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D'Walking Museum D'Walking Museum! - Reviving Singapore's legacy, bringing history to life through face-to-face interaction with genuine artefacts!

Founder & Lead Curator | D’Walking Museum! | Author of Singapore’s Dawn: Stories of Our Firsts
MOE-Registered Instructor | PA-Registered Trainer | AAC Senior-Ready

History shouldn’t just be read in a textbook — it should be held in your hands. I am the founder of D’Walking Museum!, Singapore’s first mobile, artefact-based heritage education initiative. Backed by over 40 years of personal collecting and research, I bring tangible history directly to classrooms, Active Ageing Centres, community events, and corporate environments. I am also the author of Singapore’s Dawn: Stories of Our Firsts, a 188-page illustrated book that uncovers Singapore’s pioneering milestones through authentic artefacts from my personal collection. My mission is to make Singapore’s heritage relevant, engaging, and inclusive. I design experiential programmes that allow students to touch history, seniors to reconnect with memories, and organisations to find inspiration in our shared national story. My Core Offerings:

MOE-Aligned School Programmes:
• Cohort Museum-Based Learning
• ISPR Programme
• CCE Programme
• NE Ambassadors Leadership
• Show & Tell Exhibitions and more

Arts Education (NAC-AEP):
• D’Walking Museum! – Smart Designs of the Past
NAC-AEP 2026 Approved Art Programme

Active Ageing & Community:
Reminiscence-rich storytelling for seniors, festival sessions, and intergenerational bonding events. Corporate & National Heritage:
Team-building and leadership experiences inspired by artefacts and Singapore’s historical narratives. I welcome collaborations with educators, community leaders, AACs, and organisations who believe in the power of hands-on history. Let’s connect and bring the museum to you. Email: [email protected]

Expect the Unexpected with D’Walking Museum!

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈🌫️ Hazy days in Singapore!Wit...
15/10/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

🌫️ Hazy days in Singapore!

With the haze affecting outdoor activities, protecting our children’s health and well-being comes first. ❤️

But learning and discovery can still continue indoors! 🥰

At D’Walking Museum!, we bring Singapore’s history and heritage right into the classroom through authentic historical artefacts, hands-on exploration and stories from our past. 🔎

A different way to discover our history, without stepping outdoors!

Stay indoors, stay safe and keep learning! ❤️

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈After watching CNA’s fascinat...
07/10/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

After watching CNA’s fascinating two-part documentary War At The Gardens, I looked again at this scarce 1951 publication in my collection, “Pot Plant Culture in Singapore”. This time, I saw it in a whole new light.🌺🌳 🌿🍂🪴🌴

The book was written by R. E. Holttum (1895–1990), who was once Director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, and illustrated by Juraimi bin Samsuri (1923–1971).✍️🎨

What really stood out to me was CNA’s story about Juraimi. He was first hired by the Gardens as a label printer in 1942, during the war. His talent for drawing was recognised, and he subsequently became a resident botanical artist.👨‍🎨

The documentary explains that Juraimi worked mostly with Holttum, illustrating gingers, orchids, ferns and ornamental plants for his publications. His illustrations appeared in hundreds of scientific papers and books, complementing the scientific work of the botanists. CNA fittingly describes him as an “unsung hero of botany in the region.”

And here in my hands is a surviving example of that collaboration. Inside are Juraimi’s beautifully detailed botanical drawings, created to complement Holttum’s writing.

🔎 There is also a little mystery. The title page has an old ownership inscription, dated 1956 in Singapore. I still haven't identified the original owner. Does anyone recognise the name or handwriting? I’d love to hear from you.

Sometimes an old book means so much more when you learn about the people behind its pages.🇸🇬 📚🌿

🎬 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/watch/war-gardens

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈The artefacts are packed, the...
25/09/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

The artefacts are packed, the stories are ready — and I’m looking forward to bringing the past a little closer to the next generation. 🥰

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈☁️When outdoor learning has t...
14/09/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

☁️When outdoor learning has to change, learning doesn’t have to stop.

D’Walking Museum! brings the museum directly into the school — with authentic artefacts, stories and hands-on discovery for students, all conducted indoors.

And perhaps the best way to explain it comes from one of our students:

✍️ “I like the fact that the artefacts from the museum were brought in to the school for us to see. We were also able to feel how the artefacts feel which was very engaging.”

That is exactly what D’Walking Museum! is about.

When outdoor activities must be adjusted due to haze, meaningful learning continues indoors.🥰

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈🇸🇬 12 September 1945 — The Ja...
12/09/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

🇸🇬 12 September 1945 — The Japanese Surrender in Singapore

📜 “THE JAPANESE FORCES HAVE SURRENDERED UNCONDITIONALLY AND THE WAR IS OVER.”

