Portrait of Koh Chong Keng

Title

Year/Period

ca. 1915-1920

Region

Singapore

Object Type

handcoloured photographs

Material

paper (fiber product), ink, colour (pigment), wood (plant material), glass (material)

Technique

hand-colouring, photographic processes, photographic printing techniques

Dimension

Gross measurement: 69.0 x 59.0 x 5.0 cm,
Frame size: 63.0 x 46.5 x 3.0 cm,
Image size: 49.0 x 33.0 cm

Accession No.

2021-00085

Collection of

Peranakan Museum

Credit Line

Gift of Dr Angeline Khoo in memory of her grandparents

Koh Chong Keng (1887-1942) was born in the Fujian province of Haicheng (海澄) in China. He was orphaned at the age of 8 and was sent to Malacca to be cared for by a relative from a Peranakan family. He later came to Singapore to work for Yeo Keng Chuan, a wealthy merchant who recognised his entrepreneurial talents and chose him to be the husband of his eldest daughter Yeo Gek Neo. He had a business as a middleman for British and Chinese merchants, and lived with his wife and children in a bungalow at 11 Dublin Road, Singapore. This portrait, along with that of Yeo Gek Neo, was hung in the main hall of 11 Dublin Road, and was directly visible to all entering the house.