Although we don't know the exact date of the postcard, the publisher (Wall, Nichols & Co.) stopped production in 1912, so I suspect the card is from sometime between 1907 and 1912.
The signs on top of the car show Fort Street and Punahou on the front and Kalihi and Waikiki on the back. The initials on the front of the car stand for Hawaii Rapid Transit & Land Company, a company founded in 1898, which developed electric streetcar service in Honolulu. The streetcars ran at 10-minute intervals and helped to popularize Waikiki.
This was not the first streetcar service though. Hawaiian Tramways Limited had previously provided mule-drawn streetcars, starting in the 1880s. By 1942, the streetcar system had been completely replaced by buses.
Most cities the size of Honolulu currently have some sort of streetcar or light rail system. Honolulu doesn't, but it has plans for an elevated transit line, a proposal that has been fiercely debated for years. Honolulu just received approval from the Federal Transit Administration to commence construction, but opponents are suing to stop the project.
Help yourself. Then afterward you can go for another paddle in an outrigger canoe in front of the hotel. You can still stay at the Halekulani today. It's a lot more elegant and expensive than these cards might suggest. If you go there, you may want to stay in their royal suite, which is quite a bit larger than my house. I wonder if the personal butler does any cooking or if you have to bring your own cook.
ROYAL SUITE
The 4, 066 sq. ft Royal Suite features the ultimate in privacy, luxury and service: two bedrooms, dining room, dressing area, 2.5 bathrooms, kitchen facilities, large wraparound lanai and state-of-art entertainment enhancements including a 50" Plasma Screen and wireless portable television, A personal butler and airport limousine services are included for the Royal Suite. The furnishings and accessories are simple and classical, and celebrate the various Pacific and Asian cultures that are a part of today's Hawaiian community. The color palette is a subdued range of sunset colors that contrast with the brilliant greens and blues of the ocean, sky and landscaping just beyond the balcony.
And here are the backs of the cards in the same order.
You may think I'm just relaxing and having a good time here in Honolulu, but if you could only imagine how hard I had to work to sculpt my hair into this perfect cone. Life is not as easy here as you might imagine.
This is the Moana Hotel again, the first hotel in Waikiki. We looked at a very early photo of the hotel earlier in the week. It's very beautiful, and it hasn't changed much over the years. That may change soon. Back in the 1970s, people were alarmed at all of the high-rise hotels going up in Waikiki and concerned about encroachment on the beach itself, so height and shoreline setback requirements were adopted for the Waikiki Beach District. Currently there is a nine-story tower attached to the Moana Hotel; it hadn't been built yet when this postcard was issued. It's really not bad looking and doesn't overwhelm the historic hotel, which apart from its historic significance is surely the most beautiful building in Waikiki.
However, Kyo-Ya corporation is poised to tear down the 9-story tower and replace it with a 26-story tower, which would also encroach 60 feet into the 100-foot shoreline setback. Although the proposed building does not comply with the regulations, Honolulu City Council voted 9-0 to give them the initial go ahead. It's not over yet, but it doesn't look good. If they grant the variance, I can't imagine how they could turn down future requests. Here's a recent article from the NY Times. Be sure to scroll back up and take a look at the picture of the hotel and imagine how a 26-story tower ould look right next to it.
Here's the back of the postcard, offering free reservations by Reservatron. In the age of internet reservations, that may not sound like a big deal, but Sheraton was the first hotel chain in the world to start offering hotel reservations by telex.
A drive around the island of Oahu is a great way to spend the day. Starting out in Honolulu, you stop in Haleiwa for lunch and make additional stops to look at beautiful beaches and amazing waves. You might stop in Waimanalo for a second lunch or a snack. In many ways, the drive around the island is probably not that different from decades ago, although I'm not sure how good the roads were back then.
There are still some pristine beaches and peaceful spots, and you do still see some pineapple fields, though not as many as in the past. It used to be that it was almost a rite of passage for youth in Hawaii to work in the Dole cannery - not so much anymore. There also used to be a lot of sugar cane fields, but there aren't many at all today.
This photo from our 1920 cruise to Hawaii is labeled "On the drive around Oahu Island", but it doesn't specify where. I think it may be Waimea Bay.
