| Our first view is taken around 1890. The road is already looking busy. |
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Here is the junction between Orchard Road and Scotts Road in 1890. |
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This 1890s view is looking across Orchard Road at Dhoby Ghaut. In the distance is Government House (now the Istana). |
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The oldest surviving building on Orchard Road is the Presbyterian Church, dating from the 1870s. I guess this view is around the Turn of the last century. |
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Originally, the railway crossed Orchard Road close to the junction with Emerald Hill Road. In the 1930s the line was diverted via a more southerly route to the new terminus at Tanjung Pagar, |
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The Orchard Road market, c1900. |
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This is a view dated c1905, showing the corner of Grange Road. For the first time we see the classic rows of shop houses that typified Singapore streets for a hundred years. |
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Another view from c1905. This shows the corner of Killiney Road, the next street down from the previous picture. |
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This view is reputedly the 1910s. I don't know where it is, but judging by the vegetation and lack of shops I can only guess it's the Tanglin end of the road. Motor traffic has already made an appearance. |
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This is the City end of Orchard Road around 1916. Just visible through the trees on the left is the Presbyterian Church, which still stands today. |
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This view is dated 1920, and now Orchard Road is looking like a busy road. The shops in the centre background of the previous picture are also visible here, but the scene is dominated by the new Amber Mansions building. |
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This 1920s view is taken from the railway bridge seen in a previous photo. The building under construction on the left is the famous Cold Storage building, whilst just beyond it is the market. We are looking towards the City. |
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A close up of the market, taken at about the same time. |
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Rain has flooded Orchard Road, but life goes on regardless. On the right we see the market and Cold Storage, and in the background is the railway bridge. |  |
A classic view of the Penang Road/Dhoby Ghaut junction, around 1926. The brand new building was a car showroom (Malayan Motors). I believe the cluster of buildings on the right might still exist (check out Google Earth). |  |
Looking towards the City in the 1940s, we see the Cold Storage Creameries to the left, with the main Cold Storage building behind it. Back in the 1960s my parents would shop at Cold Storage, and if we were lucky we would be taken for a milk shake or root beer at the Creameries. |  |
In 1948 MacDonald House was opened. It's the tall brick office block in this c1950 view. Not much else has changed since the 1926 view. Macdonald house is another very rare survivor in the 21st century. |  |
Looking in the opposite direction, this quiet 1950s view shows the Presbyterian Church in the right foreground, with the YMCA building behind. |  |
From the evidence available, this looks like it's taken from Cairnhill Road looking towards the City. Looks like 1950s. Compare this with the 1905 view taken at Grange Road. |  |
Slightly further west was the Princes Hotel. |  |
Some classic cars in this 1956 view. I near Cold Storage, but on the opposite side of the road. |  |
My favourite Orchard Road picture. It is now a dual carriageway. I would guess the date is late 1950s. |  |
C. K. Tang's was a fascinating department store with an oriental flavour. As well as lots of exotic furniture and ornaments, they had one of the best toy departments in Singapore. Magic! Date c1960. |  |
Opposite C.K.Tang's was the Lido Cinema and Shaw House. The Lido was state-of-the-art architecture in 1961 when this picture was taken. |  |
This is the corner of Emerald Hill Road in the early 1960s, with a lovely mix of vehicles. On the left is Maynard Chemist, and further down is a shop call Hiap Chian Co. At the end of the row are the Cold Storage buildings. |  |
Orchard Road in all its 1960s glory, and exactly as I remember it. In the distance, on the left is MacDonald House, just about the only thing in this picture that has survived into the 21st century. |  |
An early 1960s view of the Princes Hotel. |  |
It's 1968, and the high-rise era is just beginning. |  |
Now it's 1969. This view hasn't changed much, but a one-way system has been instigated. |  |
The old and the new sit together in this 1970s view. Cold storage is on the right, dwarfed by the Pheonix Hotel. |  |
In 1978 the Lido Cinema is still intact. |  |
We'll finish with a few up to date views. |  |
The photographer is standing outside the site of the old Cold Storage. Compare with the same view from the 1970s. |  |
Now we're looking down Scott's Road. Shaw House stands where the Lido cinema used to be, and C.K.Tangs is on the right. |  |