Amelia Earhart at the Royal 1934 - Photo Courtesy of Matson Navigation Company Archives
In this era when virtually all of Hawaii's visitors arrive by air, it is easy to forget that less that 100 years ago the only way to visit the Hawaiian Islands was by sea. Most of those visitors arrived on ships owned and operated by the Matson Navigation Company. From the 1920s to 1960s a fleet of Matson Lines cruise ships, the most famous being the S.S. Lurline, traveled from the mainland to Hawaii. Matson was instrumental in the development of tourism to Hawaii and the South Pacific.
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Waikiki's iconic "Pink Palace," was built by Matson Navigation Company to provide luxury accommodations to its passengers and insure their comfort both afloat and ashore. The Royal Hawaiian has seen many famous guests since its opening in 1927 and many of their visits were documented both onboard ship and at the hotel by Matson photographers.
Those photographs are an invaluable treasure that allows us to look back in history to an era long past and at celebrities who have long ago left us.
One of the Royal Hawaiian's most famous guests would have celebrated her 113th birthday last Saturday, July 24, 2010. Her name is Amelia Earhart. Ms. Earhart visited Hawaii on two occasions from December 22, 1934 to January 11, 1935 and March 18 - 20, 1937. Arriving by sea, her first visit culminated by her record breaking solo flight from Honolulu to Oakland.
Her second visit was by air at the end of the first leg of her intended east to west trip around the world. The trip, however, was aborted when her plane encountered mechanical problems on takeoff from Honolulu. It would be Ms. Earhart's last visit to Hawaii. Her next attempt to fly around the world would be from west to east. Her plane was lost on July 2, 1937 en-route from Lae, New Guinea to Howland Island, in the South Pacific.
The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort has partnered with Matson Navigation Archives to present a collection of recently discovered and rarely seen photographs of aviatrix Amelia Earhart, documenting her time in Hawaii.
The opening of the exhibit coincided with the anniversary of her birthday on July 24. The photos will be on display in the resort's Coronet Lounge until the end of the year. The collection includes 65 black and white photographs that document Amelia Earhart and her Lockheed Vega, a red high wing monoplane (identification on wing NR-965-Y) on Matson Lines S.S. Lurline passenger ship and in Hawaii.
Earhart and her Lockheed Vega were transported on the S.S. Lurline from Los Angeles to Honolulu December 22, 1934 and arrived in Honolulu at Aloha Tower five days later on December 27 with her husband George Putnam and technical expert Paul Mantz. Although she was planning her solo flight across the Pacific from Honolulu to Oakland, the aviatrix also vacationed in Waikiki and was photographed relaxing at The Royal Hawaiian, having tea in a kimono robe and even sharing a pineapple with Duke Kahanamoku.
Visitors to Waikiki will have a unique opportunity to step back in time as they view this unique collection for what may be the only time. The Royal Hawaiian is located on the beach in the heart of Waikiki. Read about more about the hotel and their recent $85 million renovation and redesign.