The Adam Park Project

Item Information:

Catalogue Number: 17a/01/006 Source: TAPP Archaeology Surveys Location: No17 Adam Park Report No: Report No.10 Artifact Type: Button Production Date: 2011-04-14 00:00:00 Dimensions of Item: 34mm dia Copyright with The Adam Park Project

Other Description:

One new button was discovered on site. This was a 34mm brass stamped button inscribed with the words ‘Robinson & Co – Singapore’. It was not dated but the context suggests that it was a mid 20th Century item.

Historic Context:

According to the Wikepedia entry, Robinson & Co. was established on February 25, 1858 by Philip Robinson and his business partner James Gaborian Spicer, who was a former keeper of the Singapore jail, and a partner in the shipwright business. The company was then known as Spicer and Robinson and it was located at Commercial Square (now Raffles Place). However on October 5, 1859, less than two years after the partnership, James Spicer pulled out, and the company was known as Robinson and Co. Robinson found a new partner, George Rappa Jr. Robinson and Co. moved to the corner of North Bridge Road and Coleman Street. Near the end of 1864, there was a financial crisis, firms crashed and hundreds of shops closed down. Robinson managed to survive during this period of time. A new shop was opened at Battery Road, and the company's first assistant was appointed from England, T. C. Loveridge, who took charge of a newly-opened tailoring. department. Robinson died in 1886 but his business was taken over by his son Stamford Robinson who kept it going through the depression until his death in 1935. The company moved to a newer and bigger store at Raffles Chambers in November 1941. The building was air-conditioned at the café, men and women hairdressing salons. The Japanese bombed the building on December 8, 1941, but business opened as usual the next day. It suffered damage when it was attacked again on 13 February 1942. The last days of the British fell to the Japanese, saw only one person running the cafe. The company also had stores in Kuala Lumpur. Allied troops fighting in Malaysia were unable to find supplies, and the Manager of the Kuala Lumpur branch could get camp beds for them. Latterly Robinson’s has taken on the franchise for both Mark’s and Spencer and John Little in Singapore and is now a part of the Lippo Group It is therefore no surprise to find items associated with this grand old high street name on site at Adam Park as the residents were most likely regular patrons of the shop.