Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum

01/01/2021

Hau’oli Makahiki Hou! Happy New Year!

On January 1, 1903, the Hawaiian Islands were linked by telegraph cable to San Francisco. This was important for Hawaiʻi since electronic communication impacted the speed of communication in a significant way.

Prior to the introduction of the telegraph, communication to and from the rest of the world was sent by written letters and carried by ships. Correspondence and major news would take weeks to reach Hawaiʻi.

The ship Silvertown, from California, laid an underwater cable that connected to a cable system on land at Sans Souci beach in Waikīkī. The Pacific Commercial Telegraph Company’s office in downtown Honolulu received its first incoming message at 8:30 p.m. that same night. On January 3, 1903, the first newspaper stories sent by telegraph were published in Honolulu. “Cable Day” was celebrated on January 5, 1903 at ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu with speeches, fireworks, and a ball.

Photo: Telegraph operator; Honolulu, Oʻahu. 1903. Photo by L. E. Edgeworth. Bishop Museum Archives. SA 25169 [detail].

Photo: Cable landing at Sans Souci beach; Waikīkī, Oʻahu. Jan. 1, 1903. Photo by L. E. Edgeworth. Bishop Museum Archives. SA 25170.

Image: Telegram regarding merchandise to be shipped to California from Hiyama Shoten; Honolulu, Oʻahu. 1943. Bishop Museum Archives. SP 219122.

#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum
#TodayInHistory #BishopMuseumLA

12/31/2020

Today, we share a #ThrowbackThursday photo of keiki participating in hands-on learning in Hawaiian Hall. On this last day of 2020, we hope for peace, good health, and joy in 2021. We look forward to welcoming you and your ʻohana back to our campus in the New Year, and a return to normalcy in the months to come.

We're excited about the new online initiatives we're developing, as well as new, safe and socially distanced onsite activities for the entire family. We can't wait to share these with you, and thank you for your continued encouragement and support. Mahalo nui loa, and Happy New Year!

#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/30/2020

As we say farewell to 2020, we wanted to share some of our most popular posts of the year. Thank you to our social media audience for continuously engaging with us and being a part of our Bishop Museum ʻOhana. We look forward to a better and brighter year with all of you!

-- The Bishop Museum Digital Team.

#BishopMuseumRecap2020
#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/29/2020

As we head into the New Year, we’re all hoping for a brighter and better future, and we believe that can start by practicing sustainable actions!

Here at #HawaiisMuseum, we’ve made a number of changes to create a sustainable campus that you can learn about through our “Sustainability Scavenger Hunt!” When you pick up a scavenger hunt map from our Hoʻokipa Desk, you’ll be able to explore our 15-acre, park-like campus with your keiki and ʻohana, and learn about sustainable practices and how you can apply them in your daily lives.

Here are a few sustainable actions you can start now:

Avoid disposable tableware and containers. Package leftovers in reusable plastic containers or recycled glass jars. Consider using cloth napkins, which can be washed and reused.

Compost your kitchen scraps – 24% of the waste Americans send to landfills is organic waste, including kitchen scraps. Taking this waste and composting them helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Lead by example. Teach your friends and family to better understand the impacts of the Holiday Season. Show them how to make their holidays eco-friendly for the years to come, by setting yourself as the example.

Pictured here is the "Plastic Free Pipeline" by artist-scientist Ethan Estess (Ethan Estess Art+Design), surrounded by some of the new Sustainability characters you can find on our map!

#Substainability #SubstainabilityScavengerHunt
#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/29/2020

Mele are an invaluable primary resource. Our #MeleMonday series featured the amazing compositions found in the Roberts Mele Collection through our ongoing blog, “Welo Hou.”

Our team enjoyed sharing the invaluable mele resources that continue to serve as a bridge between the Hawaiian voices of the past and the community of the present. Mahalo to all of you who made this series possible, and followed it over the years. Here are highlights of our most popular #MeleMonday posts; To learn more about the Roberts Mele Collection, visit https://blog.bishopmuseum.org/welo-hou/.

#WeloHouBlog #RobertsMeleCollection #BishopMuseumLA
#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/27/2020

Explore the wonders of the Hawaiian night sky from the comfort of your home! We're bringing Mars, the Hawaiian Starlines Ke Kā o Makaliʻi (also known as Orion and the Winter Circle) and Ka Lupe o Kawelo (the Great Square of Pegasus) and more to you, via a virtual "Stars Tonight" -- streamed LIVE from the J. Watumull Planetarium!

"Stars Tonight" Online
Saturday, January 2, 2021
7-8 p.m.