Picture the situation of having to read this after having been a prisoner of war for years. The leaflet, which was the original one issued by the Allies to prisoner-of-war detainees following Japan's surrender in August 1945, was dropped over the Changi POW camp on 28 August and carried the news that many of the prisoners had been waiting for years to hear.

The date of 12 September 1945 arrived.

A formal surrender ceremony took place 81 years ago at the Municipal Building in Singapore, now the City Hall; the signing marked the end of the Japanese occupation of Southeast Asia.

81 years later, this surviving artefact carries the story of those who endured years of captivity, hunger and uncertainty, and the moment they finally knew the war was over.

🕊️🇸🇬 Remembering 12 September 1945.

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈This cabinet card from my col...
08/09/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

This cabinet card from my collection was photographed at Quan Seng (均昇) Photographic Artist, 🇸🇬Singapore, one of the early Chinese-run photographic studios in Singapore.

During the 1910s and 1920s, having a studio portrait taken was still relatively expensive. Photographs were often taken for special occasions, as keepsakes, or to be sent home. Studios could even provide clothing and props to help customers present themselves in the way they wished to be seen.

🎞️This photograph, taken c. 1895–1920, captures that beautifully—the woman in a Western-style dress, holding a book, surrounded by flowers, books and an elaborate painted backdrop. Was the dress hers? Were the books studio props? We may never know.

More than a century later, this photograph preserves not only her portrait, but also a glimpse into 🇸🇬Singapore’s early photographic history.

A timely CAPITAL 958《印象古早》 feature explores the history of Chinese photography studios in Singapore: 《镜头下的新加坡：华人摄影百年变迁》
Listen/read the 958 feature here: https://www.8world.com/singapore/958-nostalgia-3271526...

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈Collecting old 🇸🇬Singapore na...
08/09/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

Collecting old 🇸🇬Singapore name cards has always brought me joy, especially when each one seems to have its own personality. The designs and the stories hidden behind every name—they’re what make each card unique.

A simple name card like this one was also used to send a New Year greeting, with the words 🧧「新年進步」. Something we rarely, if ever, do today.

I haven’t been able to trace who Chow Teck Yin (周德賢) was, but judging from the typography and overall design, I believe this name card could be from pre-war Singapore. I especially love the way the Chinese characters and elegant English script sit together so beautifully.

Before everything went online, a name card did more than just share contact details. It introduced someone, made a first impression, and sometimes even carried a personal greeting. To me, every card is a tiny window into a different time.

What I love most about this card is its simplicity—the beautifully printed Chinese name 周德賢, paired with the elegant English script “Chow Teck Yin”, and the New Year greeting neatly placed in the corner. Nothing elaborate, yet the typography and layout give the card its own character.

In design, simplicity reigns.👑

Cards like this were once part of everyday life. Today, they offer a small glimpse into Singapore’s social and design history.

If anyone knows who Chow Teck Yin (周德賢) was, or if you collect old Singapore name cards too, I’d love to hear from you.

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈❤️ Sometimes, the most meanin...
27/08/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

❤️ Sometimes, the most meaningful feedback comes in just a few words.

🇸🇬 Bringing Singapore’s history closer to the next generation — one artefact, one story, one student at a time.

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈🫢...Lee Kuan Yew's engraved M...
19/08/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

🫢...Lee Kuan Yew's engraved Montblanc fountain pen recently sold for an extraordinary S$461,500 at auction.

✍️ Over the years, I have observed increasing interest from collectors in items personally signed by Mr Lee. I have also been approached by collectors and dealers seeking my views on the authenticity of various LKY signatures.

One such piece of history in my collection is a 1963 Chinese New Year greeting card, personally inscribed by Lee Kuan Yew in Chinese and accompanied by his personal seal.

The envelope was sent from the Prime Minister's Office on 21 January 1963, during Lee's tenure as Prime Minister. The date is particularly significant, as less than eight months later, on 16 September 1963, Singapore joined Malaysia.

Unlike the auctioned pen, this was simply a small New Year greeting sent from one person to another. More than sixty years later, it quietly preserves a personal connection to a pivotal year in 🇸🇬Singapore's history.

I always believe history endures in even the smallest objects.

❤️🤍 Sixty-one years ago, Singapore began its journey as an independent nation with courage, determination and hope. The ...
09/08/2026

❤️🤍 Sixty-one years ago, Singapore began its journey as an independent nation with courage, determination and hope. The words behind our first Independence Anniversary stamps—"Surviving in a Challenging Future in a Multi-Racial Society"—reflected the realities and aspirations of a young nation. Today, we celebrate how far we have come while continuing to cherish the values that unite us—resilience, harmony, innovation, and the spirit to keep moving forward.

❤️🤍 Every generation has helped shape Singapore's story. May we continue to cherish our heritage, honour those who came before us, and inspire those who will build the future of our nation.

Happy 61st Birthday, Singapore! 🎉🎂🇸🇬❤️🤍
Majulah Singapura!

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BUKIT MERAH CENTRAL
Singapore

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