Perak Postcards 1890s-1940s

By Abdur Razzaq Lubis, Malcolm Wade & Khoo Salma Nasution.

Once the premier state of the Federated Malay States, Perak pioneered tin mining, rubber, roads and railways in Malaya. In the early twentieth century, Europeans and Asians venturing into this frontier country bought picture postcards to send home to family, friends and pen pals all over the world. Perak Postcards 1890s–1940s represents the largest such collection ever assembled into one volume, with more than 500 picture postcards contributed by several collectors. Practically all the major Perak districts and towns are featured – Ipoh, Taiping, Kuala Kangsar, Telok Anson and the mining towns of Kinta.

Perak Postcards 1890s–1940s represents that one-of-a-kind book many people, Perakians or otherwise, have silently wished for. (From our newsletter)

Editorial Reviews

‘This is a beautifully produced book, with many postcards never seen before. If you want a first-class record of Perak’s past then this is where you should invest your money. It beats any other volume produced so far’ — IpohWorld

‘One of the glories of this book is that the authors’ expertise is brought to bear on every image, each one carefully sourced, dated and historically interpreted… like a rolling story that you can dip in and out of at your leisure’ — Ilsa Sharp, Options, The Edge Malaysia, Issue 846, Feb 21-27, 2011.

‘The book leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind that at one time Perak really did have an amazing array of heritage buildings, streets, public gardens, recreation areas and a wide array of grand landscapes. Anyone who buys this book will therefore have no need for faded memories as it covers all that any could wish for regarding our heritage’ — Ian Anderson, Ipoh Echo

About the Authors

Malcolm Wade, a stalwart of the Malaya Study Group, has written an authoritative postal history of Perak. Abdur-Razzaq Lubis and Khoo Salma Nasution, authors of the critically acclaimed Kinta Valley, Pioneering Malaysia’s Modern Development (2005) have extensively captioned the images – using contemporary sources, travelogues and memoirs to illustrate these vivid windows to the past.

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Table of Contents

Perak, The Abode of Grace 7
Introduction: The Postal History of Perak 8
The Perak Post 18
Taiping 25
Kuala Kangsar 77
Ipoh 125
Kinta Towns 237
Batang Padang and Tanjung Malim 251
Hilir Perak, Dindings and Pangkor 265
Krian and Upper Perak 277
Tin Mining 281
Rubber 301
Orang Asli 305
The Mandailing Postcard Collection 317
Appendices 324