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Jan 7, 2011
an hour @ the museum
In this weekly column, we visit museums and art spaces and highlight what you must see if you have only an hour to spare.
School Of Hard Knocks by The Little Drom Store is a photography exhibition of playgrounds of the past by graphic designer Stanley Tan and his wife Antoinette Wong. The couple started taking pictures of these playgrounds about four years ago.
The works capture and celebrate the nostalgia associated with these playgrounds which are vanishing all too soon.
The exhibition is part of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival.
Where: Esplanade Tunnel, 1 Esplanade Drive MRT: City Hall, Esplanade When: Till Jan 23, 5.45am - 12.15am Admission: Free Tel: 6440-8115 Info: www.singaporefringe.com
Deepika Shetty
1 THE PELICAN
Period of construction - 1970 to 1980
Location - Dover Road
The couple wanted to look at playgrounds which once sparked children's imaginations. Decorated with colourful mosaic tiles and unpadded, these playgrounds saw many children suffering injuries and knocks.
2 THE ELEPHANT
Period of construction - 1970 to 1980
Location - Pasir Ris Park
Playgrounds today lack a theme but in the past, animal-centric playgrounds helped parents educate their children while the little ones played. Children enjoyed simple activities such as sliding down the elephant's trunk at this playground in Pasir Ris.
3 THE SEAL
Period of construction - 1970 to 1980
Location - Dakota Crescent
This playground with a seal design featured a colourful suspension bridge that appealed to more adventurous kids, who could slide down or climb up a pole.
4 THE DRAGON
Period of construction - 1970 to 1980
Location - Toa Payoh
This playground with a dragon motif had a colourful suspension bridge as the dragon's body. Sand helped cushion the fall from the slide.
5 THE WATERMELON (SMALL)
Period of construction - 1970 to 1980
Location - Tampines
Other themes which inspired playgrounds built in Housing Board estates in the 1970s were fruit such as watermelons, which were used as motifs to promote healthy living as well as to represent tropical fruit familiar to Singaporeans.
6 THE CLOCK
Period of construction - 1970 to 1980
Location - Bishan
The design of the playgrounds in later years was influenced by nursery rhymes for children such as Hickory Dickory Dock, and became more sophisticated and Westernised.
7 THE TRISHAW
Period of construction - 1970 to 1980
Location - Eunos
The trishaw was a reflection of Singapore's past mode of transport as well as an easily identifiable element of Asian culture.
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