Iolani Palace | Page 6 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

February 21, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Timeline Tuesday … 1870s

Today’s ‘Timeline Tuesday’ takes us through the 1870s –first Kamehameha Day, Reciprocity Agreement, Lili‘uokalani writes Aloha ‘Oe and Iolani Palace is started. We look at what was happening in Hawai‘i during this time period and what else was happening around the rest of the world.

A Comparative Timeline illustrates the events with images and short phrases. This helps us to get a better context on what was happening in Hawai‘i versus the rest of the world. I prepared these a few years ago for a planning project. (Ultimately, they never got used for the project, but I thought they might be on interest to others.)

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September 7, 2016 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

ʻIolani Palace Lanterns

King Kalākaua was the first ruling Monarch to tour of the world; in doing so, he made good on his motto, and motivation, proclaimed at his accession, ‘Hoʻoulu Lahui!’- (Increase the Nation!)

“(T)he King goes but for the good of his people, to make the country richer by getting more capital and people to come this way. … So the King this time takes with him a Commissioner to enquire into and bring other people of brown skins here to re-people these isles.” (Kapena)

The King and others were concerned about the declining Hawaiian population in the Islands. “The King himself would be only so in name if he had no people to rule. The King will not rest until his hope of re-peopling these isles has been fulfilled.” (Kapena)

Leaving January 20, 1881 on the Oceanic and arriving back in the Islands October 29, 1881 (nine months and nine days later,) Kalākaua travelled to the US, Japan, China, Siam, Burma, India, Egypt, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

Kalākaua wanted to gain recognition for his kingdom and learn how other monarchs ruled. He believed the best way to conclude diplomatic relations with foreign countries was to understand their customs.

In Japan, “On the day following their arrival, the royal party were escorted to the Imperial Theatre, Shintomiza. Twenty-eight carriages were required to take the train of Imperial Princes and Princesses, and high dignitaries, who formed the escort of His Majesty the King.”

“One thousand globe shaped lanterns were displayed in front of and around the theatre; and each one had the Imperial Japanese flag, and the Royal Hawaiian standard painted on them. Every walk, and every tree in the spacious theatre garden was hung with illuminated globes, every corridor and lobby was lined with them …”

“… and the interior of the theatre was in a blaze of light. It was estimated that over 3000 of these brilliant illuminated lanterns decorated the great theatre, and were an especial display, marvellous even to Japanese eyes, in honor of King Kalakaua’s visit.” (King Kalākaua’s Tour Round the World, PC Advertiser, 1881)

“When the King and his suite visited the Enriokwan Mansion, in a grand park, in Tokio, the grounds were illuminated by over 4,000 Japanese globe lanterns; and the King and suite were robed in very rich Japanese court costumes, provided expressly for this occasion.” (King Kalākaua’s Tour Round the World, PC Advertiser, 1881)

Following his trip, “King Kalākaua gave a grand ball at the royal palace Ball (in honor of the Prince and Princess Henri de Bourbon of Austria) …. The palace was beautifully decorated with festoons of Chinese lanterns, so thickly that it appeared to be almost covered with them.” (Daily Alta California, November 2, 1889)

“Every approach to the palace presented a scene of gorgeous resplendence. The illumination of the building and grounds has never been surpassed in style or degree.”

“From basement to battlements on every side the noble pile was profusely hung with rows of colored lanterns, festooned and straight but never departing from artistic symmetry…”

“There was a great crush of people in the throne room and main hall at the height of the reception, yet the procession past the royal dais flowed on in remarkably good order, the return stream of observed ones mingling with the throng of observers round the apartment. The band played throughout the ceremony.”

“Every approach to the palace presented a scene of gorgeous resplendence. The illumination of the building and grounds has never been surpassed in style or degree. From basement to battlements on every side the noble pile was profusely hung with rows of colored lanterns, festooned and straight but never departing from artistic symmetry.”

“These myriad lights were interspersed with the glittering rays from the permanent rose-shaped incandescent lamps on the outer walls, every door and window poured forth a welcoming glow from the electric crystal chandeliers richly bestowed within.”

