By Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
For 20 years, Spencer Leineweber ran her architectural practice in the Mendonca Building, which she owned with her husband, Michael. Constructed in 1913 at the corner of Smith and Hotel streets, the building measures just 980 square feet on each of its levels; a basement, first floor and second floor.
"It's small, but it worked well for my firm's needs," recalled Leineweber, who is a professor and graduate chairwoman of the University of Hawaii's School of Architecture. For one thing, it had high arched windows, which provided really good natural light. It also had a basement for storage. Back then, both were important for an architect's office, although they're less so today with the advent of computers for drawing." When a friend, who was a Navy nurse during World War II, learned the Leinewebers had purchased the building, she chuckled. "During the war she waited outside the building for more than an hour, thinking she was in a ration line for bread," Leineweber said. "When she finally got to the front door, she found out the building was a brothel. There were a lot of men standing in line, but she hadn't paid attention to that - and none of them told her what the line was for!"
Participants will pick up intriguing tidbits like that during a two-hour, two-mile walking tour of Chinatown that the Hono lulu chapter of the American Institute of Architects will be hosting Saturday as part of its fifth annual observance of Architecture Month. The tour will spotlight more than a dozen architecturally significant buildings in Chinatown, the oldest intact commercial area on Oahu. Constructed between 1854 and 1965, the buildings on the route include the Kamehameha V Post Office, Yokohama Specie Building, Nippu Jiji Building, Oahu Market, Wo Fat Building and Hawaii Theatre.
About 20 members of AIA Honolulu, including Leineweber, will be serving as guides and "building docents" for the tour. As a historical architect, Leineweber has worked on numerous conservation projects in Hawaii as well as new structures in historic preservation areas such as Chinatown. The two-story "main" Mendonca Building is across from the building she and her husband sold in 2002. Built in 1901, it covers a full block on Hotel Street, which makes it the largest historic building in Chinatown. "Joseph P. Mendonca was a luna (supervisor) for Kaneohe Ranch," Leineweber said. "He owned a lot of property in Chinatown, all of which had windows with either red frames or red brick around them. That was his building identity, to let everyone know how many properties he owned. At one time there were more than 10 buildings in Chinatown with that signature red trim." Two devastating fires swept through Chinatown in 1886 and 1900, reducing the majority of its wooden structures to ashes.
Today, Honolulu's oldest buildings are clustered at the edge of Chinatown, around the intersection of Merchant and Bethel streets where the fires didn't reach. The two-story Kamehameha V Post Office, built in 1871 on one corner of that intersection, is one of Leineweber's favorite buildings. "Initially you picked up your mail 'by language' - Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian, English and 'other' at individual windows," she said. "In the 1890s brass mailboxes were added under the covered arcade. There's still a small window on the Diamond Head side where you just bought stamps. From the second-floor lanai, you could watch all the activity on the street, which was then the center of town. Also notable are the Tuscan columns and the curved balcony whose wood jigsaw work sunshade was added later."
In 1976 Leineweber was a member of the team that restored this elegant Honolulu landmark, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. "It was one of the first restoration projects that I worked on as the project architect for the firm Anderson and Reinhardt," she said. "There's so much more I can say about this building; in fact, that's where I'll be and what I'll be doing during the walking tour on Saturday."
CHINATOWN WALKING TOURS » Date: Saturday, April 9, 2011 departing every five minutes beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Check in 15 minutes early in the lobby. »
Meeting place: Stangenwald Building, 119 Merchant St. »
Cost: Free »
Reservations required: Accepted on a first-come, first-served basis at http://www.aiahonolulu.org/, or call 545-4242. »
Notes: Groups limited to 10. Participants should be mobile and fit, bring water and snacks, and wear comfortable shoes, sunscreen and a hat. Children under age 10 are usually too young to appreciate this tour. Families with young children are encouraged to attend Bank of Hawaii Family Sunday instead.
