HONOLULU (KHON2) — In 2021, the Hawaiʻi State Archives, located in Honolulu, started an exciting project to help people learn more about the state’s history and culture. Their goal is to store and make public old papers, pictures, instruments, music, documents and other miscellaneous objects — like the phone President Dwight D. Eisenhower called Territorial Governor William F. Quinn to let him know Hawaii was officially a state in 1959.
These important pieces of history are stored in their building and are available online. This means anyone with internet access can explore Hawaiʻi’s past from their phone, home, school or library.
Thanks to the hard work of State Archives Director Adam Jansen, Ph.D., the Archives is growing quickly.
Here is a collection of photos of Honolulu from the 1800s generously available from our State Archives:
Bicyclist on King Street., Honolulu, Hawaii, 1895. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)King Street corner Alakea; circa 1883 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Fort Street near Hotel Street in Honolulu, Hawaii. On left is L.E. Tracy, men’s clothing store at Fort and Hotel streets, 1899. (Courtesy:/Hawaii State Archives)Fort Street; 1890s in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Fort and Merchant streets, Honolulu, Hawaii, looking toward the harbor, circa 1897. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Corner of Fort and Merchant streets, Honolulu, Hawaii. Building far left is the Annexation Club, circa 1899. (Courtesy: Hawaii State Archives)Fort Street from Hotel Street in Honolulu, Hawaii; circa 1898. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Crowd gathered at Hotel and Richards streets in Honolulu, Hawaii. Outside the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, circa 1898-1900. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Nuuanu Street from Hotel Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, circa 1890. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Hotel Street (Fort Street crossing) in Honolulu, Hawaii; about 1898; The lei makers conducted their occupation uninterrupted on the sidewalk at the corner of Fort and Hotel streets. (Courtesy:/Hawaii State Archives)Looking up Fort Street from Allen Street (later Nimitz / Ala Moana), Honolulu, Hawaii, circa 1885. Includes Lewers and Cooke streets, Pacific House, the Lucas clock tower and Wilder & Co. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Nuuanu Street from King Street in Honolulu, Hawaii,1883. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Merchant Street from Bethel Street in Honolulu, Hawaii about 1880s. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)View down Fort Stret from Hotel Street, Honolulu, Hawaii circa 1883. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Alakea and Merchant streets, Honolulu, Hawaii. Occidental Hotel on left, J.R. Mills & Co., groceries on right, circa 1890. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Horse-drawn trolley on Beretania Street, Honolulu, Hawaii. Central Union Church on left, gate and fence of Washington Place on right, circa 1890. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Queen Street from Nuuanu Street, Honolulu, Hawaii. Includes The Old Corner, retail liquor dealers; Macfarlane & Co.; the ship chandlery of Inter-Island Steam Navigation Co., Ltd.; and M.W. McChesney & Sons, 1880s. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Hotel Street from Nuuanu Street, Honolulu, Hawaii. Includes M.A. Gonsalves & Co, and Crystal Soda Works, circa 1888. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Queen Street from corner of Nuuanu in Honolulu, Hawaii, A saloon and J.T. Waterhouse on left and the C. Brewer Bldg., right, 1871. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Kawaiahao Church and King Lunalilo’s tomb, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1885. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Hotel Street looking toward Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii. Union Street running up; early 1880’s; Family Market later Fashion Stables run by Buckly & Sullivan. Far left: Honolulu Fire Dept. headquarters of three companies. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)King and Richards streets, Honolulu, Hawaii. Includes Sing Wo Chong store and Hop Wo & Co. tailor, circa 1898. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Nuuanu Street from the waterfront in Honolulu, Hawaii, circa 1884. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Crowd on Nuuanu Street, Honolulu, Hawaii. In white uniforms are Hawaiian Band members, July 4, 1881. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Fort Street at Hotel Street in Honolulu, Hawaii, circa 1879. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)1870’s; Aliiolani Hale -1874. Iolani Palace (not yet built) in Honolulu, Hawaii,1881. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Nuuanu Valley from prison, Honolulu, Hawaii, circa 1876. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Bishop Bank. Merchant Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, circa 1879. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Honolulu, Hawaii from Fort Street. James Campbell Building on left. Benson Smith on right. Fort Street, circa 1870. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Fort Street showing E. O. Hall & Hobron Drug, circa 1880s in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)M.T. Donnell Cabinet-Maker & Upholsterer on King St., Honolulu, Hawaii, circa 1875. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)View across intersection of King and Punchbowl streets. with old Iolani Palace beyond and Our Lady of Peace and the Fort Street churches in background, Honolulu, Hawaii, circa 1860. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Fort Street from King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, circa 1862. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)Pantheon – Hotel and Fort streets, Honolulu, Hawaii, circa 1860. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)King Street from Waity Building looking Ewa, Honolulu, Hawaii, circa 1857. (Courtesy/Hawaii State Archives)
Dr. Jansen and his team are working hard to save and share as much of Hawaiʻi’s history as they can. They are not only preserving these important records but also making them easy for everyone to find and use.
There are now thousands of old photographs that show what life in Hawaiʻi used to be like. You can see people at parades, boats in the harbor, old buildings and much more.
Right now, the State Archives is working on many projects at once. One of the biggest is organizing one of the largest collections of Hawaiian music in the world. It includes over 20,000 songs stored in many boxes.
