This photograph shows a race horse named ‘Atlanta’ photographed with its owner, an English man. The Waler horse was a popular colonial breed that originated from Australia and was popular among the British army from the 1840s up till the Japanese Occupation in the 1940s. Horse racing was brought to Singapore by the British colonialists, and the colony’s first race took place in 1842, offering a generous sum of $150 as the prize money. The Singapore Sporting Club (SSC) was set up by European expatriates that same year. Race horses were mostly owned by wealthy European officials or businessmen, who then commissioned photographers to document their ownership of these status symbols. Such photographs were usually sent back to Europe to family or relatives. Such practices were also adopted by affluent local families or individuals in the early part of the 20th century.
