This painting is both an interesting and important historical record, in so far that it shows the Singapore waterfront skyline when the only skyscraper then was the Bank of China (BOC) Building. In 1953, the BOC Singapore Branch moved into a new 17-story building at Battery Road, which was clearly the most imposing structure on the waterfront back then, as it towered over all other buildings in the area. This is also one of 148 works listed in the collection of Yao Chew Mooi, Yong Mun Sen’s widow, which were appraised by the London firm Spink & Son.