Special * Merdeka

Prints, Posters and Art (Pre-1957)

Left : Malay Boy World War II Postcard, Right: Malay Girl World War II Postcard

"If you know your history, then you know where you coming from..." - Bob Marley

Malay Mail Newspaper - 31st of  August 1957

The saying above, by the ever poetic Bob Marley has always touched me to the essence of my core. I'm not trying to be corny here, I truly mean it.

As a mixed child, I have always been one step here and one step in the emerald isle. Yet when you ask me, I say i'm Malaysian for more then just being born here. Well that is the thing about all of us in this country isn't it? We are all from somewhere else.

But what draws us all together is our ever enduring spirit to survive whatever comes our way as a nation. I read about it during the British Rule, the Japanese occupation, the racial strife and I saw it during the hard times of the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 and I see it now. We are all from somewhere else, but we are all Malaysians. Whatever we face, we get through it together and that makes me very proud to say that I am Malaysian.

So to pay tribute to where we are now, I thought it apt to look back to where we were way back before 1957, in the pleasure of art and design. Special thanks goes to the Malaysian Design Archive for all the images you see in this blog entry.

Left: Diethelm Logo 1900s, Top Right: Orange Crush Drink Label, 1940s/1950s, Bottom Right: 1944 Japanese Occupation Stamps

Left: Modern Teaching Atlas for Malayan Schools 1957, Right: Visit Malaya Poster 1930s. 

Left: Illustrated Guide to British Malay (Book) in 1924, Right: A poster to persuade people to join the army, illustrated by  Hossein Enas in 1951

Left: Travel Poster to Malaya 1930s, Right: The Golden Chersonese Poster 1930s