Ray Tyers first visited Singapore in 1934 as a merchant seaman. He came to Singapore again in 1942 on a ship to evacuate Allied forces. In 1945, he settled in Singapore as part of the British Military Administration and thereafter regarded the island as his home. Tyers set about making his own photographic record of Singapore, collecting historic information and old photographs. He spent much time searching for details and dates in microfilmed records and from long-time residents. Identifying old photographs as Singapore was ‘then’ against their corresponding modern views became an intriguing and thrilling project which eventually became the first edition of his book published in 1976.