OTHER FREE EVENTS »
Architecture Firm Crawl: Several downtown firms welcome visitors to their offices, 4 to 8 p.m. April 15. Register on AIA Honolulu's website, http://www.aiahonolulu.org/, to receive a map and list of firms. »
Bank of Hawaii Family Sunday: Architects will lead children in an art design project using milk cartons to help celebrate the Honolulu Academy of Arts' 84th birthday; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 17 (galleries open until 5 p.m.), Honolulu Academy of Arts, 900 S. Beretania St. »
Film Night: Screening of "How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster?," which explores architect Norman Foster's ideals about sustainability and his quest to improve people's quality of life through design;
6:30 p.m. April 20, the ARTS at Marks Garage, 1159 Nuuanu Ave. Seating is limited; register at http://www.aiahonolulu.org/.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Royal Hawaiian Hotel to make history
The “Pink Palace” will be the first hotel in Hawaii to become a member of the Historic Hotels of America
By Allison Schaefers, Honolulu Star Advertiser
When the Royal Hawaiian opened in 1927, a crowd of more than 1,200 gathered to take part in the hotel’s historic debut.
Some 84 years later the iconic “Pink Palace of the Pacific” has become the first hotel in Hawaii to gain membership in the Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It was one of 39 historic properties selected for the program from more than 130 across the nation that were nominated.
A trip to the Royal Hawaiian, which just concluded a multimillion-dollar renovation this month, is like walking back in time. Despite the high-rises, busy streets and bustling shopping centers that surround it, guests say that it still is the same bright beacon bathing Waikiki in a warm pink glow that it was for the well-heeled travelers of the Roaring ’20s who arrived by steamship from faraway shores. There was only one other hotel, what is now called the Wes¬tin Moana Surfrider, on Waikiki Beach when the Royal Hawaiian opened amid much fanfare. But even today the Moorish visage of the 528-room hotel stands out from the beachfront density.
“If I look out to the ocean, I can picture those long-ago guests coming,” said Lawrence P. Horwitz, executive director of Historic Hotels Worldwide. “As I’m walking these halls, I like to imagine what it was like in those days. You can still experience that gracious hospitality, that aloha spirit here today.”
To be chosen for the National Historic Hotel Trust, a hotel must be at least 50 years old, listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or recognized locally as having historic significance, Horwitz said. The historically significant haven for celebrities, leaders, top business people, prominent families and other important guests was a natural fit, he said.
Among its guests, the Royal Hawaiian has counted President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Shah of Iran, aviatrix Ame¬lia Earhart and movie stars Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Shirley Temple, Mary Pickford, Doug¬las Fairbanks, George Burns and Gracie Allen. It was a home away from home for influential families like the Rockefellers, Fords and Du¬Ponts.
Wanda Grant, who has been coming to the hotel every March for nearly three decades and was at the celebration marking the hotel’s historic designation, also is part of the resort’s history. The Grant family of Burlington, Ontario, were such frequent visitors to Waikiki and to the Royal Hawaiian that they had a ball cap with the letters “TGIM” emblazoned on the front for the head of the family, Alden Grant, to wear.
“The letters stood for ‘Thank God It’s March,’” Grant said. “My Dad wore it proudly every time he was here. He passed away in 2007, but I still bring it here in memory of him.”
Resort staff also has found ways to remember one of their most frequent returnees, she said.
“When I came back to the Royal the following year after Papa passed away, I went down for breakfast that first morning, and one of the staff came out and put a lei on the chair across from me. She said for Papa,” Grant said. “Everyone here is like family; that’s why I keep coming back year after year.”
Grant, who is 57 now, said over the years she and other family members became part of a group of guests that would vacation together, staying months at a time.
“We would all meet in the old lanai and sit there on the couches and chairs as a huge group and talk story,” she said. “One year we even had songbooks, and we’d sing songs at night.”
Grant has celebrated her birthday in Waikiki for more than 20 years, she said. The staff usually surprises her with a cake poolside, she said. One year, Grant said that they even put a chocolate poodle on it so that her beloved dog could be with her in Hawaii.
“The staff doesn’t change much here. Over the years they get to know you,” she said. “You really feel that the time that you are here that you are privileged to be part of their friendship and aloha. It’s an amazing feeling.”
By joining with this national program, the Royal Hawaiian will become part of a booking network that connects travelers seeking out historic hotels, said Frank Haas, dean of hospitality, business and legal education at the University of Hawaii’s Kapiolani Community College.
“Hotels in this world of Travelocity and Orbitz are looking for a way to promote themselves in a way that is not just based on rate,” Haas said. “Historic travelers are willing to be a higher rate. They value experience over price. They tend to be more active, too.”