Here's a view of pineapple fields, probably near Wahiawa:
Well, it may not be, but in 1966 when this photo was taken, this shopping mall was a very big deal. Remember that Joni Mitchell song, Big Yellow Taxi, with lyrics that included: "they paved paradise, put up a parking lot?" The song was inspired by a 1970 trip to Hawaii, when Mitchell woke up in the morning and looked out of her hotel window to see a huge parking lot, quite possibly this very one.
Today, with lots of other options for shopping, Ala Moana Center is still a very important shopping destination. When I lived in Hawaii many years ago (but not as early as 1966!), this is where I went to buy groceries. I also had my ears pierced at a jewelry store in the mall. Strange as it may seem, this is also where I bought my first Christmas tree as an adult. For a long time, this mall was scruffy and not a very pleasant place to be. Now it's actually quite elegant - as malls go. It still has a big ugly parking lot.
But, there is something else in the works here right now - an elevated rapid-transit system that will connect a planned new University of Hawaii campus, residential areas, the Honolulu airport, and end at Ala Moana Center. The first part of the system is scheduled to open in 2012, but it won't connect to Ala Moana center until 2019. There are also some planned extensions, including one to the University of Hawaii Manoa campus and to Waikiki. Currently, if you don't take a taxi, shuttle, or rental car from the airport to Waikiki, your only other choice is the bus, which doesn't theoretically allow luggage.
Here's a link to find out more about Honolulu Rail Transit.
Oh, by the way, Streetcar Sunday will return next week. And here's the back of the card.
A hundred years ago people were going to Pali Lookout near Honolulu, Hawaii to enjoy the view. Today, people still go there and the view is not so different.
But back then you could park your 1917 Cadillac right on the road AND leave the doors open. I wouldn't suggest doing that now. Now you can pay for parking in the lot. The road over the Nu'uanu Pali was first developed in 1845, and later improved to become a highway. That old Pali Highway is now a trail, and has been replaced by a new Pali Highway with tunnels.
In addition to its status as a scenic lookout, the Pali is also the site of one of the bloodiest Hawaiian battles, when King Kamehameha and his army forced the Oahu army off the cliffs. When the first Pali Highway was under construction, hundreds of skulls from this conflict were unearthed.
The view from the Pali lookout has always been green and lush. Back in the 1920s, the view was of farmland:
Now the view includes some houses, but no farmland.
P.S. I have sent Hawaii postcards to all those who requested them (except for Dorin, who had a difficult special request.) You can still request a card if you send me your mailing address here by tomorrow.
It's the second day of our cruise to Hawaii, and today we're going to spend some more time on Waikiki Beach. You can see Diamond Head, the extinct volcano, in the background and the outrigger canoes in the foreground.
The water is warm and the sand is white. Although there are lots of high-rise hotels and condo buildings in Waikiki now, back then much of the land surrounding Waikiki Beach was still a marshy area devoted to fish and duck ponds and taro patches.
However, the Honolulu Aquarium was already open in 1904, so we'll head over there and look at some of the fish and deep-sea animals they have on display.
It's now called the Waikiki Aquarium, but it still has high-quality displays. It's right along the beach near the Honolulu Zoo, both great places to stop, especially if you are traveling with kids.
Here is some early footage of surfers at Waikiki Beach. it's interesting, but not high-action:
As early as 1908, passengers could travel by ship from the west coast of the United States to Hawaii. In the 20s and 30s, the few accommodations that were available on the islands offered elegant accommodations. Outside the splendor of the hotels, Hawaii also offered an unspoiled tropical paradise.
Over the next few days I will post some old photos from an unknown person's cruise to Hawaii. I am estimating that it is about 1920, because one of the photos includes a 1917 Cadillac touring car.
Here we are arriving at the Honolulu Harbor.
Actually, we're probably really departing, since it says Aloha Oe - Honolulu on the bottom. Aloha Oe (or Farewell to Thee) is Queen Lili'uokalani's most famous song, which she wrote in 1877. In any case, let's pretend we are arriving, since this is where we would have arrived on a 1920 cruise to Hawaii.
