Singapore at The Dead Zoo
Celebrating Fifty Years of Ireland-Singapore Ties
This year marks half a century of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Ireland. Two locations across the globe separated by 11,000 km, with seemingly little connection. With the launch of ‘Singapore at the Dead Zoo’, we tell the story of these unseen ties between our nations through natural history collections.
About the booklet
Flatlay of "Singapore at The Dead Zoo"
Source: SIGNIFY
Each specimen we have imaged holds their own story—of origins, journey, and how they were eventually deposited into the collections of National Museum of Ireland – Natural History (NMINH). We also cover prominent collectors, shedding light on their dedication to various taxonomic groups through their individual collections. The images used throughout the stories also showcase our project’s digitisation standards, with life-like high-resolution images. These images were the results of a trip made by the team in November 2023. Over the course of two short weeks, we imaged over 200 specimens—many of which are featured in this booklet. The trip was a productive one and was greatly aided by the support and generosity from our collaborators at NMINH.
NMINH is the seventh museum that SIGNIFY has visited since the project began.
Booklet feature: C. P. W. Flynn – Of Rubber and Snake
C. P. W. Flynn is one of the collectors we featured in the booklet but whose full name still remains a mystery. An Irish planter who worked in Singapore, he collected a total of 18 specimens in the 1900s, likely from the rubber plantation he managed in the modern day Springleaf area. We focus here on the story of the Selangor mud snake (Raclitia indica), which was the sole record of this species in Singapore until its recent rediscovery in Upper Seletar more than a century later.
Booklet feature: Thomas Workman
Thomas Workman was a successful Irish merchant and widely-known in the world of arachnology. In a series of short stories, we feature Workman’s collections comprising both specimens and detailed drawings. His collections housed at NMINH features 38 type specimens from Singapore, including ‘lost’ species—species that have not been seen since he collected them.
Booklet Launch: Event at Ireland House, Singapore
On 30 August 2024, the Embassy of Ireland in Singapore, together with the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) jointly launched the booklet at Ireland House in Singapore. It was an honour for the launch to be the first event to be held at the newly relocated Ireland House and for the event to be graced by by distinguished guests. Speeches were given by Her Excellency Sarah McGrath (Ambassador of Ireland to Singapore), Associate Professor Darren C. J. Yeo (Head of LKCNHM), Paolo Viscardi (Keeper of NMINH; through a recorded video) and Lydia X. Gan (Project Manager of SIGNIFY).
Here, we feature a quote from Associate Professor Darren Yeo’s speech during the launch:
“Like the SIGNIFY project, Singapore at The Dead Zoo is more than an album of images and descriptions; it is a celebration of the connections between our institutions and our countries. The short stories in the booklet portray not just biodiversity in Singapore, but also related scientific and historical ties between our countries. It is a reminder that while these specimens are housed physically 11,000 km away, they remain an integral part of Singapore’s natural history.”
HE Sarah McGrath with the SIGNIFY team
Source: LKCNHM
Text by Deon J. H. Lee and Tricia J. Y. Cho
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Singapore at The Dead Zoo
Celebrating Fifty Years of Ireland-Singapore Ties
This year marks half a century of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Ireland. Two locations across the globe separated by 11,000 km, with seemingly little connection. With the launch of ‘Singapore at the Dead Zoo’, we tell the story of these unseen ties between our nations through natural history collections.
About the booklet
Flatlay of "Singapore at The Dead Zoo"
Source: SIGNIFY
Each specimen we have imaged holds their own story—of origins, journey, and how they were eventually deposited into the collections of National Museum of Ireland – Natural History (NMINH). We also cover prominent collectors, shedding light on their dedication to various taxonomic groups through their individual collections. The images used throughout the stories also showcase our project’s digitisation standards, with life-like high-resolution images. These images were the results of a trip made by the team in November 2023. Over the course of two short weeks, we imaged over 200 specimens—many of which are featured in this booklet. The trip was a productive one and was greatly aided by the support and generosity from our collaborators at NMINH.
NMINH is the seventh museum that SIGNIFY has visited since the project began.
Booklet feature: C. P. W. Flynn – Of Rubber and Snake
C. P. W. Flynn is one of the collectors we featured in the booklet but whose full name still remains a mystery. An Irish planter who worked in Singapore, he collected a total of 18 specimens in the 1900s, likely from the rubber plantation he managed in the modern day Springleaf area. We focus here on the story of the Selangor mud snake (Raclitia indica), which was the sole record of this species in Singapore until its recent rediscovery in Upper Seletar more than a century later.
Booklet feature: Thomas Workman
Thomas Workman was a successful Irish merchant and widely-known in the world of arachnology. In a series of short stories, we feature Workman’s collections comprising both specimens and detailed drawings. His collections housed at NMINH features 38 type specimens from Singapore, including ‘lost’ species—species that have not been seen since he collected them.
Booklet Launch: Event at Ireland House, Singapore
On 30 August 2024, the Embassy of Ireland in Singapore, together with the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) jointly launched the booklet at Ireland House in Singapore. It was an honour for the launch to be the first event to be held at the newly relocated Ireland House and for the event to be graced by by distinguished guests. Speeches were given by Her Excellency Sarah McGrath (Ambassador of Ireland to Singapore), Associate Professor Darren C. J. Yeo (Head of LKCNHM), Paolo Viscardi (Keeper of NMINH; through a recorded video) and Lydia X. Gan (Project Manager of SIGNIFY).
Here, we feature a quote from Associate Professor Darren Yeo’s speech during the launch:
“Like the SIGNIFY project, Singapore at The Dead Zoo is more than an album of images and descriptions; it is a celebration of the connections between our institutions and our countries. The short stories in the booklet portray not just biodiversity in Singapore, but also related scientific and historical ties between our countries. It is a reminder that while these specimens are housed physically 11,000 km away, they remain an integral part of Singapore’s natural history.”
HE Sarah McGrath with the SIGNIFY team
Source: LKCNHM
Text by Deon J. H. Lee and Tricia J. Y. Cho
RETURN TO TOP