Hawaii needs to grow the tourism sector that appeals to heritage travelers, who are those who make a visit to a historic site or cultural attraction a centerpiece of their trip, said Kiersten Faulkner, executive director of the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, which nominated the property for the historic designation.
“Without the historic, cultural and natural resources that make Hawaii unique, it would be confused as just another commodity, without appreciation for its true value,” Faulkner said.
A portion of all travel booking fees from Historic Hotels of America goes back to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Horwitz said.
“We help preserve America’s treasures,” he said, adding that he hopes to sign another eight to 10 historic Hawaii hotels shortly.
While there are a lot of historic hotels east of the Rockies, Historic Hotels of America’s members are asking them to add more properties in the West, including Hawaii, said Roberta Rinker-Ludloff, whose firm Concept Designs LLC represents Historic Hotels of America.
“They are eager to experience the history of the islands,” Rinker-Ludloff said.
By Allison Schaefers, Honolulu Star Advertiser
When the Royal Hawaiian opened in 1927, a crowd of more than 1,200 gathered to take part in the hotel’s historic debut.
Some 84 years later the iconic “Pink Palace of the Pacific” has become the first hotel in Hawaii to gain membership in the Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It was one of 39 historic properties selected for the program from more than 130 across the nation that were nominated.
A trip to the Royal Hawaiian, which just concluded a multimillion-dollar renovation this month, is like walking back in time. Despite the high-rises, busy streets and bustling shopping centers that surround it, guests say that it still is the same bright beacon bathing Waikiki in a warm pink glow that it was for the well-heeled travelers of the Roaring ’20s who arrived by steamship from faraway shores. There was only one other hotel, what is now called the Wes¬tin Moana Surfrider, on Waikiki Beach when the Royal Hawaiian opened amid much fanfare. But even today the Moorish visage of the 528-room hotel stands out from the beachfront density.
“If I look out to the ocean, I can picture those long-ago guests coming,” said Lawrence P. Horwitz, executive director of Historic Hotels Worldwide. “As I’m walking these halls, I like to imagine what it was like in those days. You can still experience that gracious hospitality, that aloha spirit here today.”
To be chosen for the National Historic Hotel Trust, a hotel must be at least 50 years old, listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or recognized locally as having historic significance, Horwitz said. The historically significant haven for celebrities, leaders, top business people, prominent families and other important guests was a natural fit, he said.
Among its guests, the Royal Hawaiian has counted President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Shah of Iran, aviatrix Ame¬lia Earhart and movie stars Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Shirley Temple, Mary Pickford, Doug¬las Fairbanks, George Burns and Gracie Allen. It was a home away from home for influential families like the Rockefellers, Fords and Du¬Ponts.
Wanda Grant, who has been coming to the hotel every March for nearly three decades and was at the celebration marking the hotel’s historic designation, also is part of the resort’s history. The Grant family of Burlington, Ontario, were such frequent visitors to Waikiki and to the Royal Hawaiian that they had a ball cap with the letters “TGIM” emblazoned on the front for the head of the family, Alden Grant, to wear.
“The letters stood for ‘Thank God It’s March,’” Grant said. “My Dad wore it proudly every time he was here. He passed away in 2007, but I still bring it here in memory of him.”
Resort staff also has found ways to remember one of their most frequent returnees, she said.
“When I came back to the Royal the following year after Papa passed away, I went down for breakfast that first morning, and one of the staff came out and put a lei on the chair across from me. She said for Papa,” Grant said. “Everyone here is like family; that’s why I keep coming back year after year.”
Grant, who is 57 now, said over the years she and other family members became part of a group of guests that would vacation together, staying months at a time.
“We would all meet in the old lanai and sit there on the couches and chairs as a huge group and talk story,” she said. “One year we even had songbooks, and we’d sing songs at night.”
Grant has celebrated her birthday in Waikiki for more than 20 years, she said. The staff usually surprises her with a cake poolside, she said. One year, Grant said that they even put a chocolate poodle on it so that her beloved dog could be with her in Hawaii.
“The staff doesn’t change much here. Over the years they get to know you,” she said. “You really feel that the time that you are here that you are privileged to be part of their friendship and aloha. It’s an amazing feeling.”
By joining with this national program, the Royal Hawaiian will become part of a booking network that connects travelers seeking out historic hotels, said Frank Haas, dean of hospitality, business and legal education at the University of Hawaii’s Kapiolani Community College.
