Everyday War Memories at the Old Ford Factory Museum

Everyday War Memories at the Old Ford Factory Museum

February 18, 2020
Photo: ‘War Memorial Park in the city center’ by Kelman Chiang from SRN’s SG Photobank

The Former Ford Factory is historically significant – its boardroom was where the British surrendered Singapore over to Japan on 15 February 1942. Decades later, on 15 February 2006, the factory was gazetted as a national monument. Subsequently, the National Archives of Singapore (NAS) established a World War II exhibition there titled ‘Memories at Old Ford Factory’ (MOFF). Professor Brenda Yeoh (NUS Department of Geography) and Assistant Professor Hamzah Muzaini (NUS Department of Southeast Asian Studies), in their chapter, ‘Everyday War Memories at the Old Ford Factory Museum’ (Contested Memoryscapes: The Politics of Second World War Commemoration in Singapore, 2016) examine how MOFF seeks to assist Singaporeans in ‘feeling’ and ‘imagining’ the war.

War memoryscapes in Singapore have been criticised for privileging the experiences of combatants while marginalising those of everyday locals. Thus, the MOFF sought to showcase more of the quotidian experiences of non-combatant locals. For example, the MOFF extensively utilised texts, photographs, maps, everyday objects, and direct quotations from non-combatants locals of the war. Importantly, the surrender room was set up in minimalist fashion with only a replica of the table, original chairs from the factory, and relevant furnishings. This was to provide a blank canvas for visitors to project their imaginations of the actual surrender event onto, thus enhancing the emotional experience.

Prof Yeoh and Asst Prof Muzaini interviewed visitors, many of whom indicated positive experiences. This was attributed to the exhibition’s locational authenticity, intimacy, and minimalism. Yet, some also expressed negative feelings such as ‘frustration’ at the difficulty of getting to MOFF, ‘disorientation’ due to its non-linear story-telling format, and ‘fatigue’ from having to read too much text. The minimalist set-up of the surrender room was also criticised for not having more vivid exhibits to attract younger crowds. Finally, others remarked on the lack of analytical depth in MOFF narratives, citing that the information presented was superficial and did not deviate much from standard narratives.

The research duo concludes that MOFF is a contested memoryscape which reminds us that visitor experiences are coloured by their differing motivations, subjectivities, and prior depth of historical knowledge. However, the fact that visitors consume and experience these spaces with not only their minds but also their hearts remains, and this presents implications for nation-building policies in Singapore.

Find out more about the book here.