”
The extract above is taken from the book “Ipoh – My Home Town”. Remember these houses (picture above)? It’s a pity they’re gone now – demolition began in 2009, around the same time the Fair Park shop houses (across the road) were knocked down.
We received this (one of the MANY) from Ruth Iversen Rollitt. Do you recognise this row of shop houses? Do you know which street this is? Well, we think it’s somewhere along Cowan Street…but then again, we could be wrong.
This was formerly the headquarters for the Dunlop Rubber Company in Ipoh, which was behind the railway station.
As you can see in the pictures (above and below) this building has long been abandoned.
These pictures (donated by Kinta Heritage Group) were taken back in 2009; from what we were told this place has been converted into a Hindu Temple.
We thank Martin Allen for this photograph – showing an aerial view of Cameron Highlands, back in the 1930s. So different from what it looks like now, eh?
Our donor Martin Allen tells us that this road is near Ipoh. I’m sure the experts out there know where this is – especially with those iconic hills in the background ๐
We’d like to thank Chin Choon Yau – one of the Instructors at Perak Institute of Art (PIA) – who painted this souvenir for us. Incidentally, PIA did the murals for us at Han Chin Pet Soo.
What murals you say? Well, take a trip to Han Chin Pet Soo and find out!
There was a time when you needed a visiting card to enter the hot springs in Tambun. Besides the pool and egg boiling, apparently there was also a bowling alley! I don’t recall this (probably before my time ๐ ) but I wonder if YOU remember this.
Imagine having a picnic at such a place! No rubbish about, no unpleasant odour from the river, clean and clear running water…etc. Blissful isn’t it?
This is none other than the Perak River (at Parit). Yes, folks…believe it or not our rivers once looked like this ๐
picture courtesy of: Ruth Iversen Rollitt
Much has been said about preserving our heritage buildings in and around the Kinta Valley. But alas, profit always seem to over ride conservation efforts.
The following photos (taken this afternoon) is yet another incident whereby pre-war shop houses are forced to make way for more modern structures….
One of our local dailies covered this story too. I’m sure some of you would have seen the demolition taking place – along Anderson Road (Jalan Raja Musa Aziz).
Don’t know where to go during this long break? How about Kellie’s Castle?
No, we’re not advertising for this place. Rather just showing you what this iconic landmark looked like – way back in 1957!
This is a photograph of Ho Hoo Wan with his siblings and friends, posing just outside the famed Batu Gajah castle. How many of you have visited this place? Has the place changed much since it was first opened to the public?
On that note, is this place really haunted…or is it just one of those myths? ๐
A couple of months ago, one of our readers – Hasbi – sent us these pictures.
This grand old building is the Rumah Besar of none other than Raja Bilah.
The gentleman in the picture is Hasbi himself with his wife. They had visited Kak Saadiah – the maternal great grand daughter of Raja Bilah. She still lives in the restored, original family house behind Rumah Besar.
If you have not been to Papan this area is well worth a visit.
This is one of the many colonial-style bungalows which once stood proud against Batu Gajah’s landscape. Sadly, not many of them are still around today. This one, sent to us by Rosemary Palmer, has stood the test of time – and is still being used ๐
…the Papan Mosque? Initially I thought this was part of a typical kampung house, but was sorely mistaken! It is in fact a mosque. This Mandailing-styled mosque was built in 1888 by Raja Bilah. It was later restored and reconstructed by the National Museum (Muzium Negara) in 1999. Has anyone seen it?
We thank Ruth Iversen Rollitt for this gem. We estimate the year was 1925 – yes, it was that long ago folks!
I dare say that apart from the Ubudiah Mosque, the Royal Palace is the next famous landmark in Kuala Kangsar ๐ This picture here, courtesy of Ruth Iversen Rollitt, shows a different view of the palace – probably before the renovations were done. Could anyone help us with a rough date?
Ever wondered what happened to this famous Gopeng Landmark? Well, wonder no more! Thanks to our photographer Charlie, we have these pictures for your viewing pleasure! As the State Government once promised, a section of one of the pipes on its original structure has been saved and turned into a sort of a memorial to past technology and a symbol of Malaysia’s Heritage in the world-wide tin mining industry. 
And in case you were wondering about what the plaque says…
More information about the pipelines and their history may be found at
http://db.ipohworld.org/view.php?type=id&id=2849#search_form_wrapper.
We don’t mean to confuse you again, but here’s another photo of a local market ๐ This one isn’t in Ipoh….it’s actually in Batu Gajah (according to our donor Wendy Lewis). Notice the shape of the roof –ย quite unique for a market building, don’t you think? Any Batu Gajah folks around? Perhaps they could tell us more.
picture courtesy of Ruth Iversen Rollitt
We’ve featured this Club on our blog before, but here’s a different view of it. Notice the structure on the far left. I wonder what’s happened to it. And if your eyes are sharp enough, note the vehicle on the far right too!
Wendy Lewis tells us that this holiday resort was in Pangkor Island. Back then (probably the 1950s) there was no air-condition – only fans and mosquito nets!
I wonder if this resort is still there….perhaps it has been upgraded with more modern facilities (besides air-condition, perhaps free wi-fi too?).
Any frequent visitors to Pangkor? Do share your experiences with us ๐
The man wearing a hat is none other then the famous Dr Tweedie. The lady next to him is the wife of B M Iversen. This photograph was taken in 1966, in Sungei Siput. In the background you can see the beautiful hills of the Kinta Valley.
We thank Ruth Iversen Rollitt for this photograph.
Larry Sawyer tells us: “Pangkor was our choice of holiday spots. This photo shows the boat landing at the island. The road across the other side was mud. The waterfront was reputed to have been a opium haven.”
Well, anyone from that side of Perak care to tell us more? I’m sure the jetty looks different now….don’t know if these old boats are still in use though ๐
We hope those familiar with Kuala Kangsar can help us out with this – is this a past or present depiction of the Kuala Kangsar Post Office?
This was taken off a souvenir postcard, issued by the local post office. We also have a 1967 picture of this building (on our database) to compare with, but we’re still wondering. Could anyone help us out please?
picture courtesy of: Michael Ho
That’s what the small signboard on the left (on the palm tree) says. We don’t know if this is Ipoh, but the car facing the camera is definitely from Perak. The number plate reads as A 9462.
Was there a Peel Avenue in Ipoh?