“Hotels in this world of Travelocity and Orbitz are looking for a way to promote themselves in a way that is not just based on rate,” Haas said. “Historic travelers are willing to be a higher rate. They value experience over price. They tend to be more active, too.”
Hawaii needs to grow the tourism sector that appeals to heritage travelers, who are those who make a visit to a historic site or cultural attraction a centerpiece of their trip, said Kiersten Faulkner, executive director of the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, which nominated the property for the historic designation.
“Without the historic, cultural and natural resources that make Hawaii unique, it would be confused as just another commodity, without appreciation for its true value,” Faulkner said.
A portion of all travel booking fees from Historic Hotels of America goes back to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Horwitz said.
“We help preserve America’s treasures,” he said, adding that he hopes to sign another eight to 10 historic Hawaii hotels shortly.
While there are a lot of historic hotels east of the Rockies, Historic Hotels of America’s members are asking them to add more properties in the West, including Hawaii, said Roberta Rinker-Ludloff, whose firm Concept Designs LLC represents Historic Hotels of America.
“They are eager to experience the history of the islands,” Rinker-Ludloff said.
Monday, March 28, 2011
US Congress passes Sixth FY 2011 Continuing Resolution; SAT and Preserve America Funding Eliminated
By Preservation Action
In a blow to preservationists, after months of advocacy, on March 17 the Senate approved the short-term Continuing Resolution (CR), (H.Res. 167, sponsored by Rep. Harold Rogers, R-KY) passed by the House at the end of last week that eliminates approximately $6 billion in FY 2011 funding. At the end of the day, legislators used the list of programs the President proposed for elimination as the basis for a number of their cuts. Among these programs, as Preservation Action and its partners has been following, is Save America’s Treasures and Preserve America. Together the programs represent approximately $30 million in funding.
This comes after more than 250 preservationists descended upon the Hill last week for “Advocacy Day.” Funding for preservation programs was one of the key asks.
While the authorization for the programs remains, zeroing out funding does not bode well for their future. Despite significant support for the programs among legislators, it may be next to impossible to get funding for FY 2011 restored in any future CR given the focus on both sides of the aisle on spending cuts.
Based upon last week’s visits on the Hill, however, legislators may be open to providing some funding for SAT and PA in FY 2012, albeit at greatly reduced levels. The ask being made by preservationists for FY 2012 is $50 million for State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), $11 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs), and $9 million for Save America's Treasures and Preserve America (combined), funded out of the Historic Preservation Fund. This represents 10% less than the combined funding for these programs in FY 2008 - a strategy that has been extremely well received.
By far, however, the greatest interest seems to be in preservation tax credit legislation - another key agenda item delivered during Hill visits last week. To learn more about the legislative agenda delivered during Advocacy Day, visit www.preservationaction.org/lobbyday.htm.
In a blow to preservationists, after months of advocacy, on March 17 the Senate approved the short-term Continuing Resolution (CR), (H.Res. 167, sponsored by Rep. Harold Rogers, R-KY) passed by the House at the end of last week that eliminates approximately $6 billion in FY 2011 funding. At the end of the day, legislators used the list of programs the President proposed for elimination as the basis for a number of their cuts. Among these programs, as Preservation Action and its partners has been following, is Save America’s Treasures and Preserve America. Together the programs represent approximately $30 million in funding.
This comes after more than 250 preservationists descended upon the Hill last week for “Advocacy Day.” Funding for preservation programs was one of the key asks.
While the authorization for the programs remains, zeroing out funding does not bode well for their future. Despite significant support for the programs among legislators, it may be next to impossible to get funding for FY 2011 restored in any future CR given the focus on both sides of the aisle on spending cuts.
Based upon last week’s visits on the Hill, however, legislators may be open to providing some funding for SAT and PA in FY 2012, albeit at greatly reduced levels. The ask being made by preservationists for FY 2012 is $50 million for State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), $11 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs), and $9 million for Save America's Treasures and Preserve America (combined), funded out of the Historic Preservation Fund. This represents 10% less than the combined funding for these programs in FY 2008 - a strategy that has been extremely well received.