$6.00 flat rate per login, Bishop Museum Members FREE:
https://16806a.blackbaudhosting.com/16806a/page.aspx?pid=213&tab=2&txobjid=6cb1c7d1-d1d5-489f-8f27-73a53b5e5f20

#JWatumullPlanetarium #BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/25/2020

Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou!

From our ʻohana to yours, wishing you a happy and safe holiday season.

As a reminder, Bishop Museum is closed today on Christmas Day, but will reopen tomorrow and will remain open into 2021, including on New Year's Day. Mahalo!

Photo: Christmas lights on Fort Street seen from Beretania Street; Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. December 1940. Bishop Museum Archives. SP 204547

Image sharing on social media is welcome; for all other uses, please contact [email protected].

#TodayInHistory #MeleKalikimaka #HolidaysinHawaii #BishopMuseumLA
#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/24/2020

Peace on Earth and goodwill toward all.

We wish you and your loved ones a healthy and peaceful holiday season.

Mahalo nui loa for being part of our Bishop Museum ʻOhana.

Bishop Museum will be closed on Christmas Day, as our employees take a well-deserved holiday to spend with family and friends.

The Museum will reopen again on Saturday, Dec. 26 and will remain open every day into 2021, including New Year's Day. Mahalo and Happy Holidays!

#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/23/2020

“Kōlea lived in Alaska during the summer when the ground was not frozen and insects were easy to find. At the end of summer, he had to make a flight of thousands of miles to the islands of Hawaiʻi where it was warm all year round. Once Kōlea left Alaska, there was no place for him to land until he got to Hawaiʻi. This small creature soared to great heights in order to catch the winds that would carry him across the Pacific in just two days and two nights.”

Find 2019 first place Ka Palapala Poʻokela Award winner in Children’s Literature, “Kōlea and the Chief’s Cloak,” and other children’s books online at BishopMuseumPress.org.

#BishopMuseumPress
#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/23/2020

E Heluhelu Moʻolelo Kākou: Let’s Read a Story!

Local ʻohana can enjoy safe, socially distanced storytime at Bishop Museum! E Heluhelu Moʻolelo Kākou is a 30-minute book-reading experience for visitors with keiki, with an Education team member reading and interpreting from one of the storybooks from their library.

Space is limited to 10 persons per session, and families must pre-register at our Hoʻokipa Desk. Enjoy storytime during the Winter Break!

Wednesday, Dec. 23 - 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 26 - 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 28 - 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 30 - 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 1 - 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 2 - 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m.

#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/22/2020

In partnership with Bishop Museum Press, DTL Hawaii Actions of Aloha is excited to release a new deck of cards with 100% of the profits benefiting Bishop Museum. The deck features 53 ʻŌlelo Noʻeau from Mary Kawena Pukui’s book, “ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings,” collected, translated, and annotated by Mary Kawena Pukui.

“ʻŌlelo Noʻeau is one of our most beloved publications, and it continues to share wisdom, guidance, and inspiration with generations new and old,” said Leah Caldeira, director of Bishop Museum Library & Archives and acting director of Bishop Museum Press. “We are excited to see Mrs. Pukui’s wonderful compilation of proverbs and sayings reach new audiences through the Actions of Aloha cards, and are appreciative that their sale supports our ongoing mission – to preserve and perpetuate the history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.”

Visit ActionsOfAloha.com to order your deck today!

#BishopMuseumPress #MaryKawenaPukui
#OleloNoeau #ActionsOfAloha
#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/21/2020

Itʻs The First Day of Winter!

It’s the first day of winter!

Winters in Hawaiʻi don't typically include snow, but in case you missed it -- here’s a peek of when it did happen at #BishopMuseum! ❄️

A huge mahalo to everyone who joined us this for our “Winter Weekend: A Saturday of Play at Bishop Museum”! We hope you and your ʻohana enjoyed our fun educational outdoor activities and our life-sized snow globe in the #JWatumullPlanetarium.

#FirstDayofWinter #MeleKalikimaka #HawaiiHolidays #HolidaysInHawaii
#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

Music by Ikson.

12/20/2020

Happy holidays from Justine and Jonathan from our Membership Department

A special message from Justine and Jonathan from our Membership Department -- from our #BishopMuseumOhana to yours, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season!

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to Justine and Jonathan if there's any way they can be of assistance to you.

Email: [email protected].

Phone: 808-847-9296.

#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/19/2020

#TodayInHistory Dec. 19, 1831 -- Hauʻoli lā hānau e Ke Aliʻi Pauahi. With gratitude, we reflect upon the vision and benevolence of our namesake, Bernice Pauahi Bishop.