(click to enlarge)
Have you heard of the ‘Kinta Weed’? These plants usually grow in tin mining ponds (they are probably hard to find now).
The funny thing is, this ‘weed’ doesn’t really grow in the water; they actually perch on top of other aquatic plants – preferring the sun rather than the shade!
Have any of you seen this plant before? I’m sure some of you who used to fish at the mining ponds may have seen this ‘weed’.
We thank Pak Peter for the above information.
Deep inside Kampung Tanjung Bangkung (Malim Nawar) was once a Japanese Carbide Factory. The picture above is that of the former guard house. It is said that the factory was part of a complex that manufactured armaments for the Japanese – which were then sent to Burma. All that remains of this factory now is the above guard post and one of the two chimneys (see pictures below).
The chimney is around 6m (at the base) and 3m (top), with 4 arches: of these, 2 are at the bottom for fire (note picture on the right) while the other 2 above are closed to form the kiln. We were told that after the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the communists supporters went to town defacing the Japanese artifacts – they even stole some of the building material for themselves.
We thank one of our friends – Harchand Singh Bedi – for taking us to this place. Incidentally, this former factory was featured in ASTRO’s History Channel (in the episode “Hidden Cities in Malaysia”) back in 2010.
(click to enlarge)
Yusof sent us these wonderful photos. From his email, we know that he lived in Greentown from 1969-1981. Yusof also had this to say:
“The house is one of six detached govt quarters surrounding a palm tree lined field within a circular lane off Jalan Iskandar, named ย Lorong Said Tauphy. As depicted in the photos attached, Greentown was indeed green back then, with the fields bamboo hedges and abundant coconut trees. It is really a shame what Greentown has transformed into now. Anyway, I hope these pictures will bring back some memories of the original Greentown to some folks out there, esp. ex Greentownians. Looking forward to more pictures of Greentown then from those who still have the old photos.”
Like Yusof, we at IpohWorld also look forward to hearing from former and present Greentown folks! ๐
We thank Taffy Owen for this one. I’d like to draw your attention to the unique signboard – this was taken around 1997 (according to Taffy); note the spelling of the word ‘workshop’.
Also take note of the mountain in the background – yes, folks….it looks like Gunong Panjang….or could it be another mountain?
Most photographs of dulang washers show the ladies almost knee deep in water, while they rotate their dulangs. This photo here (from Alison Cotterill nee Caldwell) shows the dulang washer in a field instead! This area was probably near Kramat Tin (Bidor). Notice the 1 cubic ft box (bottom left), and the white bowl (above the large drum). Can onyone out there tell us what these items were for?
We thank Alison for this unique photograph.
Familiar? Well this is none other than the Veterinary Research Institute, Ipoh. This 1953 photo is from Ruth Rollitt.
Recognise the building? I wonder if the facade has changed over the years….
We received this from Alan Steel, with the words Wilkinson Rd from the back seat of a bus.ย Do any of you know WHERE Wilkinson Road is? Since many road names in Ipoh have been changed over the years, I wonder what the new name is. Or, perhaps I got it wrong…and this place is not Ipoh after all?
For those who didn’t know, Chung Thye Phin once had his own currency! No, I’m not joking….take a look (see below).
We thank Jeffrey Seong for sharing this with us. If YOU had your own currency, what would it look like? ๐
Some call it Perak’s version of “The Leaning Tower of Pisa”. I’ve never been there, but from recent pictures it does seem like it’s leaning a little to one side. However, here is an early 1900 picture of the same water tower in Teluk Intan (see below) – and it seems rather STRAIGHT to me ๐
So, WHEN did this tower start to lean? We’d like to know MORE about this tower – especially from the Teluk Intan folks!
Picture taken fromย the book 20th Century Impressions of British Malaya.
Yes, this is indeed a beautiful pair of beaded slippers. So, ladies…do any of you own such a pair? Or perhaps, you know someone who (still) makes such pretty footwear?
These Baba-Nyonya style slippers were once a rage – are they still in fashion? You tell us ๐
I remember passing this building quite often on my way to St Michael’s Institution. But I never really paid attention to what it was. All I know is that this is the Sri Perak building. Any idea what’s inside? Was it one of those government offices? Or, was it like the present UTC (former Super Kinta)?
We thank Hasbi for this picture-postcard.
One look and most of you can already guess what this iconic building is. Of course, so much has changed now: the small field in front of this cinema is no longer there; instead there’s a row of food stalls. Also, right next to the cinema is one of the entrances of Sam Tet School. Lately, I did notice that there seems to be some construction going on at this very site. Are they restoring/renovating Odeon?
Photograph courtesy of John McAuley, a former serviceman who worked in Malaya in the 1950s.
….this was Kampar Town back in 1907! Just wondering: is this the main road? Are those shop houses (in the background) still there?
Kampar born people, we’d like to hear from you ๐
Just look at this grand old postcard from ย the 1920’s. Recognise the place?
Well I guess most of you will not be able to pin this down, but as the postcard caption shows, it is the People’s Park, Ipoh. Historically the landย was gazetted as the ‘People’s Park’, a gift from the government to the people of Ipoh. At the time the land was valued at $70,000 and was used to display a fantastic collection of Chinese plants presented by Yau Tet Shin. The Park was officially opened on the same day as the Birch Memorial Clock Tower was dedicated in 1909.
Today we have what is known as the beautified park, with its red yellow and blue plastic etc. For me I prefer Mother ย Historically Nature as it used to be.
What about you?
Don’t worry about the markings on this photograph. They are for a proposed signboard for the realty company.
Where do you think this building was? Anyone remember the name of the street? I’m sure there are sufficient clues for you to guess ๐
Yes, folks – this is none other than Anderson Road!
Taken in the mid 1950s, you can see that not only is the traffic light…the skies are clear too! Here’s hoping that the haze situation resolves itself soon.
By the way, anyone know what building that is on the far right corner? From the words, it looks like a hotel….
For those of you who’ve already guessed this building, give yourself a pat on the shoulder. Yes, this is none other than St Michael’s church – which is along Brewster Road, behind the former Odeon Cinema. What I’d like to point out is the road leading towards the church itself. Notice how it seems almost flat! For those who are familiar with this church would know that the present road slopes upwards. Also notice that there is no wall surrounding the cemetery. Anyone know WHEN these changes happened?
This picture is from John McAuley’s collection.