By far, however, the greatest interest seems to be in preservation tax credit legislation - another key agenda item delivered during Hill visits last week. To learn more about the legislative agenda delivered during Advocacy Day, visit www.preservationaction.org/lobbyday.htm.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Workshop
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Workshop
Aloha community members! Join us in a free workshop to explore the NAGPRA law and implementing regulations as they relate to Native Hawaiian Organizations and Lineal Descendants on Tuesday, March 15th at Hālau o Haumea at the UH Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies. This workshop will feature Ms. Jan Bernstein of Bernstein & Associates – NAGPRA Consultants.
We believe that access to information empowers us to care for our kuleana and advocate for our people. For this reason, we are hosting this informational workshop to assist Native Hawaiian community leaders involved in the management, preservation, and stweardship of our cultural heritage.
Registration is free and includes all workshop materials and meals (breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack). An electronic certificate of completion will be issued to all participants. Seats are limited and registration is required.
Event: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Workshop
Where: Hālau o Haumea at the UH Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies
(2645 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822)
When: Tuesday, March 15, 2011: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
If you would like to attend this workshop, please email the following information to nhliaison@gmail.com or by fax at (808) 655-6654, or by mail to: 5019 Po‘ola St., Honolulu, HI 96821.
Workshop Registration Information
Name
Organization & Title
Address
City
State & Zip Code
Telephone
E-mail
Should you have any questions, please contact us at (808) 655-9694. Upon receipt of your registration form, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to you.
Mahalo!
Aloha community members! Join us in a free workshop to explore the NAGPRA law and implementing regulations as they relate to Native Hawaiian Organizations and Lineal Descendants on Tuesday, March 15th at Hālau o Haumea at the UH Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies. This workshop will feature Ms. Jan Bernstein of Bernstein & Associates – NAGPRA Consultants.
We believe that access to information empowers us to care for our kuleana and advocate for our people. For this reason, we are hosting this informational workshop to assist Native Hawaiian community leaders involved in the management, preservation, and stweardship of our cultural heritage.
Registration is free and includes all workshop materials and meals (breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack). An electronic certificate of completion will be issued to all participants. Seats are limited and registration is required.
Event: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Workshop
Where: Hālau o Haumea at the UH Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies
(2645 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822)
When: Tuesday, March 15, 2011: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
If you would like to attend this workshop, please email the following information to nhliaison@gmail.com or by fax at (808) 655-6654, or by mail to: 5019 Po‘ola St., Honolulu, HI 96821.
Workshop Registration Information
Name
Organization & Title
Address
City
State & Zip Code
Telephone
Should you have any questions, please contact us at (808) 655-9694. Upon receipt of your registration form, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to you.
Mahalo!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
HELP IDENTIFY ENDANGERED LANDSCAPES
The Cultural Landscape Foundation is seeking nominations of significant at-risk parks, gardens, horticultural features and working landscapes to be featured in the 2011 Landslide: The Landscape I Love.
Go to http://tclf.org/annual-spotlight/landslide-2011-landscape-i-love to learn more about this year's Landslide and submit a nomination of an individual and landscape. The deadline for nominations is March 31.
Since its inception in 2003, the Landslide initiative has spotlighted more than 150 significant at-risk parks, gardens, horticultural features, and working landscapes. This year's theme will again do so by calling attention to the places that embody our shared landscape heritage and the people that work tirelessly to preserve, interpret and protect them. Help us bring attention to individuals and the sites they love-nominate an at-risk cultural landscape and the person working to preserve it to the 2011 Landslide.
Go to http://tclf.org/annual-spotlight/landslide-2011-landscape-i-love to learn more about this year's Landslide and submit a nomination of an individual and landscape. The deadline for nominations is March 31.
Since its inception in 2003, the Landslide initiative has spotlighted more than 150 significant at-risk parks, gardens, horticultural features, and working landscapes. This year's theme will again do so by calling attention to the places that embody our shared landscape heritage and the people that work tirelessly to preserve, interpret and protect them. Help us bring attention to individuals and the sites they love-nominate an at-risk cultural landscape and the person working to preserve it to the 2011 Landslide.
Researchers find whaling ship from 1823 wreck
By Audrey McAvoy
Associated Press / February 11, 2011
HONOLULU—A fierce sperm whale sank the first whaling ship under George Pollard's command and inspired the classic American novel "Moby-Dick". A mere two years later, a second whaler captained by Pollard struck a a coral reef during a night storm and sank in shallow water.
Marine archaeologists scouring remote atolls 600 miles northwest of Honolulu have found the wreck site of Pollard's second vessel -- the Two Brothers -- which went down in 1823.
