Overview

Marjorie Doggett's Singapore, an evocative interplay of photos and texts, forms a tribute to a pioneer woman photographer, Marjorie Doggett. From 1954-57, camera in hand, she roamed Singapore's colonial precincts, its port and river, the characteristic ethnic areas and elsewhere. Mind and eye aligned, and aware of the increasing pace of development, Doggett captured for posterity the cityscape in images and with historical texts.Her work appeared in Characters of Light, the first photo book to fully portray Singapore's urban setting and architecture. Published in 1957, and reissued in 1985, the book was a pioneer: in its depiction of Singapore's city and as the first local photographic book by a woman. This work draws on those two publications, both long out of print. In this book, Marjorie Doggett's photos are enriched by Edward Stokes' historical and personal texts. Born in England, Doggett was a self-taught photographer. She had arrived in Singapore in early 1947 with her future husband. In 1962 they became citizens of Singapore, their lifetime home.  The photos and narrative in Marjorie Doggett's Singapore offer an entirely new presentation. Half of the book's images are hitherto unpublished. The texts and photos portray Singapore the place, through the prism of Doggett's life, inspiration and methods. Marjorie Doggett had clear views concerning the preservation of buildings, and in later years her seminal book contributed significantly to the preservation of Singapore's historic architecture.

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9789813250901

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Reviews

[It] is important in focusing on a photographer who, though she was productive, was neither commercial nor an artist, but who remained, in the true sense, an amateur, a dedicated documentarian. . . . this book serves handsomely as an example to others harboring (or hoarding!) a collection of historical photographs. -- Trans-Asia Photography Review ...beautifully produced with top-quality photographic reproductions and excellent introductions and commentaries packed full of biographical and historical information which adds depth and contextuality to the photographs. -- Asian Review of Books Significantly, Marjorie Doggett's photos are the first seriously published visual record of Singapore's urban landscape to have superbly captured many of the island's grand structures as well as its more modest vernacular buildings. . . . In Asia, the few women who did create photo books were virtually unknown, with Marjorie Doggett blazing the path. -- BiblioAsia Doggett captured what turned out to be the end of an era. . . . This beautifully produced book is a fitting testament to an outstanding woman who led a life of quiet significance. -- Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong

[It] is important in focusing on a photographer who, though she was productive, was neither commercial nor an artist, but who remained, in the true sense, an amateur, a dedicated documentarian. . . . this book serves handsomely as an example to others harboring (or hoarding!) a collection of historical photographs. -- Trans-Asia Photography Review ...beautifully produced with top-quality photographic reproductions and excellent introductions and commentaries packed full of biographical and historical information which adds depth and contextuality to the photographs. -- Asian Review of Books Significantly, Marjorie Doggett's photos are the first seriously published visual record of Singapore's urban landscape to have superbly captured many of the island's grand structures as well as its more modest vernacular buildings. . . . In Asia, the few women who did create photo books were virtually unknown, with Marjorie Doggett blazing the path. -- BiblioAsia

Author Information

Edward Stokes studied at Oxford University. A photographer and writer, and the founder of the Photographic Heritage Foundation, his special interest is presenting, with texts that reflect the times, photographs taken in the mid-twentieth century. Stokes' many books have been widely praised.

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