Yes, we’re talking about the Sultan Yussuf Fountain (see picture below). While many of you have interesting stories about this unique landmark, we’d like to draw your attention to the plaque. Any idea what was written on it? As far as I know, that plaque is no longer there (or perhaps it’s hidden among the flowers?).
We thank Edwin Seibel for this photograph.
No, I’m not referring to the famous cowboy series. I’m talking about this row of shops along Hugh Low Street. At present, seven of these shops have been painted according to the seven colours of the rainbow. This picture however was taken back in the 1950s.
We’re not offering any prizes for guessing, but all the same can you name any/or all ofย the seven shops in particular?
We thank John McAuley for this picture.
This isn’t a hard one to guess. Yes, it’s another photograph of Ipoh Motors Ltd. What I’m curious about is the street vendor – far right of this photograph (click to enlarge). What was he selling at that time? Can you also spot the petrol pump (below the sign Fargo Truck)?
This photograph is part of John McAuley’s collection. McAuley served in Ipoh in the mid 1950s.
This was Jubilee Park then….when they first started business. Later, the Shaw Brothers gave it a ‘facelift’ (see picture below).
Today, a night club has opened at the corner of Brewster Road and Cowan Street. But this side of Jubilee Park still remains. Anyone knows what’s going on inside? Are the stalls still there?
We thank Ruth Rollitt for these two photographs.
Anyone remember the ‘Hai Heng’ Bar? The building does look familiar, but then again most of the shop houses in Ipoh had roughly the same design ๐ Perhaps someone out there frequented this bar…
This photograph is from John McAuley, a former British serviceman who served in Ipoh from about 1956-1957.
“Hi. I’m the bicycle standing at the bottom left of the picture. I usually know my way around the streets of Ipoh – since I ALWAYS follow my owner around ๐ย But this time….I think I’m lost! Could you tell me which street I’m at?”
…no, we’re not talking about UFOs! Look closely at the shop house in the middle. Yes, the shop that says ‘Chop Thong Heng’…
Are those petrol pumps? I’ve never come across such a scene before. Does anyone remember these? On another note, does anyone recognise the row of shop houses or the street?
This was taken back in 1956/57 by John McAuley, a former British serviceman.
This picture, courtesy of Ruth Rollitt, was taken in 1979. We’d like to draw your attention to the white building (far left). If you squint, you can make out the words ‘Good Luck’ on the wall. Anyone have any idea what this building was? Take a closer look…
Today’s blog we’re featuring a picture from Ruth Rollitt. According to her, this was part of the Batu Gajah hospital. Recognise it? Folks from Batu Gajah might be able to tell us more ๐
This is none other than the Grand Theater & Jubilee Park – before the Shaw Brothers renovated it. From the clues in the picture, some of you may be able to roughly guess the year this was taken. What was YOUR early memory of this famous landmark? Were you a patron of the Cabaret? Did you frequent the amusement park? Or, were you one of the many movie-goers?
We thank Edwin Seibel for this picture.
Here’s more from Keith Nelson’s collection. Are these part of a garden/park? Or, could they be part of a temple (note: second picture)?
Keith Nelson sent us this some time ago. Looks familiar doesn’t it? Well, I’m sure you all know where this landmark stands….. ๐
We thank Edwin Seibel for this rare picture of the former Sun Cinema. Can anyone make a rough guess as to which year this picture was taken?
Does anyone recognise the mansion in the background? If you can read the words, do tell us what it says…
…what the Isis Theatre looked like? My generation have most likely never heard of this cinema hall. We’re more familiar with it’s ‘new’ name – Rex! Yes, for those of you who don’t already know, Isis was renamed Rex when the Shaw Brothers renovated it ๐
We believe this picture was taken in the 1940s (we could be wrong, though). Does anyone recall this dispensary? Perhaps something about the building might give you a clue as to where this place is located? We’d like to hear from our Ipoh-experts ๐
Want to do something different this year for Earth Hour? How about joining this fund-raising event?ย (click poster above to enlarge)
Part of the proceeds of the ticket sales will be donated to the WWF-Malaysia. Your generous contribution will also pay for 40 underprivileged children from various charitable organisations – who will be able to participate in 6 “adrenaline-pumping zip line rides”.
For more information, do call Nomad Adventureย at 03-79585152 or email them event@nomadadventure.com
Yes folks! This IS another B M Iversen creation. This one ‘resides’ at Cockman Street….and it’s still standing proud today ๐
I do wonder when the extension/new block of this building was done….(perhaps, Ruth could tell us…if she’s reading this)
In June/July 2012, twenty students from University Malaya and the National University of Singapore embarked on a two-week long learning journey…of IPOH!
Their discoveries prompted this much awaited publication – Familiar Spaces, Untold Stories; Encounters with Ipoh – as well as an exhibition. To know more, do visit this exhibition at: Gallery Lim Ko Pi, No.10 Jalan Sultan Iskandar (Hugh Low Street), Ipoh. This exhibition will run from 26th February – 10th March 2013; opened daily (except Mondays) from 12.30pm – 4.30pm.
We thank Nicholas Jennings for this one – yes, you all know this building ๐ Any idea what year this was taken? I do wonder what is on the extreme left of this picture (the partially blocked shop house).
Special thanks to Ruth Rollitt for the one – yes, you read it right….this is none other than the Eastern Hotel. This was taken in the 1940s; according the Ruth, he father (Danish architect B M Iversen) had an office here. Today, the facade seems so different – and the hotel is now known as D’Eastern Hotel (last I checked)!
See that little circle below the arch? If you look closely, you can make out the Freemason symbol. This was probably one of the buildings used by the masons before a permanent one was built (along Tiger Lane, next to the Royal Perak Golf Club). Last I checked, the building was still there….but I didn’t take notice of the symbol. I do wonder: is it still in place or has it been removed?
We thank Nicholas Jennings for this panorama – showing the famed Times of Malaya building.
Once again, we’re stumped with this 1980s picture.
Do the houses look familiar to you?
Could it be part of the new villages?
Could it be the other side of Greentown, as mentioned by some of our previous Readers?
In the background is none other than the Fraser & Neave Ltd Aerated Water building. At the bottom right, there are railway tracks leading towards the F&N building. We don’t know who the gentleman on the bicycle is…neither do we know the date this photograph was taken.
We look forward to your comments – especially if YOU are the gentleman on the bicycle! ๐
We were told that this is part of Greentown. But where exactly is it? Is this building still there…or is it gone?