Most of the wooden Nantucket whaling ship disintegrated in Hawaii's warm waters in the nearly two centuries since. But researchers found several harpoons, a hook used to strip whales of their blubber, and try pots or large cauldrons whalers used to turn whale blubber into oil. Corals have grown around and on top of many of the objects, swallowing them into the reef.
"To find the physical remains of something that seems to have been lost to time is pretty amazing," said Nathaniel Philbrick, an author and historian who spent more than three years researching the Essex -- and its fatal encounter with the whale -- the Two Brothers and their captain. "It just makes you realize these stories are more than stories. They're about real lives."
Officials from the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument -- one of the world's largest marine reserves -- were due to announce their findings at a news conference Friday, exactly 188 years after the Two Brothers sank.
Kelly Gleason, the maritime archaeologist who led the discovery, first saw the ship's anchor in 2008 while surveying French Frigate Shoals. The anchor could have belonged to any one of three 19th century whaling ships that sank at this atoll. But additional artifacts found by Gleason's team over the next two years -- like the cast iron cooking pots scattered around the wreck site -- were unmistakably from the 1820s, while the other two vessels sank in 1859 and 1867.
The sinking of the Two Brothers was relatively uneventful compared to the Essex's epic run-in with the whale. After the Essex capsized, Pollard and fellow crew members drifted at sea without food and water for three months before they were rescued. To survive, Pollard and others resorted to cannibalism, including eating one of the captain's cousins.
Still, Thomas Nickerson, a crew member who served under Pollard both on the Essex and the Two Brothers, later described his boss as being in a daze as they had to abandon ship for the second time. "Capt. pollard (sic) reluctantly got into the boat just as they were about Shove off from the Ship," he wrote. Fortunately, the Two Brothers was sailing with a fellow whaling ship, the Martha, which had taken shelter near a rock. When the sun rose, the 20 or so crew members of the Two Brothers rowed over to the Martha which picked them up. They all survived. Pollard gave up whaling, though he was just in his mid-30s, and returned to Nantucket, Mass., where he became a night watchman -- a position of considerably lower status in the whaling town than captain.
While the sperm whale attack inspired Melville to write "Moby-Dick," the author isn't believed to have used Pollard as the basis for the book's notorious Capt. Ahab.
Melville actually didn't meet Pollard until about a year after his novel was published, some three decades after Two Brothers sank. Philbrick said the meeting left a strong impression on the author, whose creation hadn't been an immediate critical or commercial success.
"He was a man who had the worst cards possible dealt to him but was continuing on with nobility and great dignity," Philbrick said. "He is the anti-Ahab. Ahab is enlisting the devil and whatever to fulfill his crackpot schemes. Pollard was someone who had seen the worst but was quietly going about his life with the utmost humility."
The Two Brothers wrecked in water only 10 to 15 feet deep, and would have likely been stripped clean had it wrecked closer to a populated area. But the isolation of French Frigate Shoals means the site has been untouched. "We had the opportunity to find something that's probably as close to being a time capsule as we could get," Gleason said.
The Two Brothers was like other New England whaling ships of the time, in that its crew sailed thousands of miles from home hunting whales to harvest their blubber. They boiled the fat of the massive marine mammals into oil used to light lamps in cities from New York to London and to power early industry.
The appetite for whale blubber oil, however, meant the ships quickly exhausted successive whale grounds. The Essex was far off the coast of South America when the sperm whale rammed into it. The Two Brothers was passing through poorly mapped waters northwest of the main Hawaiian islands on the way to recently discovered whale grounds closer to Japan when it hit the reef.
"It was kind of like this ship trap of atolls," Gleason said. "It went from about 40 feet to all of the sudden they were in about 10 feet of water."
For Hawaii, the discovery is a reminder of the great upheaval the whaling industry brought to a kingdom still adjusting to life after the first European travelers arrived.
The hundreds of whaling ships that called on Hawaii's ports starting in 1819 boosted the kingdom's economy, but this mostly benefitted a few men who became suppliers to the vessels, said Jonathan Osorio, a professor of Hawaiian studies at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. The arrival of thousands of outsiders -- some of whom claimed Hawaiian law had no jurisdiction over them because they were American or European -- challenged the young monarchy.