“The paths in the grounds were lined, the trees and shrubbery decked, with hundreds of colored lanterns closely ranged in right lines and curves, all with such consummate art as to yield an effect of exquisite harmony to every point of vision.” (Daily Bulletin, October 24, 1889)

“The Palace grounds were lit up with torches and the front of the lower veranda was illuminated with lanterns in colors of white, green and red.” (Ball in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Claus Spreckels, August 7, 1885 – Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 8/8/85)

Lili‘uokalani continued the lantern tradition, “O ke kahua oloko o ka pa, ua hookauluwela ia e ua kuikui he mau haneri o na waihooluu like ole i hookuene akamai ia a lilo i mau nanaina maikai.” (The enclosed area within the fence was aglow with many hundreds of lanterns of different colors that were artistically arranged creating a wondrous sight to behold.) (Ball given by Lili‘uokalani – Nupepa Kuokoa, March 1892)

Friends of ʻIolani Palace continue the tradition – ʻIolani Palace and its grounds are often decorated with lanterns harking back to the time of Hawai‘i’s monarchy. (ʻIolani Palace)

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February 12, 2016 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

The Crowning

Although Kalākaua had been elected and serving as King since 1874, upon returning from a trip around the world, in 1883, it was determined that Hawaiʻi’s King should also be properly crowned.

“ʻIolani Palace, the new building of that name, had been completed the previous year, and a large pavilion had been erected immediately in front of it for the celebration of the coronation. This was exclusively for the accommodation of the royal family …”

“… but there was adjacent thereto a sort of (coronation pavilion and amphitheater,) capable of holding ten thousand persons, intended for the occupation of the people.” (Liliʻuokalani)

On Monday, February 12, 1883, the imposing ceremony of the Coronation of their Majesties the King and Queen of the Hawaiian Islands took place at ʻIolani Palace.

The weather for the three previous days had been anything but favorable, it having rained incessantly during that time more especially on Saturday night. The roof of the amphitheatre not proving impervious to the drenching rain, it was made so by an additional covering of corrugated iron, all of which was put on betwixt a.m. and a.m. on Monday.

At break of day change of weather occurred. The sun shone forth with its wonted brilliancy. The reeds were spread over the line of march, and by o’clock the school children were marching towards the rendezvous.

At the appointed hour the procession started, and entering the Palace gates, the schools and societies took up the respective positions assigned to them.

“The Honorable President of the Legislative Assembly then took the King’s Crown and raised it up before the people and placed It In the hands of the Chancellor, saying : ‘I present this Crown to the rightful King of these Islands, approved by Acts of the Legislative Assembly in the Legislature of the Kingdom assembled of the years 1880 and 1882.’”

“The Chancellor then placed it in the King’s hands, saying: ‘Receive this Crown of pure gold to adorn the high station wherein thou hast been placed.’”

“The King then raised up the Crown and placed it upon his head.”

“The Chancellor then took the second Crown and placed it in the King’s hands, who rose and placed it upon the Queen’s head, who reverently bowed her head on receiving it, the King saying: ‘I place this Crown upon your head, to share the honors of my throne.’”

“The Crown is composed of a fillet or band of gold one inch in width, set, on each edge, with 192 small diamonds. Midway in the fillet set many rubies, save at the back, where there are set in the place of the emeralds and rubies 6 kukui nut jewels of a deep reddish black, highly polished.”

“At the front and back, and on each side, the fillet is surmounted by a golden Maltese cross, in the arms of which are set forty-eight diamonds, each arm having three. In the center of the cross in front of the crown is a magnificent diamond of about six carats weight, and on the sides others a little smaller.”

“A splendid carbuncle glows in the center of the cross at the back. Between the crosses are short curved bars forming twelve points, from which spring taro leaves in frosted gold, beautifully veined, and each on holding a diamond in its center.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, February 17, 1883)

“The taro leaf motifs adorning the crown’s fillet referenced the chief as the source of life. They denoted the role and responsibility of the chief as the progenitor of the people and the land, the chief’s descent from the gods, and the divine course of life.” (Kamehiro)

“Between the points are set twelve other fine diamonds. Springing from the fillet, over the crimson velvet cap of maintenance are eight bars of gold, whose surfaces are studded with half-round knobs, as in the crown of France.”

