“The Importance of Water in Daily Life and Diversity”
While browsing through the various catalogs of images, I found an image that captures what seemed like an old way of life meeting much more modern versions of the same lifestyle. Small canoes and boats dominate the foreground of this picture, while a large, European cargo or fishing boat behind it contrasts these smaller crafts. This fact made me reflect on what history this location would need to have for these two different worlds to exist at the same time, spurring research into this area. I discovered a city known as Penang, or George Town, one with a long and varying history in connection with Europe. The history of Penang, as shown clearly in this photograph, is dominated by the water and the associated lifestyle connected to it, and this image shows how life on the water has led to great diversity and success for many of the residents of this city.
George Town was first established all the way back in 1786 when the British traded for this island with the local sultanate for protection and 6,000 Spanish dollars. The location was chosen to challenge French and Dutch colonial control over the general East Indies, and immediately it became a crucial stopping point for many merchants looking to travel in the region, drawing in immigrants from all over Asia. The British Lieutenant-Governor even said of George Town “there is not, probably, any part of the world where, in such a small space, so many different people are assembled together or so great a variety of languages spoken” (Sabri Zain – History of Penang). This line speaks to the wide array of people and merchant groups present in the area. This background begins to speak to why we see both smaller craft and large European boats in the same image in such close proximity, as this town was known for being culturally diverse. George Town was one of the most varied and rich ports in all of Malaysia, and this fact led to major Chinese, European, Malay, Javanese, Burmese, and so many other groups being present in significant numbers. George Town was effectively the most important port and city in all of Northern Malaysia, controlling trade in the region. Everyone who lived in the city was largely focused on the sea, whether that be fishing or trading. With this location being the first port many traders coming from India would visit, a large Indian population also rose, composed of both convicts and traders, who competed with the Europeans and Chinese (Oi Keat Gin – Disparate Identities). The ships in the back of the image are likely mainly composed of these three groups, as they were largely focused on mercantile endeavors. Likewise, the people we see in the front of this image were either Indian or Malay, as these groups were known to be fishers or involved in other aquatic non-trading practices.
The decision of this photographer to put the focus on more “local” boats, along with the other images in the collection, speaks to their interest in photographing Southeast Asian people at work. Specifically, the photographer liked to catalog locals involved in colonial business, although I can’t say whether this focus was due to interest in the people or simply in taking inventory of what was happening. However, by inspecting the image closely, you can see clear variety even among the people involved with these smaller crafts, as some of these people are shirtless, others are dressed in all white with turbans, among other noticeable clothes. This variety again speaks to the many groups making a living in the city’s area, a topic often discussed in class. People from all over the region moved to this city due to the economic opportunities, which has led to even the modern city of Penang being one of the most diverse and economically important in all of Malaysia. In 2008, the historical area of George Town was made a UNESCO world heritage site, cementing its legacy as one of the most diverse, culturally unique cities in all of Southeast Asia (Kee Beng Ooi – George Town: From city to municipality to culture centre).
The story of Southeast Asia has often been one dominated in large part by mercantile affairs, and the story shown through my chosen photograph speaks to this fact. In showing both the most local side of water use, along with the variety of European, Chinese, and Indian traders being represented in the large ships in the background, we see a story not seen elsewhere. This city is uniquely diverse and shows that one of the regions strongest traits, great cultural diversity, can strengthen a city and exist while Penang flourishes. Different groups came to this area to work in different fields, and a great culturally diverse city rose and prospered.
Image from Penang, 1920 by George West Philleo “Early Photography of Asia”
References:
Gin, Ooi Keat. “Disparate Identities: Penang from a Historical Perspective, 1780-1941.” Disparate Identities: Penang From A Historical Perspective, 1780-1941, 2015, https://hal.science/hal-03744753/document.
Patterson, Ian. “Penang House of Music: Shining Light on Penang’s Jazz/Indigenous Music Heritage Article @ All about Jazz.” All About Jazz, 20 July 2021, https://www.allaboutjazz.com/penang-house-of-music-shining-light-on-penangs-jazz-indigenous-music-heritage-jimmy-boyle-by-ian-patterson.
“History of George Town, Penang.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Apr. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_George_Town,_Penang.