Gleason said the artifacts are due to go on display at the marine monument's Discovery Center in Hilo and she hopes the exhibit will travel to Nantucket. The archeologists also have more surveying to do: there's still no accounting for another five whaling ships that sank in the atolls that now make up the Papahanaumokuakea monument.
Associated Press / February 11, 2011
HONOLULU—A fierce sperm whale sank the first whaling ship under George Pollard's command and inspired the classic American novel "Moby-Dick". A mere two years later, a second whaler captained by Pollard struck a a coral reef during a night storm and sank in shallow water.
Marine archaeologists scouring remote atolls 600 miles northwest of Honolulu have found the wreck site of Pollard's second vessel -- the Two Brothers -- which went down in 1823.
Most of the wooden Nantucket whaling ship disintegrated in Hawaii's warm waters in the nearly two centuries since. But researchers found several harpoons, a hook used to strip whales of their blubber, and try pots or large cauldrons whalers used to turn whale blubber into oil. Corals have grown around and on top of many of the objects, swallowing them into the reef.
"To find the physical remains of something that seems to have been lost to time is pretty amazing," said Nathaniel Philbrick, an author and historian who spent more than three years researching the Essex -- and its fatal encounter with the whale -- the Two Brothers and their captain. "It just makes you realize these stories are more than stories. They're about real lives."
Officials from the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument -- one of the world's largest marine reserves -- were due to announce their findings at a news conference Friday, exactly 188 years after the Two Brothers sank.
Kelly Gleason, the maritime archaeologist who led the discovery, first saw the ship's anchor in 2008 while surveying French Frigate Shoals. The anchor could have belonged to any one of three 19th century whaling ships that sank at this atoll. But additional artifacts found by Gleason's team over the next two years -- like the cast iron cooking pots scattered around the wreck site -- were unmistakably from the 1820s, while the other two vessels sank in 1859 and 1867.
The sinking of the Two Brothers was relatively uneventful compared to the Essex's epic run-in with the whale. After the Essex capsized, Pollard and fellow crew members drifted at sea without food and water for three months before they were rescued. To survive, Pollard and others resorted to cannibalism, including eating one of the captain's cousins.
Still, Thomas Nickerson, a crew member who served under Pollard both on the Essex and the Two Brothers, later described his boss as being in a daze as they had to abandon ship for the second time. "Capt. pollard (sic) reluctantly got into the boat just as they were about Shove off from the Ship," he wrote. Fortunately, the Two Brothers was sailing with a fellow whaling ship, the Martha, which had taken shelter near a rock. When the sun rose, the 20 or so crew members of the Two Brothers rowed over to the Martha which picked them up. They all survived. Pollard gave up whaling, though he was just in his mid-30s, and returned to Nantucket, Mass., where he became a night watchman -- a position of considerably lower status in the whaling town than captain.
While the sperm whale attack inspired Melville to write "Moby-Dick," the author isn't believed to have used Pollard as the basis for the book's notorious Capt. Ahab.
Melville actually didn't meet Pollard until about a year after his novel was published, some three decades after Two Brothers sank. Philbrick said the meeting left a strong impression on the author, whose creation hadn't been an immediate critical or commercial success.
"He was a man who had the worst cards possible dealt to him but was continuing on with nobility and great dignity," Philbrick said. "He is the anti-Ahab. Ahab is enlisting the devil and whatever to fulfill his crackpot schemes. Pollard was someone who had seen the worst but was quietly going about his life with the utmost humility."
The Two Brothers wrecked in water only 10 to 15 feet deep, and would have likely been stripped clean had it wrecked closer to a populated area. But the isolation of French Frigate Shoals means the site has been untouched. "We had the opportunity to find something that's probably as close to being a time capsule as we could get," Gleason said.
The Two Brothers was like other New England whaling ships of the time, in that its crew sailed thousands of miles from home hunting whales to harvest their blubber. They boiled the fat of the massive marine mammals into oil used to light lamps in cities from New York to London and to power early industry.
The appetite for whale blubber oil, however, meant the ships quickly exhausted successive whale grounds. The Essex was far off the coast of South America when the sperm whale rammed into it. The Two Brothers was passing through poorly mapped waters northwest of the main Hawaiian islands on the way to recently discovered whale grounds closer to Japan when it hit the reef.
"It was kind of like this ship trap of atolls," Gleason said. "It went from about 40 feet to all of the sudden they were in about 10 feet of water."
