Unseen Treasures

Museum vaults often contain artifacts that, for one reason or another, rarely see the light of day. Here’s a peek at hidden gems in the permanent collections of Honolulu’s major museums.

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"A Catalogue of the Different Specimens of Cloth Collected in the Three Voyages of Captain Cook,”

BISHOP MUSEUM

One of only 30 known copies still extant, this 18th-century book contains pieces of kapa from Capt. James Cook’s Pacific voyages, with handwritten notes. Paper ages rapidly when exposed to light, so this precious tome stays closed until a researcher requests to see it.