Let's visit HAWAII IN THE 1930s: Rice field in Waikiki

I actually have no idea where this photo was taken in Hawaii, but when shown to my father he said he remembers areas of Waikiki looking like this when he visited in 1945. No matter where it was actually shot, it's the Hawaii of long ago.


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On the far right there appears to possibly be railroad tracks with a car. Could this be part of the old Oahu Railway and Land Company?

This Company is now running trains to Waianae, 33% miles from Honolulu, the new Extension of fifteen miles beyond Ewa Plantation having been completed July 1, 1895. The equipment of the road is first-class in every particular. Excursion rates are maintained from Saturday morning till Monday of each week. A first-class hotel is in course of erection at Waianae, and will afford unequalled bathing facilities. A delightful ride through varied and unsurpassed scenery, a day of rest and pleasure at Waianae, make an excursion on the Oahu Railway one of the most attractive features of the Islands, not only to tourists, but to residents of Honolulu as well.

Pearl City, located on the famous Pearl Harbor, the proposed naval and coaling station of the United States, has been, laid out in streets, provided with a complete system of water works, picnic grounds, dancing pavilion, boat houses, etc. Over $100,000 in lots have been sold to 150 different purchasers, and a number of residences erected; a few very desirable lots may yet be had on very reasonable terms.

With a perfect climate and the pure air from mountain and sea, no other spot on earth can equal this as a health resort. Dr. P. S. Kellogg, of Battle Creek, Mich., says of this locality in a recent letter: "When we had reached a height of 1,000 feet, we could observe a marked difference in the atmosphere; so cool, pure and bracing was it that we were impressed with the thought that here, removed from the con-laminating influences of unsanitary surroundings, was an ideal spot for the invalid to find rest for body and mind." (SOURCE: History of Later Years of the Hawaiian Monarchy)

This is the last image I have from this series. I can only hope to someday find more.

Let's visit HAWAII IN THE 1930s: Nuʻuanu Pali

One of my fondest memories of going over the Nu'uanu Pali was stopping at the banana stand at the bottom. It was thick with banana groves and the best tasting bananas I've ever had. Sweet small apple bananas. We'd buy several bunches and they'd never make it home.


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On the other hand, my father has memories of riding in a bus over the Pali in the 1940s. He said it was a hair raising experience.

The Nuʻuanu Pali has been a vital pass from ancient times to the present because it is a low, traversable section of the Koʻolau mountain range that connects the leeward side of the mountains, Honolulu to the windward side, Kailua and Kāneʻohe. The route drew settlers who formed villages in the area and populated Nuʻuanu Valley for a thousand years.

The Nuʻuanu Pali was the site of the Battle of Nuʻuanu, one of the bloodiest battles in Hawaiian history, in which Kamehameha I conquered the island of Oʻahu, bringing it under his rule. In 1795 Kamehameha I sailed from his home island of Hawaiʻi with an army of 10,000 warriors, including a handful of non-Hawaiian foreigners. After conquering the islands of Maui and Molokaʻi, he moved on to Oʻahu. The pivotal battle for the island occurred in Nuʻuanu Valley, where the defenders of Oʻahu, led by Kalanikūpule, were driven back up into the valley where they were trapped above the cliff. More than 400 of Kalanikūpule's soldiers were driven off the edge of the cliff to their deaths 1,000 feet below.

In 1845 the first road was built over the Nuʻuanu Pali to connect Windward Oʻahu with Honolulu. In 1898 this road was developed into a highway which during construction 800 skulls were found believed to be the remains of the warriors that fell to their deaths from the cliff above.[5] This road was later replaced by the Pali Highway and the Nuʻuanu Pali Tunnels in 1959 which is the route used today.

The now extinct bird, the Oʻahu nukupuʻu, was last collected in this valley. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

Let's visit HAWAII IN THE 1930S: The Kodak Hula Show

Anyone who visited Oahu, Hawaii, between 1937 and 2002 had the chance each day to visit a free and wonderful hula show in Kapiolani Park. Between 1937 and 1999 it was sponsored by Kodak, and for good reason. It was a beautifully colorful show with the palm trees and the Pacific Ocean as it's backdrop. I have slides and an old 8mm film my dad shot.

Kodak pulled out their sponsorship in 1999. The Hogan Family Foundation took over and kept it going until 2002. I haven't been able to find anything definitive to say if the show has been resumed. It's a shame to think it's gone.

Below is a shot taken in the 1930s. I wish I could identify the performers. Perhaps, someday, someone will spot this and step forward to say, "That's my tutu (grandmother) dancing!" That would be nice.


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You can see other vintage Hawaiian snapshots from this series by clicking on "Hawaii" in the labels below.

Let's visit HAWAII IN THE 1930s: The Moana Hotel

The third image from the vintage snapshots of Hawaii I recently found, the Moana Hotel. I find it fascinating how empty it appears. One lone person standing in front of it. No cars. No tourists. No life. A grand building with nothing particularly grand going on.


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Today the large park like lawn is gone, replaced by busy Kalakaua Avenue. Try to imagine a hotel like this being built today. Instead of spreading out they all go up and up and...look down on the hotels from long ago. Click here to see an old image of the beach side.

