Singapore attracted an increasing number of travellers in the 20th century. This was due to a rapidly growing tourist industry brought about by the growth in world markets and improvements in transport and communications, especially with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. The influx of tourists fuelled the market for postcards, many of which depicted the natural landscape and rural life in Singapore and Malaya. Postcards of the Traveller’s Palm, a tree noted for its ability to hold rainwater in its leaves, were especially popular. The pictures conformed to aesthetic conventions of the time, featuring locals in stylised poses in a pastoral setting.