We’ve put up quite a few pictures of Brewster Road in the past. But this one caught our eye – notice the words Lam Looking Building written above the entrance.
I wonder how many building Towkay Lam Looking owned here in Ipoh….
For those of you who didn’t know, Batu Gajah was once the headquarters for the British Administration back in 1884. We have here a 1910 picture of part of the town (picture below).
More about the history of Batu Gajah can be found here.
Some may call it artistic…some might say it’s just a badly angled photograph. But if you look closely, you will notice a fountain in the middle of a roundabout. Familiar? To those who are still squinting, this is none other than the Chamberlain Road Fountain ๐
We thank Ko-chi Wai for this 1963 picture.
This was taken off a postcard, which describes this place as a “monastery of ‘The Heart of Great Sympathy'”.
Do you know where in Ipoh this place is? Is it still there?
I’m sure many of you recognise this building – yes, it’s the St John’s Ambulance Hall! The design is rather unique, since most halls are rectangular (especially on the outside).
I do wonder who built and designed this place…?
The above photo, from Sybil, was taken in the front porch of No.8 Caldwell Road back in the late 60s (note the Mercedes on the left!). 4 or 5 years ago, Sybil came back for a visit and this (picture below) was what the house looked liked.
Besides No.8 Caldwell Road, Sybil’s family had another home along the same road – at No.5. Sadly, this place has been demolished (see below).
Wonder how many other houses along Caldwell Road went through a ‘disappearing act’ over the years….
Yes, Eu Tong Sen’s chateau used to be a vocational school at one point. Anyone know if the school is still there? Or, have they moved to another premise?
Noting the concern of some of ipohworld’s loyal followers about the apparent near-death state of the famous Ipoh Tree in the Station gardens(!)ย I contacted the Ipoh Echo with a request that they investigate.
James Gough immediately swung into action and today (8 December 2012, posted a report on the Echo Website at http://ipohecho.com.my/v2/2012/12/08/dying-ipoh-tree/.
Basically it appears that this is a normal situation from which the tree will recover. The report tells us:
“A check with MBIโs Director for Landscape and Recreation, Encik Meor Abdullah Zaidi Meor Razali dispelled any fear of the tree dying. Meor stated that the tree was undergoing a wintering season or โmusim lurohโ when the tree sheds its leaves before growing new ones. โThis had happened to the tree at Taman DR a year agoโ.
Do read the whole report so that you are fully in the picture.
From what the Star tells us, this is the proposed design for the new Yau Tet Shin Bazaar (see picture below).
This new building will be called ‘The Octagon’, and construction of this landmark will be undertaken by One Octagon Sdn Bhd (a private company, which was formed by the Perak Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry). ‘The Octagon’ is said to contain 4 floors for parking as well as 14 floors of serviced apartments. More can be read at the Star Online.
Yes, that’s what it says on the fountain. Does anyone know WHO Yeoh Hong Seng is? Is this fountain still at Chamberlain Road/Jalan Bendahara?
Ko-chi Wai sent us this one – showing his aunt (back in 1964) posing with one of the mini rock pagodas at the Japanese Garden in Ipoh.
Are these pagodas still there? I admit I’ve not seen one since I last visited the garden…maybe someone out there could tell us more!
Is it someone’s mansion? Maybe part of an office/club? You tell us ๐
We’re also wondering WHERE this place is (is it even in Ipoh?).
Since this fountain was erected, many Ipoh-ites have posed for pictures at this very roundabout. I suppose it was possible back then when there wasn’t much traffic – imagine doing photo shoots here in this day and age!
And what about those buildings in the background? Any idea what they are?
Yes, you read it right!
The above picture, taken in 1973, shows a couple at D R Seenivasagam Park. Through email, Ko-Chi Wai tells us that:
the rocks at the far side of the lake are still there today. however, the wooden platform where they are standing, and the wooden zigzag bridge across the lake are long gone. when I was a kid in the early 80s, my cousins and I used to feed the tilapia fishes from the very same platform.
Have any of you been fishing at this lake?
Familiar? This is the Taiping Bus Station, back in 1959. Has this place changed much over the years? Taiping folks, we’re hoping YOU could tell us more ๐
This was taken off a postcard; the date on the stamp says 1938, so we think the picture was taken a few years earlier.
Nevertheless, on the far left of the picture is the sign that reads as Huttenbach, Lazarus & Sons Ltd. Did any other business take up residence at the Chua Cheng Bok building?
In a follow up to a series of pictures of buildings in Kuala Kangsar (refer to Where Is It? & Where Is It? part 2),
we’d like to share two more – showing the Ubudiah Mosque and the Royal Mausoleum – which were sent to us via email from Nicholas Jennings.
This was sent to us by Keith Nelson.
Are those government quarters in the background? If so, where is this place?
Here’s another mystery for you: Do you know what building this is? Is it a government building or perhaps aย Towkay’s mansion?ย Could this be in Ipoh? Or maybe somewhere within the Kinta district?
This picture was sent to us by Nicholas Jennings.
Ipoh was clearly more green back then. And there was less traffic too. Here we see a lone figure with two baskets balanced on a coolie pole, walking towards a bridge. Which bridge was this? What about the shady trees – are they still there?
We thank Alan for this 1960s picture.
Here’s a little puzzle for you: Where can this building be found? Is it somewhere in Perak? Or, perhaps in another state? We think it’s a mosque….but we could be wrong.
We await your feedback ๐
We thank Nicholas Jennings for this picture which is from his grandmother’s album of the 1920’s.
Familiar? Looks like a street near your neighbourhood? Could this place be outside Ipoh? You tell us.
We thank Nicholas Jennings for sharing this photograph with us.
Know this street? Recognise the buildings? We await your comments! ๐
Being an alumni of the Main Convent, Ipoh, I was surprised to note that there was once a kindergarten within the premises. Do any of the Convent alumni remember it? Is the building still there…or has it been converted into something else?
The above picture is from Dr Ho Tak Ming.
Ruth Iversen Rollitt sent this to us some time ago. It is said to be the house of the former Secretary of the Perak Turf Club. Ruth’s father B M Iversen designed this beauty.
Is this place part of one of the famous parks in Ipoh? Do you know where it is? Is this place still there?
We thank Ruth Rollitt for these pictures.
The first picture (top) shows the quarters, back in 1931. The bottom picture shows the stables.
