Iolani Palace

02/27/2020

The young Princes Edward #Keliiahonui and Jonah #Kalanianaole, along with Master Thomas Cummins (son of John Cummins), left by the Alameda steamship to complete their education at St. Matthew’s Hall in San Mateo, California. They would join David #Kawananakoa, who had enrolled in the fall of 1884. They were part of the Hawaiian’s studying abroad program, which sent the Princes (heirs to the throne) and others abroad to complete their education.

First photo: Thomas Cummins.
Second photo: Piikoi brothers (Kalanianaole is on the left, Kawananakoa is seated, and Keliiahonui is on the right)

⇣Olelo Hawaii Translation⇣

Ua haalele na Kamalii Kane o Edward Keliiahonui laua o Jonah Kalanianaole me ke keikikane a John Cummins oia hoi o Thomas Cummins e holomua i ke ao ana ma ka hale o St. Matthew i San Mateo, Kaleponi. I laila no i hui pu lakou me David Kawananakoa oiai ua hoomaka oia maia kula i ke kau haule lau i ka makahiki 1884. O na Kamalii Kane kekahi o na kanaka Hawaii i pili me ka papa hoike ma ka aina e, e hoopau i ka lakou hoonaauao.

02/24/2020

#OnThisDay in 1883, the coronation luau began at 12:30 p.m., which was spread on tables located directly in front of the front steps of the Palace. King #Kalakaua, dressed in a white uniform, sat on the Mauka side of the table surrounded by his staff and government officials.

By 1 p.m., there were about 1,200 people on the Palace grounds, including those sitting at tables. The #RoyalHawaiianBand played beautiful music as the guests dined. Although it was called a luau, many of the dishes were, in the words of the Daily Bulletin, “haole style.”

After the luau, as customary, a hula performance began, which continued until 11:30 p.m. At times, the crowds were enormous, soaring to almost 10,000.

02/20/2020

In mid-February of 1875 when Kalakaua returned from his eight-week trip to the United States, he gave a speech in Olelo Hawaii and then in English at Kawaiahao Church. At the end of the speech, he stated:

"No laila, e noho kakou ma o kakou iho, aka, e oni aku nae imua, i hiki ai i na aupuni nui i launa a i hoomakamaka mai ia kakou ke hii ae, a puali aku, me ka hooia iho ia oe e Hawaii ua kupono kou noho ana iwaena o na ohana o na aupuni kuokoa o ka honua!” (from Ka Lahui Hawaii 1875-2-24 pg. 2:2)

The Hawaiian Gazette translation (1875-2-24pg. 2:5) states:

“Let us therefore wisely take care of ourselves; and the best way to do this is to endeavor to make such material and social progress, that the powerful governments whose friendship we now fortunately possess, shall be convinced that we deserve their aid and support. Let us in short, prove to the world, that Hawaii is worthy of her position among the independent nations of the world.”

02/20/2020

#OnThisDay in 1889, Prince David Kawananakoa celebrated his 21st birthday with a grand ball at Iolani Palace.

When the invited guests began to arrive at 8 p.m., they were received by Major J. D. Holt, a member of the King’s staff.

Just before 9 p.m., the guests were presented to Princess #Liliuokalani, Prince #Kawananakoa, and Prince #Kalanianaole in the Throne Room by King Kalakaua’s Chamberlain Col. the Hon. George W. Macfarlane. Soon after, dancing began along with music by the #RoyalHawaiianBand.

A Honolulu paper reported that #Kalakaua was present during the evening and chatted with many of the guests. After an elegant dinner concluded at 11 p.m. in the dining room, dancing resumed until around 1 a.m.

⇣ Olelo Hawaii Translation ⇣

#ikeiala, i ka makahiki 1889, ua hoohanohano ia ka la hanau no ka piha ana i na makahiki he 21 o ke Keiki Alii o David Kawananakoa e kekahi aha nui ma ka Hale Alii o Iolani.

Ma ka hola 8, i ke komo ana o na mea kipa, welina maila o Mekia J. D. Holt ia lakou a pau ma ka inoa o Ka Moi Kane.

Ma mua o ka hola 9, hiki maila na mea kipa i ke Keiki Alii Wahine o #Liliuokalani me ke Keiki Alii Kane o #Kawananakoa me ke Keiki Alii Kane o #Kalanianaole ma ka Lumi Noho Alii; ua hoike ia lakou e George W. Macfarlane, he mea a ka Moi Kane o Kalakaua. Ma laila aku, ua hulahula na mea a pau ma na mele o ka Royal Hawaiian Band.

Wahi a ka nupepa ma Honolulu, i laila no o Kalakaua no ka papaolelo me na mea kipa. Ma hope o ka pau ana o ka ahaaina ma kahi o ka hola 11, hoomau ka hulahula ana a hiki i ka hola 1 i ke aumoe.