For Hawaii, the discovery is a reminder of the great upheaval the whaling industry brought to a kingdom still adjusting to life after the first European travelers arrived.
The hundreds of whaling ships that called on Hawaii's ports starting in 1819 boosted the kingdom's economy, but this mostly benefitted a few men who became suppliers to the vessels, said Jonathan Osorio, a professor of Hawaiian studies at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. The arrival of thousands of outsiders -- some of whom claimed Hawaiian law had no jurisdiction over them because they were American or European -- challenged the young monarchy.
Gleason said the artifacts are due to go on display at the marine monument's Discovery Center in Hilo and she hopes the exhibit will travel to Nantucket. The archeologists also have more surveying to do: there's still no accounting for another five whaling ships that sank in the atolls that now make up the Papahanaumokuakea monument.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Kona Historical Society to Offer Free Workshop on Recording Oral Histories
Do you know of some family stories that you’d like to preserve for future generations? Do you have a relative with a story to tell? Do you have a story to tell? Warren Nishimoto from the UH Manoa Center for Oral History and coauthor of the book Talking Hawaii’s Story will be presenting a workshop in partnership with the Kona Historical Society on how to record oral histories. The workshop is free and will be held on Thursday, March 24, 10:00am - 2:00pm at Christ Church Community Center, Kealakekua.
This will be a 4 hour workshop geared toward the community member with no previous training and is a step-by-step, “hands-on” instruction for the layman who wishes to document their community’s or organization’s stories or family members’ life experiences. Bring a bag lunch and an optional recorder for practicing, everything else will be provided. The number of spaces is limited for this opportunity, so reserve yours soon by calling 808-323-3222 or emailing khs@konahistorical.org
Kona’s Oral History Readings, Book Signing & Membership Meeting
Kona Historical Society will hold a meeting on Thursday, March 24, 5:00 - 7:00PM at Christ Church Community Center, Kealakekua. After a short membership meeting, Warren Nishimoto from the UH-Manoa Center for Oral History will introduce readings of oral histories he and his co-editors compiled in their book, Talking Hawaii's Story: Oral Histories of an Island People.
Featured will be the oral histories of plantation worker/boxer Severo Dinson , farmer /entertainer Martina Kekuewa Fuentevilla, road worker/farmer John Santana, and Kona cowboy William "Willie" Thompson-- all of whom were interviewed about their lives in Kona by the Center for Oral History in 1980 and included in Talking Hawaii's Story. The readings will be done by Nyla Fujii-Babb, Wayland Quintero and William Ha`o.
This book will be available for purchase and signing, following the presentation. Refreshments will be served and potluck pūpū are always welcome. Not a member? No problem, come anyway, we'd love to meet you! For more info call us at 808-323-3222 or email at khs@konahistorical.org
Please visit the website: www.konahistorical.org
This will be a 4 hour workshop geared toward the community member with no previous training and is a step-by-step, “hands-on” instruction for the layman who wishes to document their community’s or organization’s stories or family members’ life experiences. Bring a bag lunch and an optional recorder for practicing, everything else will be provided. The number of spaces is limited for this opportunity, so reserve yours soon by calling 808-323-3222 or emailing khs@konahistorical.org
Kona’s Oral History Readings, Book Signing & Membership Meeting
Kona Historical Society will hold a meeting on Thursday, March 24, 5:00 - 7:00PM at Christ Church Community Center, Kealakekua. After a short membership meeting, Warren Nishimoto from the UH-Manoa Center for Oral History will introduce readings of oral histories he and his co-editors compiled in their book, Talking Hawaii's Story: Oral Histories of an Island People.
Featured will be the oral histories of plantation worker/boxer Severo Dinson , farmer /entertainer Martina Kekuewa Fuentevilla, road worker/farmer John Santana, and Kona cowboy William "Willie" Thompson-- all of whom were interviewed about their lives in Kona by the Center for Oral History in 1980 and included in Talking Hawaii's Story. The readings will be done by Nyla Fujii-Babb, Wayland Quintero and William Ha`o.
This book will be available for purchase and signing, following the presentation. Refreshments will be served and potluck pūpū are always welcome. Not a member? No problem, come anyway, we'd love to meet you! For more info call us at 808-323-3222 or email at khs@konahistorical.org
Please visit the website: www.konahistorical.org
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