I’ve never seen the inside of the turf club, but I’m sure those of you who have can tell us if much has changed.
Recognise this church? Do you know where it is? Is it still there?
Judging from the response to our previous posts, I’m sure you observant lot have NO problem guessing this one! ๐
This picture was taken back in 1959 by Keith Nelson.
We had previous comments about what the Oriental Hotel used to look like. Hence, here is a coloured one of the hotel (which has sadly seen better days).
For those who don’t know, this building is now an electrical store.
…that Brewster Road was this ’empty’ back in 1959?
From the traffic I see today, I can hardly believe it myself!
This picture is courtesy of Keith Nelson, a former British National serviceman.
Keith Nelson, a former British National serviceman, sent us this picture.
This was taken in 1959. Do any of you recognise this coffee shop? Is it still around?
Due to popular demand, we have here some of the pictures taken of the interior of the former Lido Cinema – after the recent fire.
Left to Right: the lobby; the false ceiling
Left to Right: the stairs leading to the balcony; the balcony
ย
For more pictures, do visit our Facebook page.
In a previous blog about the Rex Cinema, our fans talked about dragons. Thanks to the helpful staff at the former cinema, we managed to take these pictures (see below).
These were taken from the balcony (now full of mattresses)ย of the former Rex Cinema. As you can see, the right hand dragon is ‘suffering’ due to the leak in the roof above it – if left unattended to, this beautiful wall-art will be ruined ๐
The lighting made it difficult to photograph, but somehow we managed. I’m sure there are some professionals out there who (with the proper camera and equipment) could do a better job – we’d be greatful for some better shots of these dragons, which we’d love to feature on our database.
Dr Ho shared this picture with us, and we’d like to share it with you guys – especially the Alumni of the Main Convent!
Convent Girls, do you recognise this part of the school?
Remember what Lido Cinema used to look like back then?
the foyer
the ticket booth
A special thanks going out to Ruth Rollitt for sending us these lovely gems! ๐
[click to enlarge]
Dear Ipoh-ites…..can you guys guess the year this photograph was taken? The familiar landmarks may give you some clues ๐
Here’s another hint: at the bottom left there seems to be some construction going on (at the back of Waller Court Flats)ย – this site later became S.K. Coronation Park ๐
Happy guessing!
Believe it or not, the Pasar Besar in Ipoh New Town isn’t that ‘old’! This early 1900s picture (taken from the Kinta Valley book) is quite unique – has there been that much change since Towkay Yau Tet Shin built this place?
I’ve noticed that those large rattan baskets are still in use today….
Before it was converted into theย Darul Ridzuanย Museum, this 10-room bungalow (along Douglas Road)ย was builtย for none other than one of Ipoh’s famous miners – Foo Choong Yit – back in 1926. Later, in 1940, two air raid shelters were constructed in the compound (in anticipation of Japanese aerial attacks). Ten years later, the Government took over this building and it became the premises for the Perak National Home Guard. Post Independence (1957), this place housed the Public Services Department, then later (1992) converted in the Darul Ridzuan Museum.
[Note: This is NOT an actual photograph of Foo Choong Yit’s mansion; it has been Photoshopped to create an impression of the original building]
No, this is NOT a product of Photoshop!
There was a ‘Parkson Ria’ shopping mall in Ipoh, somewhere in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Does anyone remember it? Did it close because of the fire….or before the fire broke out?
[ For those of you still wondering, let me put you out of your misery – yes, this IS the famous Lam Looking Bazaar ๐ ]
Sent to us by Norman Doctor from the UK, these aerial shots were taken in the 1950s. The shots were probably takenย during the routine supply drops.
Does anyone out there recognise these forts? There aren’t that many clues, but we’re hoping someone out there knows a bit more about these places.
Thanks to Ruth Rollitt, we now have some interior pictures of the Lam Looking Bazaar.
For those of you who were curious to know what the interior looked like, feast you eyes on these! ๐
the staircase inside the building
left to right: the top floor, which became a cinema hall; the corridor on the upper floor
….that THIS (picture above) was the ORIGINAL design of the Lam Looking Bazaar! (click image to enlarge)
Thanks to Ruth Rollitt (daughter of the late B M Iversen), we have here the drawing of this famous building. Ruth also had this to say in her email:
The firm of Keys & Dowdeswell left Singapore in the early 30’s in disgrace, after the Board of Architects had found them guilty of professional misconduct and struck them off the register. He took over the jobs that were under construction, but it was not an easy time. My father was 25 years old and for the first time in his life – his own master. ย He had to pay for the โgoodwill’ and no longer received a monthly salary. But gradually things started to improve, he got more and more work and by 1932 he was well established, making a name for himself. From this period he really came into his own and started producing work that became landmark buildings.ย
Ruth also mentioned that her father wroteย to his wife,ย way back in 1931, about this ‘big job’ being a ‘very smart business transaction’.
We are indeed very thankful to Ruth for sharing with us this gem. ๐
Yes folks, your eyes are NOT playing tricks on you – that IS an F&N bottle on the rooftopย of the Lam Looking Bazaar! This form of advertising seemed quite common back then; there was a similar bottle on the other side of the rooftop (front part of the building) – which can be viewed here.
We thank KKFoong for this picture ๐
This street scene seems familiar, but we can’t quite identify the place. Could it be Ipoh? Gopeng? Kampar? You tell us! Perhaps some of the shop signs might help.
Here’s a printable black and white copy of the Gopeng Heritage Trail Map.
ย 
ย We hope to get a better copy in the near future; when we do, we shall put a copy up on the blog ๐
This is the house that was taken over by the church from the mining company French Tekka on Tambun Road for the original Novena. Designed by my father pre-war. It was demolished and a hotel stands where it once graced Tambun Road.
Such were the words of Ruth Iversen Rollitt (daughter of the famous Danish architech B M Iversen) in a recent email. The above picture was said to be taken sometime in the late 1930s (I’m making a rough guess, say 1938 perhaps?). Those of you who remember this building BEFORE it was demolished, do tell us more ๐
We’re proud to annouce that we have another picture of this church, courtesy of generous parishioner ๐
Seems like this picture was taken during the church’s annual Feast Day. Can anyone guess the year?
A while ago, we featured a post about the on-going ‘renovations’ of the Station Gardens. So far, we’ve heard no news about what’s going on behind those boards. Has there been any progress lately? If anyone has noticed anything, do let us know.