02/15/2020

#OnThisDay in 1891, the funeral service for King #Kalakaua began at 11 a.m. in the Throne Room.

The Reverend Thomas Nettleship Staley of the Hawaiian Anglican Church spoke first, saying, “O wau no ke ala hou ana, a me ke ola” (I am the resurrection and the life). This statement was followed by the hymn “When our heads are bowed with woe” sung by the choir from St. Andrew’s Cathedral.

Then Rev. W. H. Barney read in Olelo Hawaii the lesson taken from Corinthians Chapter 15. The Kawaiahao Church Choir closed the service with a rendition in Olelo Hawaii, of “Jesus Lover of My Soul.” Kalakaua’s casket was then removed from the Throne Room. From the time the funeral cortege left the Palace, minute guns were fired from the top of Punchbowl and from the two American men-o-war—Charleston and Mohican. Bells were mournfully tolling throughout the city and bonfires were burning from Punchbowl, adding an impressiveness to the solemn procession as it slowly wended its way to the Mausoleum, where he remains today.

02/15/2020

#OnThisDay in 1883, King #Kalakaua and Queen #Kapiolani hosted a dinner. Among the invited guests were Kapiolani’s sisters Poomaikelani and Kekaulike, with 28 others. The #RoyalHawaiianBand played as guests enjoyed a six course meal.

The image is a reproduction of the menu that is in the Hawaii State Archives collection. Copies are sold in our Palace Shop.

02/14/2020

#ThrowbackThursday: On February 2, 1984, Former President Jimmy and Mrs. Carter toured Iolani Palace and, like all of our guests who visit, put booties over their shoes before entering the building.

PC: Honolulu Star Bulletin

02/13/2020

#OnThisDay in 1883, the coronation of King #Kalakaua took place at the newly built #IolaniPalace. The coronation was a grand event that formally welcomed Kalakaua and #Kapiolani as King and Queen of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Although the King was elected in 1874, his coronation took place almost 10 years after his election. The coronation included a formal ceremony, ball, luau hosted for the public, and a hula performance. The recently completed Palace was opened for all to see, with a band concert and fireworks show. At Kapiolani Park, horse and foot races were held!

The Coronation Pavilion was beautifully decorated with lei. Symbols of royalty included Kahili, the puloulou and crowns as part of the formal procession. The King and Queen’s crowns are decorated with diamonds, opals, emeralds, rubies, pearls, and even kukui nut chips. Both crowns are on display in the Throne Room of Iolani Palace. Also on display are the sword and scepter with the reproduction of Queen Kapiolani’s coronation gown.

⇣ Olelo Hawaii ⇣

#ikeiala i ka makahiki 1883 akahi no i kukulu ia ka #halealiioIolani a maanei ka poni moi no ka Moi Kane #Kalakaua. He poni moi hanohano e aloha mai ka Moi Kane Kalakaua a me ka Moi Wahine Kapiolani no ke Aupuni o Hawaii.

Oiai koho ia ka moi i ka makahiki 1874, aneane he 10 makahiki i hala ma muli o kona poni moi. He hana hoohanohano, aha hulahula, luau a me ka hula no ka lehulehu ma ka poni moi. Ua wehe ia ka Hale Alii no na kanaka apau e ike, me he aha mele maia he hui puhi ole a me kekahi hoikeike ahi. He mau heihei lio aheihei kukini ma Kapiolani Paka kekahi.

Ua wehi ia Kelii Poni Hale me he mau lei a ke ike ia na kahili, puloulou a me na papale Moi o ia no he kai huakai paalula. He mau pohaku makamae ko na papale alii e like me ke kaimana, ka emelala, ka momi a pela aku no, hiki ia oe ke ike i na papale alii, na pahi kaua a me ka aahu hou a ka Moi Wahine Kapiolani i ka lumi noho alii o ka Hale Alii o Iolani.

02/11/2020

In the days leading up to the February 12, 1883 coronation of King #Kalakaua and his wife, Queen #Kapiolani, rumors were flying that Princess Ruth was not going to attend. Speculation was that it was a political snub. When Ruth was contacted by the Pacific Commercial Advertiser, they were told she would be staying home, on the advice of her physician. On February 5, she called on the King to explain why she was going to miss the ceremony.

02/08/2020

The day after Liliuokalani was arrested (January 16, 1895), the Republic of Hawaii appointed a military commission. The commission’s mandate was to put on trial all of Liliuokalani’s supporters who had been arrested in connection to their attempts to restore her to power. #OnThisDay in 1895 at 11:30 a.m., Liliuokalani was taken from her imprisonment chamber on the second floor of the Palace to her former Throne Room on the first floor, to be tried by this Commission.

