Vintage Hawaii
— By Robert Firpo-Cappiello
1 / 8 Photos
"Kodak Hula Show," Postcard by the Curt Teich Company, circa 1940The fabulous outdoor show at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki was a look at the islands through the beauty of the hula performed by local dancers. It was started in the 1930s by Fritz Herman, then vice president and manager of Kodak Hawaii, who wanted to give tourists a chance to photograph the hula in daylight.
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Menu cover from the Lurline, by Frank Macintosh, circa 1930sThe Matson Navigation Company operated several luxurious steam liners during the golden age of travel to Hawaii when cruise ships and Pan Am Clippers brought tourists to the islands. Frank Macintosh created a series of six menu covers for the Lurline.
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"Lei Maker," by Gill, circa 1930sGill, whose first name is unknown, arrived in Hawaii in the 1930s, when artists such as Frank Oda, Ted Mundroff, and Tip Freeman had set up studios in Honolulu. They used an airbrush technique, as did Gill, who created a series of art deco depictions of his impressions of island life.
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Poster for the McNeil & Libby Co., by Laffety, 1957Pineapple and sugarcane were traditionally the main crops on the Hawaiian Islands. The McNeil & Libby Company cultivated large plantations and shipped canned pineapple all over the globe. Today there are no more canneries operating in Hawaii, but the fruit is still grown here and marketed worldwide.
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Hand-colored postcard, by the Curt Teich Company, circa 1930sPhotographer Curt Teich was one of the pioneers of postcard publishing. The Curt Teich Company operated from 1898 to 1978 as the world's largest printer of view and advertising postcards. Pictured here is a classic photograph of a shoreline that was hand colored to suggest a sunset. Prior to the invention of color film, hand coloring was common and an art form in its own right.
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Cover of Paradise of the Pacific, artist unknown, 1934Paradise of the Pacific, a periodical founded in Honolulu in 1888, enjoyed a substantial readership in North America and internationally. The magazine featured articles on history, art, and politics and sought to promote Hawaii as a tourist destination and a place for investment. It survives today as Honolulu Magazine and caters to local residents.
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Music sheet cover, artist unknown, 1920sQueen Lili'uokalani (1838-1917), the last Hawaiian monarch, wrote "Aloha Oe," a farewell song inspired by the sight of two people slowly and affectionately bidding each other good-bye. The year was 1878. Twenty years later, she used this song as a farewell to Hawaii, which lost its independence and was annexed by the United States.
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"Outrigger & Diamond Head," Postcard by Kodachrome, 1951This postcard features many of the icons that are associated with Oahu: palm trees, the Pacific Ocean, a sandy beach, a surfer with a wooden longboard, an outrigger canoe, and Diamond Head in the background—only hula girls are missing! Millions of copies were printed throughout the 1950s and mailed around the globe.
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