KOH Yip Kee 高业基
Vanishing Trades,
Accession Number 003877
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 8
Total Reels
- Lye Soo Choon 赖素春
Interviewer
- 04:53:42
Total Running Time
- Cantonese
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 8
Metadata
- 23 Apr 2014
Recording Date
- 00:36:30
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Born 1924. Stayed in Chinatown, family background. Childhood. Listened to parents. Helped to do housework at home. Talk about his study, started with private school using Cantonese as teaching language. Why stopped studying. Describe how he became apprentice in photo studio. Life as apprentice, things he needed to do and how he learnt. Talk about photo taking, pre-war did not have electric light, depended on natural light. How various coloured cloth was used to adjust the light. No roll film, using plate glass negative. Master allowed him to take small photo such as those in passport size. Started to do touch up for photo after two years, describe how to touch up.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 8
Metadata
- 23 Apr 2014
Recording Date
- 00:38:46
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
As apprentice of photo studio, interviewee had to pick up skill on his own, master seldom taught. Pick up photo touch up by himself. Describe developing photo in dark room, count timing based on experience to control the exposure. Recall Japanese attacking Singapore, Upper Cross Street was bombed. No place to escape, he reminded in Chiantown, still working in photo studio. His clients during Japanese Occupation, many Japanese and comfort women. Used Kanji and Chinese character to communicate with Japanese clients. Recall his experience in mass screening at Sago Street, all male above sixteen years old had to go.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 8
Metadata
- 28 Apr 2014
Recording Date
- 00:38:19
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Interviewee learnt Japanese language during Japanese Occupation. Recall working as a scribe at Nippon Telegraph & Telephone (NTT, 日本电报通信株式会社) due to less business in photo studio and he could get money and rice from NTT. Talk about his work and his colleagues. Japanese were good to the employees. Did not understand the content of the Japanese documents that he copied. Documents he copied were not allowed to bring out of office. Any document with mistakes would be burnt. His impression of Japanese. Japanese treated him well.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 8
Metadata
- 28 Apr 2014
Recording Date
- 00:38:56
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Worked in photo studio Zi Ran Ying Shi (自然影室) after Japanese Occupation. Good business as many people needed to take photos for identity cards. Salary was good, in charge of photo touch up and dark room. Took over Joo Chiat Studio and started own business. Clients were from East side of Singapore. Overhead was low, business started in 1948 till 1960. Business declined later due to more competitors. Cameras he used, describe the film he used. Recall landlord wanted to increase his studio rental, interviewee appealed and won the case later. Recall how he rented premises from Neo Clan Association in 1954 to set up Cathay Photo Studio at Serangoon Road. Talk about renovation of the studio. Why he made his employees to become his business partners. How he advertised. Talk about his competitors in mid 1950s.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 8
Metadata
- 28 Apr 2014
Recording Date
- 00:39:24
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
How he competed in photo studio market. Sent film to Kota to develop, had good relationship with Kota and could ensure the quality of the photos. Started coloured photo shooting business in 1961, many clients were universities’ students. Had sixteen people working in his Studio. Income was good. His expenditure. His shooting techniques. Outdoor photography, things to note. Left his studio to his brother-in-law. Why he left in early 1980s. Enjoy travelling after his retirement.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 8
Metadata
- 30 Apr 2014
Recording Date
- 00:37:36
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
How clients were served when they went to his photo studio. Setting he used. How he received his clients and served them. Describe in details how he manually did touch-up for photograph, pen and colour he used. Various processes from photo taking to develop the photograph. Describe how photograph was developed using a wooden box in dark room, light and chemical used. How to use chemical lotion to develop photograph.
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Reel/Disc 7 of 8
Metadata
- 30 Apr 2014
Recording Date
- 00:36:25
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Describe in details using chemical to fix and make photograph to be unchangeable. Work processes in photo studio. Talk about copyrights, rights belonged to the studio not the client. Studio would keep the film, would not give to clients. Talk about renting his studio space from Neo Clan Association (梁氏公会), spent more than ten thousand to renovate and install air-con. Competitors near his studio. His studio was the only one serving up-market around that area. Talk about studio owned by Hokkien and Cantonese. Felt lucky to be in photography industry.
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Reel/Disc 8 of 8
Metadata
- 30 Apr 2014
Recording Date
- 00:27:46
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Talked about his hobbies. Interviewee’s interest in painting when he was young. His painting skills were self-taught. Suffered from illnesses after retirement. Learnt drawing in community centre, learnt from artist Weng Yi翁翼. Things that he drew. Recall playing badminton with his boss and friends in mid 1940s. Played at Bukit Pasoh, near railway. Why did not take part in competition. How Cathay Studio was able to do well in coloured photography while competing with other studio operated by Hokkien in Singapore.
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