The Moana Hotel, also known as the First Lady of Waikīkī, is a famous historic hotel on the island of Oʻahu, located at 2365 Kalākaua Avenue in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. It is today one of three buildings that make up the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa. Built in the late 19th century as the first hotel in Waikiki, the Moana opened its doors to guests in 1901, becoming the first large hotel in Waikīkī. The Moana Hotel is regarded as the flagship in Hawaiʻi tourism, and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In Hawaiian, moana means "open sea" or "ocean."

The wealthy Honolulu landowner, Walter Chamberlain Peacock, in an effort to establish a fine resort in the previously neglected Waikiki area of Honolulu, incorporated the Moana Hotel Company in 1896. Working with a design by architect Oliver G. Traphagen and $150,000 in capital, The Lucas Brothers contractors completed the structure in 1901. Construction of The Moana marked the beginning of tourism in Waikiki, becoming the first hotel amidst the bungalows and beach houses.

The Moana's architecture was influenced by European styles popular at the time, with Ionic columns and intricate woodwork and plaster detailing throughout the building. The Moana was designed with a grand porte cochere on the street side and wide lānais on the ocean side. Some of the 75 guest rooms had telephones and bathrooms (unusual at the time), and the hotel featured a billiard room, saloon, main parlor, reception area, and library. Peacock installed the first electric-powered elevator in the islands at the Moana, which is still in use today.

Design features of the original structure that survive to this day include extra-wide hallways (to accommodate steamer trunks), high ceilings, and cross-ventilation windows (to cool the rooms prior to air conditioning).

The Moana officially opened on March 11, 1901. Its first guests were a group of Shriners, who paid $1.50 per night for their rooms. Peacock did not find success with his endeavor, and sold the hotel to Alexander Young, a prominent businessman with other hotel holdings. The Young estate operated the hotel until the Matson Navigation Company bought the property in 1932 for $1.6 million.

Over the course of Matson's ownership of the Moana, it grew along with the popularity of Hawaiian tourism. Two floors were added in 1928 along with Italian Renaissance-styled concrete wings on each side of the hotel, creating its H shape seen today.

The hotel's outward appearance was altered slightly over the years, including "updates" to such designs as Art Deco in the 30's and Bauhaus in the 50's.

From 1935 to 1975, the Moana's courtyard hosted the Hawaii Calls live radio broadcast. Legend has it that listeners mistook the hiss of the radio transmission as the waves breaking on the beach. When learning of this, the host instructed the soundman to run down to the waterfront to actually record the sound, which became a staple of the show. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

Let's visit HAWAII IN THE 1930s: Royal Hawaiian Hotel and Waikiki Beach

Another image from 1930s Hawaii.


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All of the image is wonderful, but the Mainlanders on the beach at Waikiki in their street clothes are priceless. It would still be years before male tourists would be spotted in Aloha shirts, saggy butt shorts, black socks, and wing tips.

HAWAIIAN TOURISTS in the 1930s who do not have the ALOHA SPIRIT

I guess they just weren't feeling the moment.

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Jean on the other hand...

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CHARLIE ALERT: Unlike some people when they travel, Charlie always fits in with his surroundings. Wherever he goes, well that's where he is. Never awkward. Charlie blends. To see Charlie with a dumpster don't miss today's exciting post.

HAWAIIAN TOURISTS in the 1930s

They might not be wearing black socks with brown shoes, shorts, and an Aloha shirt, but these tourists from the 1930s look just as awkward. Wouldn't you like to know what they bought while on their island adventure? Did they take home any colorful clothing? I'm guessing they didn't. They look uncomfortable. How did they handle the humidity of the islands dressed like this each day?


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Did these folks trot from location to location thinking rude thoughts about the locals? I'm betting many did. The world of Hawaii was exotic and probably pretty scary to them. They went on guided tours and their mingling with locals was probably limited. It's a shame because the best part of traveling is mixing with the locals and getting a feeling for the place.

I would like to see the footage the tall man with the movie camera shot. I wonder if it still exists? What a treasure it would be to see the islands back then.

Now, take a look at this old post for three tour guides dressed very similar to the guide in this shot.

Let's hope these folks had a really great and memorable trip. And let us hope that when they returned home they often imagined the trade winds caressing their skin, the scent of ginger taking them to heaven, and warm sand between their toes. Of course, that would be if they ever actually took their sensible shoes off and walked in the sand.

Ahhhhhhh...THE SWEET LIFE

I'll admit my view of the world has been tainted by movies. Those are the images of romance I keep stored away in the filing cabinet I call my brain. There are certain movies the logical side of me says are silly, but I fall for them each time. Wishful thinking even if reality would never match what I see on the screen. It's all just storytelling, it doesn't have to be real.

Apparently one of the people in this photo felt the same. Night out on the town in Rome sometime in the late 50s to mid-60s. Most likely a tour group that had an arranged night to see the Trevi Fountain after dark. Me thinks the caption is a bit off. I don't believe Ernie is the one on the far right. Okay, maybe I'm wrong. This is the fountain that starred in Three Coins in the Fountain AND La Dolce Vita so maybe the fellow is named Dottie. Who am I to question what I see written before me.

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So I sit here working on a book in French I can't read dreaming about being in Italy. Not sure if I'd rather be in the movie Three Coins in the Fountain or La Dolce Vita so I'll post a clip from each. Whichever mood I fancy from moment to moment. Makes sense to me. It's one of those days when only my mind can leave my reality.