“These eight bars diminish in width, and finally unite at the base of globe of dark red enamel. These eight bars are emblematical of the union of islands of the group under one rule.”

“The globe that they uphold is banded horizontally with a circle of pearls, and another like band passes over the upper of the globe. Surmounting the whole is a golden Maltese cross, in which set four brilliant diamonds.”

“The Queen’s crown is precisely similar, except that it a trifle smaller. Each crown contains 521 diamonds, 54 pearls, 20 opals, 8 emeralds, 1 large carbuncle, and 6 kukui jewels.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, February 17, 1883)

In addition to the Western-style style crown, he received a sword, ring and scepter; Kalākaua was also presented with traditional items belonging to ruling Hawaiian chiefs: the feather cloak of Kamehameha I, the kāhili (standard) of Pili, and the pūloʻuloʻu (kapu stick) and lei palaoa (whale tooth pendant.)

A couple days later (February 14, 1883,) Kalākaua unveiled the King Kamehameha statue on the grounds of Aliʻiolani Hale (now the home of Hawaiʻi’s State Supreme Court.)

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Mrs. Lahilahi Webb (1862-1949) setting up the royal crowns-PP-37-1-012-1936

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January 21, 2015 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Charles John Wall

Charles John Wall was born in Dublin, Ireland, on December 23, 1827. He married Elizabeth Evans (Miller) Wall; they had 10-children: Thomas E Wall; Emily Wall; Charles Wall; William Albert Wall; Henry Wall; Walter (Walt) Eugene Wall; Arthur Frederick Wall; Alford Wall; Ormand E Wall and Alice Wall

In 1880, the family came to Honolulu by way of California. Wall (and some of his children) left some important legacies in Hawaiʻi. Charles was an important nineteenth century Honolulu architect, some of the buildings he designed are still here; several have been lost, but not forgotten.

Charles J Wall participated, or led the design of ʻIolani Palace, Kaumakapili Church, Lunalilo Home and the Music Hall/Opera House.

ʻIolani Palace

The design and construction of the ʻIolani Palace took place from 1879 through 1882; three architects were involved: Thomas J Baker, Charles J Wall and Isaac Moore. The Baker design generally held in the final work.

A quarrel broke out between Baker, Samuel C Wilder (Minister of the Interior) and the Superintendent of Public Works. Shortly after the cornerstone was laid on December 31, 1879; Baker apparently ended his connection with the Palace.

He was succeeded by Wall, who had recently arrived in the Islands and was “employed to make the detail drawings from the first architect’s plans.”

According to the March 31, 1880 Hawaiian Gazette, Wall had “skillfully modified and improved” some of the objectionable features of the original design. (Peterson) Wall was succeeded by Isaac Moore after about nine months.

ʻIolani Palace was the official residence of both King Kalākaua and Queen Lili‘uokalani. After the overthrow of the monarchy, ʻIolani Palace became the government headquarters for the Provisional Government, Republic, Territory and State of Hawai‘i.

During WWII, it served as the temporary headquarters for the military governor in charge of martial law in the Hawaiian Islands. Government offices vacated the Palace in 1969 and moved to the newly constructed capitol building on land adjacent to the Palace grounds.

Click HERE for a Link to additional information on ʻIolani Palace:

Kaumakapili Church

Starting in 1837, “the common Hawaiian folk of Honolulu” started petitioning Rev. Hiram Bingham, head of the Hawaiian Mission, to establish a second church or mission in Honolulu (Kawaiahaʻo being the first.)

It started as a thatched-roof adobe structure erected in 1839 on the corner of Smith and Beretania Streets. The adobe building was torn down in 1881 to make way for a new brick edifice.

King Kalākaua took great interest in the church and wanted an imposing church structure with two steeples. His argument was, “…that as a man has two arms, two eyes, two ears, two legs, therefore, a church ought to have two steeples.”

The cornerstone for the new church was laid on September 2, 1881 by Princess Liliʻuokalani (on her birthday.) Seven years later the new building was completed.

