Perak Museum Taiping

Perak State Museum Taiping (1930) -Lower Ethnological and Zoological Rooms

Perak Museum Taiping (Jan 2013)

 The Perak Museum Taiping is a public museum that was established in 1883 and is the first and oldest museum in Malaysia. It was one of the many "articles of luxury" that Sir Frank Swettenham mentioned in his book "About Perak" published in 1893.

Perak Museum Taiping (2009)

Location Map (Junction Main Road and Museum Road)

It is  located at the junction of Jalan Muzium (Museum Road) and Jalan Taming Sari (Main Road) in Taiping, Perak, Malaysia. The Taiping Prison is just opposite the road.

Need to pay to see the exhibits

 Admission to the museum used to be free. But, nowadays you will have to pay to see the exhibits.

Visiting Hours

• Mondays to Sundays: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Fridays:   9:00 to 12:15 p.m and  2:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• The museum is closed on the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Aidiladha.

History

Main notice board

 The Perak Museum in Taiping was founded by Sir Hugh Low, the fourth British Resident of Perak (1877 to 1889) during the British Administration of Malaya.

A young Sir Hugh Low (photo from Wikipedia Commons)

 The museum was initially used to house artifacts of natural history particularly ethnography, zoology, botany and geology. Many of these exhibits came from the personal collections of its founder Sir Hugh Low. He was an avid collector and naturalist and even have several species of plants, orchids, mammals and insects named after him.

Mr. Leonard Wray Jr., a botanist, geologist and Superintendent of Government Hill (Maxwell Hills or Larut Hills) at Larut (1883 to 1903) was the first curator of the museum. He was also significantly involved with the development of the nearby Taiping Lake Gardens.

Read More..

In the beginning, the museum was housed in some renovated government offices while the main building of unique English and Moorish designs was under construction in 1883. The original building comprised an office, library and exhibition hall (present Gallery A) and was only completed in 1886 because of insufficient funds. It owes its establishment to the fund-raising efforts of Sir Hugh Low and Sir Frank Swettenham. Sir Frank Swettenham was Resident of Perak from 1889–1895, and became Resident-General of the Federated Malay States (now Malaysia) in 1896–1901, and later as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Straits Settlements (1901–1904).

Front facade of Perak Museum 

 In 1889, extensions to the building front and back facades were added.

Intricate English neo-classical design of Perak Museumn in Taiping

A new exhibition hall (present Gallery B) was constructed in 1891 to 1893. As the collection of exhibits grew, a new two-storey building (present Gallery C and D) were added from 1900 to 1903.
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Note:

The Perak Museum in Taiping should not to be confused with the Darul Ridzuan Museum along Jalan Kuala Kangsar in Ipoh. This historical museum was converted from a mansion built in 1926 by a wealthy tin miner Mr. Foo Choong Kit.
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Outdoor Exhibits 

There are several exhibits scattered in the grounds of the Taiping museum:

Ancient grave slabs from Sungkai, Perak in front of the museum building

More info on grave slabs

Robert Sandilands Frowd Walker

Epitaph of Robert Walker

There used to be a Walker's Collection of old china

Close-up of Robert Walker

Galleries and Collections

There are four galleries inside the Taiping museum:

Gallery A

This hall at the entrance is used to house temporary exhibits for special occasions.

Gallery B

Natural history exhibits - a collection of animal skeletons that include mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and insects. The Taiping museum used to have a vast and excellent collection of animals. However, most of these exhibits have since been transferred to other museums in the country.

Primates skeletons

Tapir skeleton

Elephant skeleton

Elephant skeleton

Tapir skeleton

Silver Langur

Seladang -wild buffalo

 

Mountain Goat

Malay Civet

Crocodile

Rough-necked Monitor Lizard

Herons

Monitor Lizard

Pelican

Sting Rays

Turtle

Sting Rays

Gallery C

      

     Exhibits on the cultural and social traditions of the the local people.

Chinese culture and social traditions

Chinese New Year traditional items

Malay Hari Raya traditions

Angkat nikah - a Malay wedding custom

Raft made of bamboo for river transport

Wooden face masks

 

Congkak

Traditional wooden congkak

Wooden totem poles

Fishes and King Crabs

Lobsters

Gallery D 

     Pottery 

Outdoor Gallery

Tin Dredge Buckets

Tin Dredge Buckets - Notice

Long Jaffar Cannon

Steam engine

Perak Museum Notes No. 3 (1893) - The Tin Mines

Steam engine

Train coach

Taiping Prison or Goal opposite the museum

Another view - Taiping Prison or Goal opposite the museum