In the mean time, here is a 1950s picture of what the gardens used to look like. Picture by Ruth Iversen Rollitt.
Some of you out there asked for a printable copy of the Batu Gajah Heritage Trail Map. Here it is:
ย Just click on it to enlarge.
Here’s a rare picture of the former Post Office (behind the Ipoh Town Hall). Notice the stalls beneath the shady tree – and the crowd of patrons too!
We thank Ruth Rollitt for this gem ๐
Charlie reminds us (#13 below) about Savings Stamps and immediately Hasbi sent us these scans. Thank you both so much.
I never cease to be amazed and fascinated by how well our readers support us. We are so glad to have you all with us. Thank you.
In a previous blog, we mentioned the Ipoh Tutorial Institute. When Ruth Rollitt sent us this picture (below), we couldn’t help but wonder: Were these institutes one and the same? If so, when did they move to the bigger building?
In case some of you are wondering, this building is STILL THERE today…but it’s not the Tutorial Institute anymore.
This is the other end of Leech Street. On the left is the Sun Cinema (yes, the SAME Sun Cinema that our local cartoonist Lat drew in his cartoons!). Does anyone know the building on the right?
We thank Ruth Rollitt for this rare gem ๐
We received this picture from a STAR Alumni. The donor of this picture also gave us a list of the marked places in this picture.
Marked in green:
1. Tiger Lane (Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah)
2. Dairy Road (Jalan Raja Muda Mahadi)
3. Sekolah Izzuddin Shah
4. Pejabat Kaji Bumi & Minerals
5. Canning Garden
Marked in red:
A. Entrance to STAR at Tiger Lane
B. Administration office, Hall and Class rooms
C. Industrial & Science Labs, Library
D. Sixth Form hostel
E. Remove Class hostel
F. Green House hostel
G. Blue House hostel
H. Black House hostel
I. Red House hostel
J. White House hostel
K. Yellow House hostel
L. Dining-hall
Those of you who pass some of these roads/places often can testify that SO MUCH has changed over the years ๐
Not too long ago, I received an e-mail which talked about the simple things in life. The e-mail ended with the phrase “Life was simple when Apple and Blackberry were names of fruits”. Hence, when I saw the following pictures (below) from Charlie….
…..I began to wonder: what was life like back then? Do boys (maybe some girls too?) still go fishing with their dads/buddies? I know in some housing areas, the common padang is almost empty (save for a few kids on their bicycles). To the youth out there – what is YOUR favourite way of passing time?
Yes, folks. Time to test your Geographical knowledge of Ipoh ๐
We were told that this is part of Greentown. Do you know WHERE in Greentown this is? Is 3rd Avenue still there, or has this road been renamed?
….that the first Elim Gospel Hall was built in 1920? As the assembly increased in number, a bigger hall was needed – there was also the idea of having separate halls for the Chinese and English speaking assemblies as well.
The picture we have here is of the first building (1920) which was built by none other than C H LaBrooy. Made of half wood and half concrete, the building was later torn down in 2002 to make way for the Chinese Assembly Library, Office and Conference Halls.
Today we’re featuring the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, which is along Silibin Road. Long before the idea of a church in Silibin came about, the needs of the Tamil Catholics of Ipoh were taken care of by visiting missionaries of St Michael’s Church. Later on, more families began to settle towards Silibin area – thus the need for a proper building for Sunday worship rose. More on the church’s history can be found here.
This picture shows the first building, way back in 1905.
This 2010 picture shows the church as it stands today. The picture was taken from the ‘Bernadette Centre’ – a new building within the church grounds, which consists of the church office, classrooms/meeting rooms and more recently a Heritage Gallery. The Heritage Gallery, which is open from 10am to 5pm daily,ย has a unique collection of memorabilia dating back to the early 19th Century.
For more on this gallery, the followingย web linksย may assist you:
http://ipohecho.com.my/v2/2011/12/21/churchs-heritage-gallery/ย
http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/Heritage-Gallery-opens-at-OLOL-10605-2-1.htmlย
We’d like to thank Alexandar for the photographs and the above links.
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This picture here was probably taken in the late 1960s or so. I’m just curious: did the clock (behind the little boy) actually work or was it just part of the garden’s landscape? If it did run, is it still there now?
Anyone been to the Japanese Garden lately? Do let us know ๐
Come on Sleuths! I’m sure some of you have seen this unique traffic light (far back) SOMEWHERE in Ipoh ๐
Know the place? It is at a park? You tell us ๐
IpohBornKid shared this little story with us through email. Here’s his take on a memorable outing. Happy reading ๐
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Convent Girls by demand – at Kledang Hill
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Many teenagers walked up the Kledang Hill in the 1950s (see previous blog). ย It was a good natural outing where a big group of Menglembu neighbours and their Ipoh friends would joined in for a group picnic, exercise, dancing and friendship. ย Food and sandwiches were locally prepared at home (not bought) and they would be taken uphill by strong young men (or those who wish to impress the girls how strong they were). ย ย Most of them would be in their junior high school (Form i to III) with some in Form Iv and V. ย My friend Captain (or Major in the Malaysian Army) Teoh Hoot Aun, an ex-Ipoh ACS boy and queen scout, would be one of the leaders. He ย has probably retired by how. ย Yes, he did married a Convent girl. ย I was only junior but had an eye on all my elder sisters’ classmates.ย
Here is a group photo of convent girls, some from Falim and Ipoh who ascended the Kledang Hill for a picnic dance. ย This group of people were very keen to learn modern dances (cha cha & the rest) and they used to go to Ipoh YMCA or YWCA on Saturday nights. I can name a few, viz. Poh Yin, Soni, Yoke Fong and hope your readers might be able to identify themselves or others. ย The location was the first waterfall in Kledang Hill (note the water rushing out of the bridge tunnel. ย Happy Memories.
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AP@IpohBornKid
Ah yes! MORE pictures showing Ipoh’s pretty lasses ๐
For those of you who are wondering, this picture was taken at the Tambun Hot Springs – sometime in the early 1970s.
A special thanks to Sophie for this picture. Sophie, if you’re reading this: are you in this group? Could you tell us the names of these lovely lasses?
A special thanks to Jeremy (a.k.a. Paloh Chai) for these pictures.