It was an imposing landmark, first of its kind, and visible to arriving vessels and land travelers. It was dedicated on Sunday, June 10, 1888. In January, 1900, disaster struck. The Chinatown fire engulfed the entire building leaving only the brick walls standing.

On May 7, 1910, the congregation broke ground for the third church building. It was dedicated on June 25, 1911, the same day in which the 89th Annual Conference of the Hawaiian Evangelical Association (ʻAha Paeʻaina) was hosted by the church.

Click HERE for a Link to additional information on Kaumakapili Church:

Lunalilo Home

The coronation of William Charles Lunalilo took place at Kawaiahaʻo Church in a simple ceremony on January 9, 1873. He was to reign as King for one year and twenty-five days, succumbing to pulmonary tuberculosis on February 3, 1874.

His estate included large landholdings on five major islands, consisting of 33 ahupuaʻa, nine ‘ili and more than a dozen home lots. His will established a perpetual trust under the administration of three trustees to be appointed by the justices of the Hawaiian Supreme Court.

Lunalilo was the first of the large landholding aliʻi to create a charitable trust for the benefit of his people. The purpose of his trust was to build a home to accommodate the poor, destitute and infirm people of Hawaiian (aboriginal) blood or extraction, with preference given to older people.

In 1879 the land for the first Lunalilo Home was granted to the estate by the Hawaiian government and consisted of 21 acres in Kewalo, near the present Roosevelt High School.

The construction of the first Lunalilo Home at that site was paid for by the sale of estate lands. The Home was completed in 1883 to provide care for 53 residents. An adjoining 39 acres for pasture and dairy was conveyed by the legislative action to the Estate in 1888.

After 44 years, the Home in Kewalo (mauka) had deteriorated and became difficult and costly to maintain. The trustees located a new 20-acre site in Maunalua on the slopes of Koko Head.

Click HERE for a Link to additional information on Lunalilo:

Music Hall – Opera House

In 1881, a Music Hall was built across the street from ʻIolani Palace, where Ali‘i regularly joined the audiences at performances. Queen Lili‘uokalani is even said to have written her own opera. (Ferrar) It was built by the Hawaiian Music Hall Association.

The building was first called the Music Hall, but shortly after its transfer to new owners, the name was changed to the Royal Hawaiian Opera House. (Daily Bulletin, February 12, 1895)

Despite its name, the Opera House was not primarily a venue for classical entertainment. Many of its bookings were melodramas and minstrel shows, two very popular forms of theater at the time. Then, it was the first house to show moving pictures in Hawaiʻi.

The building was of brick 120 by 60 feet on the ground floor and walls forty feet high and twenty inches thick. The front door was ten feet wide, opening into a vestibule 16 by 27 feet. The seating capacity of the house was 671 persons. The stage was forty feet deep and provided with a complete set of scenery, traps and all necessary paraphernalia. (Hawaiian Star, February 12, 1895)

“Originally there were two (private) boxes. One on the right of the stage looking out was regarded as the property of the late King Kalākaua, who had subscribed liberally to the stock of the Association. The box on the opposite side was owned by the present proprietors, Messrs. Irwin & Spreckels. About two years ago two boxes wore opened above those mentioned for letting to whomever first applied for thorn on any occasion.” (Daily Bulletin, February 12, 1895)

Click HERE for a Link to additional information on the Opera House:

Wall died at Honolulu on December 26, 1884.

The image shows some of Wall’s designs – ʻIolani Palace, Kaumakapili Church, Lunalilo Home and the Opera House. In addition, I have added others similar images in a folder of like name in the Photos section on my Facebook and Google+ pages.

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November 16, 2012 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

King Kalākaua

David Laʻamea Kamanakapuʻu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua was born in Honolulu to High Chief Kahana Kapaʻakea and the High Chiefess Analea Keohokālole, on November 16, 1836.

Per the custom of the times, he was hānai (adopted) by the chiefess Haʻaheo Kaniu, who took him to Maui, where the court of King Kamehameha III was located. When Kalākaua was four, he returned to Oʻahu to begin his education at the Royal School.

