Hawaii State archives highlight more than 200 years of Waikiki history

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – In honor of Archives Month in October, the Hawaiʻi State Archives is showcasing more than 200 years of Waikīkī history through a series of weekly exhibits.

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Hawaiʻi State Archivist Dr. Adam Jansen joined Hawaii News Now Sunrise to discuss the exhibits exploring Waikīkī’s past and how the public can take part.

The Department of Accounting and General Services is marking the occasion this year by focusing on Waikīkī.

Jansen said this year’s theme was inspired by milestone anniversaries and the dramatic changes Waikīkī has undergone.

“We pick a theme every year, and the importance of that is we’re trying to highlight aspects of our collection people may not know. And with the Royal Hawaiian hitting 100 and the Surfrider hitting 125, Waikīkī has changed dramatically, and we wanted to help highlight: Where was it? Where is it? Where is it going?” Jansen said.

The collection spans Waikīkī’s history, from the Kingdom era to its music, art, conservation efforts and hotel development.

“We have an amazing collection featuring Waikīkī from the Kingdom era through representation and music and art, all the way through conservation efforts and the development of the hotel infrastructure there. It’s a beautiful opportunity to really look at over 200 years of Waikīkī’s history,” Jansen said.

Jansen curated the collection into five weekly online exhibits to make the materials more accessible to the public.

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“Every week through October is a different theme. It’s all going online. It all is public archives, so it belongs to the people. They can use it, they can print it, they can enjoy it. And then we’re also doing a little pop-up in the research room for those people who can come in,” Jansen said.

The exhibits represent only a small portion of the archives’ holdings, and some materials have never been seen publicly. The weekly schedule includes:

The collection offers opportunities to rediscover historical materials, including photographs and sheet music that have not been seen in generations.

“We have over 5 million photographs in our holdings,” Jansen said.

The archives also hold thousands of pieces of sheet music connected to Waikīkī. Some could inspire the rediscovery of music from the past.

The exhibits are free and available in person in the public records room on the grounds of ʻIolani Palace from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Visitors must present a physical government ID to enter.

The exhibits are also available on the Hawaii State Archives website and social media pages.

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