In her journal entry for Thursday, December 19, 1844, a young Pauahi recounts her 13th birthday at the Chiefs’ Children’s School.

“We have not write on [sic] our journal for a long time because we had something else to do. This is my birth-day and I am thirteen years old. We arose this morning as usual. Mr Cooke & Miss Whitney went to ride before we started for a walk. We took a walk up in the plain & Mrs Cooke on horse back. We had an earlier school to day than usual.”

“We expect to have a party this evening with some of the officers of the Parry [Perry] & others.”

Image: Ambrotype of Bernice Pauahi Bishop; Hawaiʻi. ca.1856. Bishop Museum Archives. SG 73421.

Image: MS MC Pauahi 1.2, p. 43. Childhood journal of Bernice Pauahi Bishop, June 3, 1844-October 6, 1846. Bishop Museum Archives. SM 219132.

Image sharing on social media is welcome; for all other uses, please contact [email protected].

#BernicePauahiBishop #HawaiianHistory #OnThisDay #BishopMuseumLA
#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/18/2020

Happy #Kanikapila Friday! It's been almost a week since our live "Kaula Piko: Leʻa I Ke Kani Concert," and we still have chicken skin! The breathtaking performances by our award-winning artists, headlined by the legendary Led Kaapana, captured the incredible acoustics of historic Hawaiian Hall … as did the lovely tribute to the late, great Cyril Pahinui.

If you missed the Concert, no worries -- we'll be doing a Hana Hou of the entire presentation soon, with the full video and beautifully captured sound. Stay tuned!

Mahalo nui loa to our partners Kealakai Center for Pacific Strings and 'Ōlelo Community Media, and our performers

Alan Akaka
Pōmaikaʻi Keawe and Mālie Lyman
Douglas Poʻoloa Tolentino
Bobby Moderow Jr
Kamuela and Kaʻihi Kimokeo
Kenneth Makuakāne
Ocean Kaowili
Halehaku Seabury

Hui Aʻo ʻŪkēkē
- ʻIliahi Doo
- Kunāne Wooton
- Mahi La Pierre

Bishop Museum Cultural Advisor
Marques Marzan

And, a special mahalo to Servco Pacific Inc. and Morgan Stanley for generously supporting this event!

#KaulaPiko #SourceOfStrings
#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/18/2020

Explore Bishop Museum through the #LexusPerks Program

Inspired by the priceless collection items here at #HawaiisMuseum, native Hawaiian practitioner, MANAOLA Hawaii, brings life to some of the cultural gifts from Hawaiian history. Watch as McKenna Maduli talks story with him in the latest video from Servco Lexus.

We’re honored to be partnered with Servco Lexus on their #LexusPerks program. Lexus owners can enjoy exclusive benefits across Hawaiʻi through the Lexus Perks program, including a discount off Bishop Museum admission and membership.

From now until March 31, 2021, Lexus owners can receive $2 off admission or 10% off any membership package. Learn more:
https://perks.servcolexus.com/arts-and-entertainment/bishopmuseum.

#BishopMuseum

12/16/2020

During the winter period of Hoʻoilo in Hawaiʻi, one of the most significant seasonal celebrations is Makahiki. Connected to the rising of Makaliʻi (the Pleiades constellation) and the Hawaiian lunar month of ʻIkuwā, ceremonies, offerings, and recreation helped to culminate a period of time dedicated to Lonoikamakahiki, a deified chief of Hawaiʻi Island.

His circuits around the island are continued to this day by communities around Hawaiʻi, accompanied by games like moa paheʻe, ʻulu maika, ʻōʻō ihe, haka moa, and other physical challenges. Specialized rituals and ceremonies are also part of celebrations in Hawaiʻi, alongside pule (prayers) that ask for abundance, life, and healing.

Here at #BishopMuseum, we celebrate Makahiki and the winter months of our year by displaying a special kiʻi (image) that is the only one of its kind in the world today. The image shown in the center of this picture is called an “akua loa,” and is understood to have been used in circuits around the island by high chiefs during Makahiki.

Visit us today to see this special symbol of Hawaiian culture, and hundreds of other cultural objects and natural history specimens on display in our galleries.

#MakahikiSeason #HawaiianCulture #BishopMuseumCE
#HawaiisMuseum

12/15/2020

Where in the world is it snowing in #BishopMuseum?

Take your ʻohana on a safe and socially distanced walkthrough of our #JWatumullPlanetarium, as it’s transformed into a life-sized snow globe during “Winter Weekend: A Saturday of Play”!