There, he became fluent in English and the Hawaiian language. At 16, he began studying law (although his obligations and positions he held prevented him from fully completing his legal training.)

By 1856, Kalākaua was on the staff of King Kamehameha IV. In addition to his military duties, Kalākaua served in the Department of the Interior; in 1863, he was appointed postmaster general.

In December 1872, King Kamehameha V died without designating an heir and per the law, an election was held to determine his successor. Kalākaua made his first bid for Hawaiʻi’s throne in 1873.

The kingdom’s Constitution stated if the monarch dies before naming a successor “such vacancy, shall cause a meeting of the Legislative Assembly, who shall elect by ballot some native Alii of the Kingdom as Successor”.

They were presented with two choices: Kalākaua, who ran on a campaign slogan of “Hawaii for Hawaiians” and William C. Lunalilo.

Lunalilo won; but he died a year later, leaving no successor. On February 12, 1874, nine days after the passing of King Lunalilo, an election was held between the repeat candidate David Kalākaua and Queen Emma – widow of King Kamehameha IV. Kalākaua won.

The triumphant Kalākaua toured the islands, stopping in every district to affirm his primary goals. “To the planters, he affirmed that his primary goal was the advance of commerce and agriculture, and that he was about to go in person to the United States to push for a reciprocity treaty. To his own people, he promised renewal of Hawaiian culture and the restoration of their franchise.” (Tabrah)

The Treaty of Reciprocity-1875 between the US and the Kingdom of Hawai‘i eliminated the major trade barrier to Hawai‘i’s closest and major market. Through the treaty, the US gained Pearl Harbor and Hawai‘i’s sugar (and other) planters received duty-free entry into US markets.

Under Kalākaua’s direction, the cornerstone for ʻIolani Palace was laid on December 31, 1879. Construction was completed in 1882; in December of that year Kalākaua moved into his palace with his wife, Queen Kapi’olani, the granddaughter of King Kaumuali’i of Kauaʻi.

Kalākaua was the first Hawaiʻi sovereign to visit the United States, as well as circumnavigate the globe (he did that twice.) His travels were to study the matter of immigration and to improve foreign relations. He also wanted to study how other rulers ruled.

He sought closer ties with Japan, and in 1883, Kapena (selected for the diplomatic mission to Japan) delivered a speech in Tokyo in which he declared that “His Majesty [Kalākaua] believes that the Japanese and Hawaiian spring from one cognate race and this enhances his love for you.” (Kuykendall)

” … Hawaii holds out her loving hand and heart to Japan and desires that your people may come and cast in their lots with ours and repeople our Island Home with a race which may blend with ours and produce a new and vigorous nation.” (Kuykendall)

Kalākaua had a passion for music, dancing, parties and the finest food and drinks and he lived up to the title of Merrie Monarch (a reference some suggest is linked to the nickname given to Charles II of England, who ruled (and partied) in the mid-1600s.)

His friend, Robert Louis Stevenson described Kalākaua as “a cultured intellectual of unusual mental powers.” A poet and lyricist, athlete and consummate politician, he was responsible for initiating the resurgence of Hawaiian cultural arts, particularly hula.

Kalākaua was a staunch supporter of native Hawaiian civil rights. In part, this led to a rebellion in 1887 forcing him to sign a new constitution relinquishing his powers as head of state and relegated him to a figurehead; it also imposed a fairly high property ownership qualification on those running for the new legislature. This new constitution became known as the Bayonet Constitution.

Two years later, Kalākaua retired to Waikīkī. His health began to fail by 1890 and under the advice of his physician he traveled to San Francisco, where he was given a warm welcome. “A title was a title, and (the Americans) enjoyed him as a personality.” (Tabrah))

He died on January 20, 1891, at the age 54, at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Kalākaua, Hawaiʻi’s last King, is said to have uttered his last words: “Tell my people I tried.”

Because he and his wife Queen Kapiʻolani did not have any children, his sister, Liliʻuokalani succeeded him to the Hawaiian throne. (Kalākaua was known as a Renaissance Man and into technology – those are the subjects of future stories.) I have added other images of Kalākaua in a folder of like name in the Photos section on my Facebook page.

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