These buildings once represented the administrative, economic, education, religious and development centre of Penang. Some were the homes of prominent businessmen and administrators, and many served as the nerve centre of Penang’s business, political and judicial systems. This was where everything happened. Today, Penangites have grown so accustomed to the sight of these buildings that they have blended into the background, becoming mere backdrops rather than the historical artefacts they really are, their origins, purpose and importance now barely remembered,...