Beneath the sleek exterior of the modern museum building lies a saga of titanic struggles and changes. That the collections survived at all—through the multiple challenges of the nineteenth century, the disruption of World War Two, and its potential disintegration in the face of Singapore’s modernization—is nothing short of miraculous. This book is not only an institutional history of the museum but also tells the story of the frustrations, commitment and courage of the numerous individuals who battled officialdom, innovated endlessly and overcame the odds to protect Singapore’s natural history heritage.