Yes, folks…..this was what Panglima Lane (or Concubine Lane, as some Ipoh-natives call it!) looked like a year ago. ๐
Yes, folks…this is what the People’s Park used to look like in those days!
Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you 99 Anderson Road, Ipoh!
This building was originally owned by Foong Seong. Later, the Cheong family bought it. When the Cheongs lived here, the front part of the building was a men’s hairdressing salon while the back portion was a famous tailors shop from where hundreds of made-to-measure school uniforms would emerge. Any of the old girls remember Mdm Loong Foon Yoong who used to measure all the girls herself?.
The Cheong family then moved away, thus the shop became a computer shop.
This picture was taken back in the late 1970s, when Utama Computer Centre sold Apple Computers. Probably the only Apple Store in Ipoh then – unless you know different! ย ๐
What is it now?
N.B. The story of the Cheong family growing up in Anderson Rioad is in the book ย “Ipoh, My Home Town”.
A big ‘HELLO’ to all Writers out there! I’m sure some of you have done strange/awkward things when trying to overcome writers’-block. I recall one of my online buddys telliing me that he attempted growing his beard and didn’t shower for a week – just to write about a homeless man! Well, what ever works for you, I suppose!
Some of us don’t usually go to such an extreme ๐ Here we have a 1960s picture of Cedric Jennings (son of Times of Malaya Editor J A S Jennings) working hardย on his piece. Perhapsย the garden and the tropicalย climate of Malaya inspired him at some point?
Remember this company? Recognise this street? Well, this picture was taken around 1961/62……I’m sure some of you remember ๐
The shop 3rd from left is ‘Chop Cheong Chin’; next to that is ‘Syarikat Perak Travel Agency’, which is also an agency for Singapore Airlines. That’s about all we could make out from this picture. Now, across the street from this row of shop houses…..(see picture below)
….is another similar row. Notice also that at the end of this street is what seems to be the roof top of the Market.
Could anyone help us with the name of this street. While you’re at it, what is that tall building in the background (seen in both the pictures)?
We have here the 3rd installment of UV’s account….about his teaching experiences in and around Ipoh. Happy reading ๐
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theย waterfallย at Buntung
Teaching In and Around Ipoh
Episode 3
Teaching is not merely the passing on of knowledge to students.ย It involves and interaction that is rather complicated.ย A student learns through various ways.ย [This article, being mainly for lay people, will not dwell into pedagogical terms but would be using laymanโs terms.]ย Unfortunately, many teachers during my time still depended on the textbook or the โchalk and talkโ method.ย That is, the teacher would write on the board a lot of notes and try to explain and idea by merely talking.ย
Most of the students will be busy scribbling notes onto pages and pages of their exercise books, word for word and trying desperately to listen to their teacher.ย Sometimes, the teacher would scribble and talk (facing the blackboard) at the same time.ย This is when some naughty students will do cheeky things behind the teacherโs back.
Such teaching methods should be obsolete by now but unfortunately old habits die hard and many teachers today are doing the same.ย Another batch of teachers donโt even bother to write notes, they merely open the textbook [insisting that every child must have one too, if not the child would be punished] and read from it, and from time to time, instruct the students to underline important sentences or phrases.ย To ensure passes in their subjects, these are the parts they will set questions on during the examinations.
These are teachers that do not prepare their lessons or had done so once [underlining their own textbook so that he or she remembers where to tell his or her students to do so].ย For years, until the textbook is changed, they would use this same old textbook [facts may have changed a lot] to โteachโ!
However, there are others who would prepare their lessons meticulously and bring along to class maps, charts and models to make their lesson interesting.ย They would involve their students in activities necessitating them to move to the front of the class or into groups for group work and discussion.ย The lesson is different every time the teacher steps into class.ย The students are never sure what to expect.ย Motivation for learning is high.
Many teachers too resort to interesting anecdotes or simple but unforgettable stories related to the theme of the lesson.ย Students may forget the facts but will never forget the stories told and eventually recall the facts the story is based on.ย Some teachers use a joke to set the mood for teaching, but sometimes this would backfire on the teachers.ย The students are set wrongly and look forward to a period of fun and follies!
In MGS Ipoh in the 60s and 70s we have all sorts of teachers as described above.ย Boring teachers or interesting ones are remembered.ย The in-betweens are forgotten.ย When I started teaching, I modeled myself on some of the best teachers I had in ACS Ipoh.ย My Geography teacher, Mr. Yee Sze Onn impressed me so much that I gave up a place in Business Management when offered to me to take up Geography as my major from the Second Year of my Degree course instead. [I was called directly a โfoolโ by the head of the Economics Department then.] When I started teaching in MGS Ipoh, I was one of three graduates, the most junior of the lot.ย I decided to emulate Mr. Yee and asked for a Geography Room to be set up and it was granted.ย I had a sand tray set up so that I could make landscape models to explain to my students what features I was teaching.ย To my horror, stray cats made it their toilet!
I had a map tracing table specially built so that I can trace maps and diagrams.ย MGS was one of the few schools with an epidiascope that could project pictures or diagrams from text book on to a screen [but the bulb was so powerful, if we leave it on for too long it would singe the page the map or diagram is on] and this was used for projecting maps, diagram and pictures in class or in the Geography Room and used for making charts.ย There were storage places for rolled up maps and drawers for topographic maps.ย Globes were available for teachers to take to class.ย A fantastic collection of pictures and charts, made by me with the help of my senior girls were available as teaching aids.
I give credit to the other teachers of Geography that came before me for a good collection of Geographical materials.ย It made it easier to put them into a room and made available for all teachers of Geography to use.ย Unfortunately, teachers being human would borrow items from the room and not return them to the proper places.ย Very often they became the โpropertyโ of those teachers who kept them in the Staff Room beside their favourite place of perch for โeasy excessโ whenever they go to class.ย This I consider as selfish as it deprives other teachers of the use of those items.
I also took it upon myself to take my pupils to field trips.ย Geography is not a subject you learn in the classroom alone.ย You need to make the students see what is really outside on the surface of the earth.ย When we teach the rivers and their various stages, we could show them a real river at its various stages.ย On one such field trip to a waterfall in Buntung [Guntung], we climbed up the steep slope of the waterfall and on descending; a student slipped and slide down to the base of the fall.ย Luckily for me, she only sustained a small cut to her chin which she wore till today.ย We rushed her to hospital and sent her home after that.ย It cut short our field trip.ย I never took my later students to the same waterfall again!
