Hawaii 50

What better way to celebrate Hawaii's fiftieth year of statehood than with a community photo album? And what better place to find photos than among the 250,000 images in the archives of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin? A quarter of a million moments captured in time, across five decades from these, more than 700 were chosen to highlight Island life in Hawaii 50. These are photographs of our politicians, sharply dressed and usually smiling. There are shots of the men and women who captured our imagination with their showmanship or athleticism Duke Kahanamoku, Don Ho, Gabby Pahanui, Braddah Iz, and Rell Sunn. There is the glamour of Hawaii's numerous beauty pageants, along with the pomp and circumstance of the Merrie Monarch Festival. There are our favorite sports teams, and folks outdoors, hiking, swimming, surfing, paddling, or just picnicking, enjoying the day with friends and family. There are nostalgic pictures of old stores and historic landmarks, gone now, demolished, but still there in memory. There are photos of crowds massed in protest, holding signs and marching. There are photos of the effects of Mother Nature s fury and her grandeur. And, of course, arresting photos of the sheer beauty of the Islands as well. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the photographs assembled in Hawai i 50 are worth volumes. Interspersed with the photographs are newspaper front pages and headlines, to anchor us in time, as well as Corky s cartoons poking fun at Island life and leaders. An introduction and Photographers Choice section illuminate the art and discipline of newspaper photography. The result is a visual treasure chest, filled with the riches and wonders of the past fifty years, to be cherished and shared, looked upon and reminisced over. Every page holds some picture that serves as a reminder of why we are so very fortunate to live in Hawaii.