Liliuokalani was seated as the charge ‘misprision of treason’ (the deliberate concealment of one's knowledge of a treasonable act or a felony) was read. When she declined to enter a plea, the Court entered a plea of not guilty. Her attorney Mr. Paul Neumann raised a number of objections to the proceeding, all of which were rejected. The trial ended when the defense rested on February 8. The military commission did not inform Liliuokalani of their verdict until February 27.

On February 27 at 2 p.m., Major George C. Potter, an aide to the Republic of Hawaii, and President Dole visited Liliuokalani in her imprisonment chamber and read the sentence imposed by the Military Commission. The sentence was imprisonment and hard labor for five years and a fine of $5,000. The sentence was commuted to imprisonment in a room on the second floor of the Palace. Liliuokalani was paroled to her home, Washington Place, seven months later on September 6, 1895 and pardoned in October 1896.

Pictured: Paul Neumann speaking on behalf of Liliu at her trial.

02/05/2020

In 2013, the Hawaii State Legislature established February as Olelo Hawaii Month to celebrate and encourage the use of Hawaiian language. In honor of #OleloHawaiiMonth, every Wednesday this month our posts will include a caption in Hawaiian and English.

We also offer a Hawaiian language audio tour that allows Hawaiian speaking visitors to learn about the importance of the Palace history in the language of their ancestors.
www.iolanipalace.org/visit/tours-admission/self-led-audio-tours

Pictured: Queen Liliuokalani’s songbook written in Olelo Hawaii.

⇣ Olelo Hawaii ⇣

I ka makahiki 2013, ua hookumu ia mahina o Pepeluali ka mahina Olelo Hawaii e ka Ahaolelo Kau Kanawai o Hawaii no ka hoolaulea a hoopaipai ia kakou e ao mai i ka Olelo Makuahine. No #MahinaOleloHawaii e hoohana ana i ka Olelo Hawaii kekahi no na lepe kii ma na Poakolu o keia mahina.

He makaikai pai leo Olelo Hawaii ka makou no na hoakipa Olelo Hawaii e hoolohe i ka moolelo o ko makou kupuna ma ka Hale Alii o Iolani.

Kiʻi: Ko ka Moiwahine Liliuokalani puke mele i kakau ia ma ka Olelo Hawaii.

02/04/2020

#OnThisDay in 1845, Kamehameha III arrived in #Honolulu from #Lahaina. The King’s party was escorted from the pier to the newly completed palace, which had been built by Governor Kekuanaoa for his daughter Victoria Kamamalu. It was in a good location and the home’s dimensions fit His Majesty’s needs. This home became from then on Hale Alii, later #IolaniPalace.

Pictured: The first Iolani Palace. PC: Hawaii State Archives.

02/04/2020

Over 100 items returned home to ‘Iolani Palace

Have you heard the news? More than 100 items have returned home to Iolani Palace! Thanks to a generous donation from the Helen Ladd Thompson Revocable Living Trust, 113 objects such as historical documents, royal orders, and long-lost photographs will help us further understand this period of Hawaiian Kingdom history.

Stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram as we'll share more photos and stories of these objects, which will also be placed on display in the near future.

For information on returning objects to the Iolani Palace collection, visit www.iolanipalace.org/palace-collections.

The Friends of ‘Iolani Palace has welcomed home more than 100 items thanks to a generous donation from the Helen Ladd Thompson Revocable Living Trust.

02/03/2020

After #Kalakaua’s funeral, the Hawaiian Gazette and the Paradise of Pacific (POP) magazine reported that Mr. Louis Glass, along with the Edison Phonograph Company, had recorded the King’s voice. The POP reported that he spoke in Hawaiian saying,

“Aloha kaua – Aloha kaua. Ke hoi nei no paha makou ma keia hope aku i Hawaii, i Honolulu. A ilaila oe e hai aku ai oe i ka lehulehu i kau mea e lohe ai ia nei.”

Their translation was: “We greet each other – We greet each other. We will very likely hereafter go to Hawaii, to Honolulu. There you will tell my people, what you have heard me say HERE.”

The Hawaiian Gazette’s translation was: “We greet each other—We greet each other. I learn that you are to go with me to my country; to Honolulu. There you will tell my people that which I say to you here!”

The recording on a cylinder has been in the Bishop Museum’s collection since 1918. In 2009, it was flown to Berkeley, CA in an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve the King’s voice (see StarAdv 2013-4-11).

The cylinder is like one pictured in the local papers in 2009.

