I recently found out that the Philatelic Store at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore had closed on Sept 30 after operating for five years.
The location of the store within the building was highly significant as it was once the General Post Office (GPO).
With its closure, only two stores – at SingPost Centre and Tampines Central – remain.
I would like to propose that a philatelic museum or gallery be housed (or rehoused) in the space vacated by the store.
A philatelic museum opened in 1995 in Coleman Street and was scheduled to return when it was closed in 2019 for renovations.
The Children’s Museum has taken its place instead, with some educational stamp exhibits there now teaching children about our neighbouring countries as well as creatures and plants.
While postage stamps are seldom used nowadays, the previous stamp series produced in Singapore can narrate her histories and stories from the colonial to independence periods, and up to contemporary times.
We can learn so many aspects about our country, like the cultural dances of different ethnic groups (1968), the Seap Games (1973) or the inception of the MRT system (1988).
The stamps have also been designed by notable Singaporean designers and artists such as Eng Siak Loy, Choy Weng Yang, Poh Siew Wah and Sim Tong Khern.
Besides narrating Singapore history in an effective and interesting way, such a museum would also serve to record their graphic designs as well as honour their work.
If the stamp exhibits are cross-referenced with maps, artefacts, illustrations and texts and are well curated, the educational and tourism potential of such a museum and gallery would be great.
The GPO site was point zero for measuring road distances and roads here stemmed from this point.
As it is located within walking distance to other museums like the Asian Civilisations Museum and the National Gallery, it can form part of the museum circuit in our cultural district.
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