Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Aloha

Great vintage graphic from Hawaii

So over Easter holiday my husband and I decided last minute to fly to Hawaii....specifically the island of Kauai.  Neither of us had been to Hawaii before and since we live so close to Los Angeles....why not hop a flight and go!  I will dedicate many more posts to this trip as I saw so much beautiful food and landscapes.  Will definitely be cooking some items soon with inspiration from the island....in the meantime I found these old photos intriguing.....I intend to keep researching the indigenous people, food, settlement and surf culture from Hawaii.


This image shows young Hawaiian girls at a lu'au dipping into pots of poi and such.  I didn't try poi while in Kauai but do like Taro chips.....

This young girl is wearing a maile lei and a skirt of kapa (mulberry bark cloth.)  Apparently the Hawaiian population began to dwindle drastically from the time of Western contact in the late 1700's.  The near loss was reversed with a renaissance in the late 1970's and early 80's.  A look at what might have been lost in this photo of a beautiful native.

Music played a vital role in the Hawaiian culture.  Drums and other percussive instruments were used exclusively in original Hawaiian music, but western style instruments were adopted in the 19th century.  Now the guitar, ukulele and bass are part of the foundation of Hawaiian music.

Showing what a well dressed beachgoer would wear in this day, Miss McQueen wears a one piece wool (yes wool!) suit, tight cap and laced up shoes.....totally uncomfortable.  This photo is taken in front of where the Royal Hawaiian Hotel would be constructed a few years later.

This image is of the Kahanamoku brothers, the most famous brother was Duke (far right), who helped make surfing popular throughout the world.

Picture of Tom Blake a major innovator for surfing.  Basically he redesigned the surfboard to what we are familar with today, a hallow board that is lighter and faster then the heavy wooden ones.  I was amazed at how big some of the boards were.....few know that I learned to surf while working as a lifeguard in Myrtle Beach, SC.  My first board was a fun shaped board....

2 comments:

  1. where can i buy this last poster

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    1. I am sorry to say, I really don't know! I bought all these postcards in a coffee shop in Hanalei Bay, HI (near Princeville.) I am sure you could search for "Tom Blake" images on the internet and possibly find it.

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