There's a lot of scaffolding on the building there to the left, the one surrounded by all the people who are either greeting us or seeing us off. That was probably the early beginnings of the Aloha Tower and its surrounding buildings. The Aloha Tower was completed in 1926. it would have made a great addition to this photo if it had been completed. Here's what the Aloha Tower looks like today (sort of):
Well, this is actually a cocktail glass. The little bendy straw goes in the top. If you went to the Tower Grill at the Aloha Tower a few years ago, you could look out over the water, watch the huge cruise ships coming in, and enjoy a cocktail served in this replica of the tower. I don't know where you'd get one now though, because the Tower Grill closed in 2007. Anyway, back to our cruise agenda...
On our first day In Hawaii on this 1920 cruise, we head straight to the famous Moana Hotel, which opened in 1901 on Waikiki Beach. The Moana Hotel was owned by Matson Lines, which also owns the ship that brought us here. We would start out by learning how to paddle in an outrigger canoe with a native instructor. Cecil refuses to join us, and insists on remaining fully dressed with suit jacket, bow tie, and hat, watching us from the pier. He is happy to join us for cocktails afterward though, as we are soothed by Hawaiian music and hula dancing.
I don't often include video clips, but I really think these are phenomenal. The first one talks about cruise travel to Hawaii during that golden age (a little later than our time frame.)
And here's a very charming clip from a movie (Airborne Sergeant) with Gracie Allen and Eleanor Powell, enjoying a cruise to Honolulu. It's also from a number of years later, but I'm guessing it has all the flavor of the earlier cruises to Hawaii.
As I mentioned, I'm in Hawaii this week. If you would like a postcard from Hawaii (a new one or a reproduction of an old one), let me know and I'll send you one. The offer's only good until November 7, 1910 though. You can email me your mailing address here. Karin, you'll get one in any case; wish you were here!
Here are three postcards from Lahaina on the island of Maui. The first one is perhaps a little earlier than the second, based on the cars, but both were produced by the same company at about the same time, both showing the Pioneer Hotel.
You can still stay at the hotel, which is now called the Lahaina Inn.
And here is an aerial view of Lahaina. There is quite a bit of additional development now, but in many ways it's not that different.
Here are the backs of the cards in the same order as above:
Well, you might not be off to Hawaii, but I am. Don't feel bad though. The architect who steals my covers is staying home too to slave away at work and rake up autumn leaves.
I am actually taking work with me, but I expect that most of my time will be spent with handsome Hawaiian men ferrying me about in outrigger canoes and lovely native maidens decorating me with leis. O.K., maybe not, but I intend to enjoy sunshine and warm weather in any case. During the next week, I'll post a number of vintage Hawaiian cards and photos.
Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.
If you subscribed or bought a Hearst Sunday newspaper on December 27, 1903, you would have received this free postcard supplement. Then you could have cut them apart and mailed them off to friends and relatives telling them how much you loved the Christmas gifts they sent you.
They were printed on regular paper, not card stock, but the postal service was so gentle back then that I'm sure they arrived in good shape. I have more of these from 1903 and 1904, but Hearst made them as late as 1907. Here's the back side of the cards.
Here's a photo of my Dad in Rotterdam in 1953 at the age of 18, setting off for a new life in the United States. With little money and no family in the US, he made his way with the help of a sponsoring family, the Karminskys. The Karminskys had escaped Nazi persecution by first fleeing Germany for Czechoslovakia and then eventually ending up in the United States. I have some Karminsky postcards I will also post some time.
My father settled in Chicago, joined the U.S. Army and was sent to Korea. After returning from the Korean War, he enrolled at the University of Chicago, where he earned an MBA and met my mother.
So, what is my father doing today - this very day, in fact? At the age of 75, he is competing in his 5th Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii. The triathlon consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run (full marathon.) This will be a tough one, especially because of training interruptions in the last few months for two hernia surgeries and Achilles tendinitis. Oh, and one week before the race he took a header over the handlebars of his bike when a mail truck stopped suddenly in front of him. The crash broke his helmet and sent him on an ambulance ride to the emergency room, but still he persists. I'm not always sure why - but we will certainly do our part to support him with athletic champagne toasts. Go Dad!
Here is a more recent photo:
Today is Sepia Saturday and a great opportunity to get a glimpse of some fascinating family histories.
Never mind the leis, I'd like to have his vintage shirt, please.
