These two photographs were once part of an album containing both formal and informal photographs. The photograph on one side depicts members of the Theosophical Society. A photograph of a large gathering appears on the other side of the leaf.Peranakans commissioned photographs to document their families and important life events such as births, marriages, and deaths. They also commissioned photographs to record their involvement in business enterprises, and in social causes such as schools, academic societies, religious groups, and in community and cultural associations.With improvements in camera technology, it became possible to take photographs without the assistance of a studio in the first decades of the 20th century. Increasingly, photographs were taken outdoors, or in domestic spaces, rather than in studios. However, amateur photography remained relatively expensive and was limited to the wealthier members of society who could afford to take photographs for pleasure and to document their daily lives.
