2 days ago
In photos, Waikīkī Beach in the 1940s and 1950s
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Waikīkī Beach in the 21st century is full of high-rise hotels, restaurants, surf lessons and packed beaches mostly filled with tourism visitors. But 70 to 80 years ago, the entire area of Waikīkī looked very different.
Thanks to a project by the Hawaiʻi State Archives, we now have a closer look at what Waikīkī was like in the 1940s and early 1950s. And what we see is a place that began to grow very quickly.
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Thousands of historical photos are now online that show everything from beachgoers and buildings to boats and parades.
These images help tell the story of a place that has changed over time but still holds the same name and ocean breeze.
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While most of these photos are from the state's archives, we leaned on Getty Images to give us some of the 1950s photos as a means of showing the growth Waikīkī experienced in tourism after World War II.
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The images show familiar places, but they look quieter and simpler than what many people expect. Some show wide stretches of beach with few people while others demonstrate the amount of beach erosion Waikīkī has experienced over the last century. Meanwhile, other photos show landmarks before major development began.
This digitization project has one of several happening as the state's archives have been growing and stretching their reach under the direction of Dr. Adam Jansen.
You can click to see more of the State Archives have to offer.
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The State Archives is also working on a large Hawaiian music collection with more than 20,000 pieces, including some of the rarest ukulele in the world.
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