01/29/2020

#OnThisDay in 1891, the Kingdom was made aware of Kalakaua’s death and Liliuokalani was forced to take the oath of office. She stated,
“I told him (one of Kalakaua’s cabinet ministers) at once that I did not wish to take the oath just then, and asked why such proceedings could not be deferred until after my brother's funeral. He said that others had decided that I must take my official oath then and there.
Few persons have ever been placed without a word of warning in such a trying situation, and I doubt if there was any other woman in the city who could have borne with passable equanimity what I had to endure that day. I will scarcely limit the comparison to my sex; I doubt if many men could have passed successfully through such an ordeal. Here I realized what was involved, I was compelled to take the oath to the constitution, the adoption of which had led to my brother's death.”
Many secondary sources say this took place in the Blue room, but based on the following from her autobiography, the oath was taken elsewhere. “After taking the oath of office administered to me by the chief justice, Albert Francis Judd, the meeting dissolved, and we adjourned to the Blue Room.”

Pictured: Iolani Palace in the 1890s.

01/29/2020

#OnThisDay in 1891, King Kalakaua’s body was returned to Hawaii on the USS Charleston. Princess Regent Liliuokalani had issued invitations to a ball, on the evening of His Majesty’s return from California’. Because Hawaii did not yet have telegraphic communication with California, the nation did not know he died until the Charleston was spotted off Diamond Head with its flags at half-mast. His casket was brought from the ship to the Palace Throne room, via horse-drawn carriage. He would lay in state until his funeral on February 15. The Hawaiian Gazette reported as the procession approached the Palace that a large, beautiful rainbow was seen directly overhead.

01/28/2020

#OnThisDay in 1894, the Mid-Winter fair opened in San Francisco. Hawaii’s participation included an exhibit of government-owned furniture, kahili, and a cyclorama (a 360 degree image – similar to today’s video projection) painted to look like Kilauea erupting. This cyclorama had been exhibited in Chicago before being put on display in San Francisco.

The Chicago Times newspaper described the cyclorama viewer's experience:

"The observation platform … places the visitor in the same position that he would occupy if he stood on the brink of the [Halemaumau] pit in the vast crater of the volcano [Kilauea]. … The horizon will present the outlines of … [Mauna Loa's] snow-capped summit, from which issue delicate clouds of smoke, telling of the slumbering fires beneath her crest. Further along the eye meets Mauna Kea, the volcano house, and the blue sea. In the middle distance is the ragged side walls of the first great breakdown, seamed and furrowed with cracks and jagged edges, where the rocks have been rent by many an earthquake. Beneath his foot will be the lakes of fire, liquid lava, foaming, dashing, leaping in the wildest confusion. The floor will be a facsimile of the floor of the crater in every detail, built up of lava, and the fire effects secured by the use of electricity in the most ingenious and complicated contrivances. The observer will stand on lava rock brought from Kilauea.”

First image: Hawaii’s exhibit.
Second image: View of the expo.
Third image: The Hawaii pavillion.
Fourth image: Cyclorama of Kilauea.

01/24/2020

Mahalo to everyone who joined us for our annual Queen Kapiolani Evening Tours! From December 28 through 30, guests were invited to experience the Palace by moonlight in honor of Queen Kapiolani’s birthday. The evening tours created an atmosphere reminiscent of celebrations held during the reign of the Hawaiian Monarchy.

On Saturday, December 28, we hosted an Opening Night experience, which featured a reception near the Barracks with gourmet fare from Catering by Hy’s and cocktails by Speakeasy Productions, as well as the live musical stylings of Ei Nei and Grammy nominee and multiple Na Hoku Hanohano award winner Amy Hanaialii. Following the reception, guests experienced the Palace’s 19th century grandeur while enjoying the performances by Iwalani Apo in the Blue Room and the magnificent voice of Na Hoku Hanohano award winner Natalie Ai Kamauu and family in the Upper Hall. Evening tours continued on Sunday and Monday, treating guests to a memorable experience to close-out the year.

Mahalo to everyone who joined us for our annual Queen Kapiolani Evening Tours! From December 28 through 30, guests were invited to experience the Palace by moonlight in honor of Queen Kapiolani’s birthday. The evening tours created an atmosphere reminiscent of celebrations held during the reign of the Hawaiian Monarchy.

On Saturday, December 28, we hosted an Opening Night experience, which featured a reception near the Barracks with gourmet fare from Catering by Hy’s and cocktails by Speakeasy Productions, as well as the live musical stylings of Ei Nei and Grammy nominee and multiple Na Hoku Hanohano award winner Amy Hanaialii. Following the reception, guests experienced the Palace’s 19th century grandeur while enjoying the performances by Iwalani Apo in the Blue Room and the magnificent voice of Na Hoku Hanohano award winner Natalie Ai Kamauu and family in the Upper Hall. Evening tours continued on Sunday and Monday, treating guests to a memorable experience to close-out the year.