This book once belonged to a prominent Peranakan Chinese businessman Khaw Joo Choe of Penang. It contains a wealth of old photos and information about the peoples, the industries, flora and fauna of the British Straits Settlements in the early 20th century. It also features many prominent Peranakan Chinese families of the Straits Settlements. Books like this were published in England and were very expensive in their day, most costing a sum more than the average monthly salary of a civil servant in the Straits Settlements. Unlike today, books were not published commercially for sale but were usually pre-ordered by interested parties, wealthy families and businesses, who were often featured within.It was also not unusual for Peranakan families to keep large English dictionaries encyclopedias and atlases, following a Victorian tradition of many English families during that time.