Join us this Saturday, Dec. 19 for our holiday themed event during two timed admissions: 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1:30-4 p.m.

Keiki can participate in educational activities and games throughout the Museum -- for every one they complete, they’ll receive a “passport stamp” and can redeem their filled passport for treat-filled goody bag!

"Winter Weekend: A Saturday of Play" is free for Bishop Museum Members or those with paid, timed admission.

Learn more about this event and reserve your tickets now: http://bit.ly/3mmVp9t.

#HolidaysinHawaii #HawaiiHolidays #MeleKalikimaka
#HawaiisMuseum

12/15/2020

It's that time of year when we reflect on what has passed, and wonder how best to show our love and appreciation to the family, friends, and colleagues who make up our ‘ohana. We'd like to share a Bishop Museum-themed gift guide for the people you're thinking about this holiday season.

View our Bishop Museum Holiday Gift Guide now: https://bit.ly/3aasliJ.

Each of these gift ideas not only inspire the recipient to learn more about Hawaiʻi’s rich culture and natural resources, but has the added benefit of supporting Bishop Museum’s mission to perpetuate that knowledge for future generations. Gift purchases such as these allow us to continue to care for our collections, engage in important scientific research, and sustain educational programming that tells the stories of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

#BishopMuseumOhana
#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum

12/14/2020

Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum's cover photo

12/13/2020

'Ōlelo Community Media

LIVE! “Kaula Piko: Leʻa I Ke Kani Concert, Featuring the Legendary Ledward Kaapana and Very Special Guests” Alan Akaka, Pōmaikaʻi Keawe and Mālie Lyman, Douglas Poʻoloa Tolentino, Bobby Moderow Jr, Kamuela and Kaʻihi Kimokeo, Kenneth Makuakāne, Ocean Kaowili, Halehaku Seabury, Hui Aʻo ʻŪkēkē (ʻIliahi Doo, Kunāne Wooton, Mahi La Pierre), and Bishop Museum Cultural Advisor Marques Marzan!

#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum #KualaPiko

A showcase of Hawaii's prominent artist musicians who perpetuate this legacy and share their talents world-wide.

12/12/2020

#TodayInHistory: On December 12, 1961, Bishop Museum’s newest building was dedicated: Kilolani—Hawaiʻi’s Planetarium and Observatory. Construction had started about a year earlier and this was the first major structure to be added to the Museum’s campus since the 1920s. In June 2003, the planetarium was renovated and renamed the Jhamandas Watumull Planetarium.

The planetarium was designed by Merrill, Roehrig, Onodera & Kinder, Inc. The complex included an observatory with a telescope under one dome and the planetarium under a second dome. The latter could accommodate up to 100 guests. Kilolani, was selected as its original name, meaning “closely observing the heavens.”

Kilolani became particularly significant when long-distance canoe voyaging returned to the Hawaiʻi with the initial journey of the Hōkūleʻa from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti in 1976. The practice of traditional, non-instrumental navigation which had been lost in the Hawaiian Islands saw a revival by the Polynesian Voyaging Society. Bishop Museum’s Planetarium served a crucial role in this revival when Nainoa Thompson, the first Hawaiian to once again become adept at the lost science of non-instrumental navigation, spent hours closely observing the heavens projected on the planetarium’s ceiling.

To ensure the health and safety of our guests and staff, in-person planetarium shows have been temporarily suspended. But we are pleased to welcome you to join us every first Saturday of the month from 7:00–8:00 p.m. HST for our vitrual programming of “The Stars Tonight.”For more information and to register, visit www.bishopmuseum.org/planetarium/.

Bishop Museum is grateful to the Watumull Foundation for their longstanding generosity, making it possible to share the stories of Hawai'i and the Pacific with our community and visitors. With the ongoing philanthropic support of the Watumulls and partners including the City & County of Honolulu Grants in Aid program, the Jhamandas Watumull Planetarium continues to provide unique programming and educational resources to inspire the exploration, celebration, and perpetuation of the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

Photo: Kilolani Planetarium under construction; Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. 1961. Bishop Museum Archives. SP 29839.

Photo: The newly completed Kilolani Planetarium; Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. December 1961. Bishop Museum Archives. SP 219119.

Photo: Nainoa Thompson (striped shirt), Will Kyselka (center), and other Polynesian Voyaging Society members in the Planetarium; Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. February 1978. Ben Patnoi, Bishop Museum Archives. SI 56499_20A.

Image sharing on social media is welcome; for all other uses. Please contact [email protected].

#TodayInHistory #BishopMuseumLA #JWatumullPlanetarium
#BishopMuseum #HawaiisMuseum