Visits to places of interest were another thing that made studying of Geography interesting.ย I organized [like Mr.Quah Guan Teik an ACS Geography teacher of Lower Secondary classes] field trips to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Lumut and Penang just to name a few places.ย These trips were to visit port facilities, factories, airports and other major landmarks in Malaysia.ย ย I even organized a trip by air to Penang and back just to ensure the students could see the landscape from the air.ย We raised funds to subsidize the fare for selected pupils who were the ones involved in fund raising.
Many of these were organized in the name of the Senior Geographical Society of the school of which I was the advisor.ย I remembered in those days, the USA Presidential Election was on and I would allow my students to hold elections for positions in the society based on the American Presidential Election system.ย This enabled them to learn about the American Election System, part of what is termed Political Geography and compare it with our own system.
I continued teaching Geography even when I became the Senior Assistant of the school.ย My love for this subject never faded until now.ย I wonder how many of my students went on to teach this same subject and did what I did when I was teaching it.ย I would love to hear from some of them who did.
Familiar? Well, we believe that this was part of the Jubilee Park ……..yes, the FUN-Section where there were carousel rides, game stalls..etc.
How much did such a ride cost? Did they have a day-pass or something similar (as what Lost World of Tambun has today) ?
the famous Bridge
a view from the Bridge
These are from the collection of the late Geoffrey Clark. Believe it or not, Ipoh DID look like this about 64 years ago; the bridge (1st pic) definately looks different now…..even the view from the said bridge (2nd pic)ย has changed so much.
Know this road? Way back in 1945, this was part of the Singapore-Penang route. This picture shows the road passing through Ipoh (although, we don’t know which part of Ipoh this is).
Yes, there weren’t many cars on the roads in those days; in the picture are a couple of bullock-carts.
Must have been a nice way to travel (save the LONG hours)…..minus the toll! ๐
Seen this place somewhere? Know where it is? Do tell us….
From what we know, this place was probably one of the houses where the British soldiers were billeted after the Japanese left (the photo is datedย December 1945). Is this building still around? You tell us ๐
This was taken in 1945 by the late Geoffrey Clark (of the 4th Regiment Signals Troop). Here we have 3 dulang washers, complete with their wide hats and long sleeved shirts, working hard along the river.
On the reverse of the photo he identified the place as Ipoh and guessing that this was taken from a military vehicle,ย it is interesting that the land was so wild.
Where are those wide coolie hats now? Maybe they are in the same place to which the Japanese “invasion” bicycles went. I wish we could find examples of both!
Recognise this street?
Well, put those thinking-caps on, people ๐ I’m sure some of you are grinning madly…while typing away your answers!
This picture is part of the late Geoffrey Clark’s collection. (We featured one of his pictures in a previous blog post) Clark served in Malaya from about 1945-1947 under the 4th Regiment Signals Troop (which arrived in Malaya just after the Japanese surrendered).
Here’s a picture of the PCADA (Perak Chinese Amateur Dramatic Association) Building, taken on the day of the association’s Golden Jubilee. At the time the picture was taken (some time in 1953) the 3rd floor had been completed.
Foh Sun restaurant used to occupy the groud floor, before it moved. I do wonder what’s become of this building now? Care to tell us MORE?
Some time ago, we featured a picture from the Jennings Collection – showing part of Panglima Street, which was under water in 1919. Here we have another look at the same street.
This was taken in 1926/1927, when yet again Ipoh suffered another great flood. Notice any difference from the 1919 photograph and this one?
note: picture is RTM Copyright
Familiar? Well, for those of you who are still wondering, this is the Perak RTM building ๐
I heard that there’s some renovations going on at the present site….perhaps anyone who knows more could help us out. Also, we’d like to know a little more about the history of this place.
..well, not quite!
This 1914 picture shows the Gunong Cheroh Taoist temple (in the background) and part of Anderson Road (just after where the present YMCA building is).
The one driving however is Freda Jennings, wife of Jack Jennings (Editor of Times of Malaya). She can be seen driving (a lovely white car)ย along the wooden bridge over the Kinta River. Yes, this same road is still there today – with MORE traffic though – but the wooden bridge has been replaced.
We thank Nicholas Jennings for sending us this picture ๐
You just KNOW you’ve seen this building somewhere before….but can’t quite put your finger on it!
Well, put your thinking-caps on folks ๐ Perhaps a closer look at the picture might give you some clues……
….the Abdul Samad Building? (see picture below)
Was this what the building looked like in the early 1900s? Or, perhaps its an entirely different building altogether?
We’d like your ‘expert’ opinions on this one………
This picture is taken from the collection of the late Percival Moss, who tailored the uniforms for the Malay States Guides.
Here’s a lovely coloured postcard of St Michael’s Institution. Care to guess the date of this picture? Needless to say, those palm trees aren’t there anymore….and the space behind the school building is now where the new Primary Block is.
You can also see St John’s Anglican Church; notice also a green-roofed mansion (top most of the picture). Wonder whose house it was?
We know some of you out there love mysteries! Well, here’s one for you (see picture below).
Familiar? At first I thought it was the Shaik Adam Mosque (along Clayton Road, next to St Michael’s Institution)…..but then, could there be another building around the country with a similar design?
By the way, this picture was taken by the late Percival Moss. We thank his grandson Bernard for lending it to us!
Familiar? Recognise any landmarks? Let us know ๐
By the way, this picture was sent to us by IpohBornKid……
Here’s another gem – the Iskandar Bridge, Kuala Kangsar!
Anyone care to guess the year? Perhaps you could tell us MORE about this bridge…..
Bet you didn’t know that THIS (picture above) was what the Turf Club‘s grandstand looked like back in 1919! ๐
Of course it’s different now, after all those renovations. But we’re lucky to have such a unique picture to add to our collection. A special thanks to Nicholas Jennings who sent this to us ๐
Ah! Some of you might be recalling fond memories of this place ๐
Yes, this is none other than the Japanese Garden, along Tambun Road (Jalan Raja DiHilir).
For those of you (the younger generation like myself!)ย who didn’t know, THIS is what the Hugh Low Bridge used to look like ๐
Yes, this was before those strange towers were erected along the bridge….
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We thank Edwin Siebel for this beautiful picture.
Here’s a little nostalgia from IpohBornKid, about a trip to the famous Kledang Hills. Happy reading ๐
[click to enlarge]