Large portrait photograph of Manasseh Meyer , father of the Jewish community in Singapore. Photographer: Nakajuma & co, Singapore. 1920s.
Sir Manasseh Meyer [1846-1930] was an Indian Jewish British citizen, businessman and philanthropist, one of the founders of the Jewish community in Singapore. Born in Baghdad to a Jewish family that immigrated to Calcutta, where he was educated. At age 21 he moved to Burma and began trading. His trade journeys included Egypt, Eretz Israel, Iraq, Europe, India, China and Japan. Meyer returned to Singapore in 1873 and founded an import-export company involved in opium trade. His business success made him a tycoon and philanthropist, and leader of the community of Baghdadi Jews in Singapore. The school of the Jewish community in Singapore is named after him.
Photograph: 20x15 cm. Mounted to the photographer's hard substrate: 36x26 cm. A piece of paper was pasted over the photograph after his death on which it was written: "Born in the year 1846 was laid to rest Menashe Meir with honor in the year 1930".Very good condition.