There are still lei sellers at the Honolulu Airport, selling some very beautiful leis. If you're flying out of Honolulu, leave a little extra time to go to the outdoor lei sellers. It's just a quick walk outside the terminal. The quality is better and the prices are lower than what you would pay inside the airport.
Hawaii is a beautiful place, so it seems inexcusable to create ugly pictures of the islands, but there are lots of them:
The fact that the cars are now considered vintage makes them more interesting, but let's face it, this is a postcard of a parking lot in front of a motel. This postcard is from the Hilo Motel on the Big Island. The one below is from the Maui Palms Hotel.
The last one is a view of Kailua, Kona on the Big Island. There's a lot to see there, but you wouldn't know it from the postcard.
Here we have the Moana Hotel in Waikiki, circa 1956. It was the first hotel to be built in Waikiki, opening its doors in 1901.
And there it is again, circa 1967:
There was a building boom in Honolulu starting in about 1955 when plans were finalized to build a 12,000 foot runway at the airport, allowing passenger jets to bring more visitors to Hawaii. After all, those visitors would need hotel rooms and places to shop. There was so much construction in the following years that people used to joke that Hawaii's state bird was the construction crane.
Today is Kamehameha Day, a public holiday in the State of Hawaii (or Hawai'i.) It honors King Kamehameha, who first established the Kingdom of Hawaii, uniting the eight islands. One of the most important traditions of the holiday is the draping of the statue of King Kamehameha with lots of 25-foot long floral tributes, which are created on site by volunteers throughout the day. There are also parades, hula competitions and other events.
This photo and the next one were brought back from Hawaii by our favorite mailman, John Korinek, when he was stationed at Fort DeRussy in Honolulu after WWII. (Click here to see the previous post on John the Mailman.) So, this photo would probably from 1946 or 1947. The angle is a little strange, especially as King K. looks as if he has an extra head dress made from a palm tree.
The second photo is of Waikiki Beach, very crowded but missing the big hotels that are there now. I can only imagine that the beach crowd is related to the military presence.
The 300-room Alexander Young Hotel was built in 1902 at a cost of $2 million (initially, it had just under 200 rooms.) The hotel was built by Alexander Young, who came to Hawaii from Blackburn, Scotland in 1865. Mr. Young invested in sugar plantations and eventually became president of the Waiakea Mill Co. He also bought the famous Moana Hotel in Waikiki and the original Royal Hawaiian Hotel (which was not in Waikiki, but instead at Hotel and Richards Streets near the Iolani Palace.)
Alexander Young became a citizen of the Kingdom of Hawaii and served in the House of Nobles between 1887-1892. He also served on an advisory council for the Provisional Government after the overthrow of the Kingdom.
The Young Hotel was used by the military in both World Wars. During WWI, the U.S. Army used the second floor. During WWII, the military occupied most of the hotel. In 1964, the hotel was converted to offices. In 1980, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which did nothing to protect it from demolition the following year. Too bad. While it may not have been a spectacular building, it was definitely an important part of Honolulu's history. Here's a drawing of the lobby by the architect. And here's the back of the card:
A heartfelt thanks and farewell to my readers. My last post (the thousand and first!) will be on November 7, 2012. The blog will remain online, but there won't be any new posts as I need to make time for other things. There is a chance I'll be back, but if so it won't be for awhile. I hope you'll take the time to peruse the archives.
How To Find Things
There's treasure in the archives, so here's how to browse and find what you want:
1. Enter a search word or phrase in the box below - anything from Princess Grace to Prohibition or Graf Zeppelin.
2. Or, go down to the bottom of the page and browse the "Cloud of Tags". The number next to the tag indicates how many posts have that tag. Clicking on it will bring up all of them. (I realize now that it doesn't always bring up all of them. If there are a lot, then it will only bring up the most recent ones, but if you click on older posts at the bottom then it will bring up more.)
3. You can also go through the archives by date. Just click on the triangle next to the year or month to open the list.
I love antique postcards because they preserve evidence of everyday life as well as celebrations and sad events. Looking at an old postcard is like holding a single piece of a puzzle; we have to imagine the rest.
I will try to put up a postcard every day. If you have a special request for a particular city or place, let me know!
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