From Our Files

July archives

Our History

In 1888, King Kalakaua issued a royal charter, commissioning a magazine. Then titled Paradise of the Pacific, this publication became HONOLULU Magazine, making it the oldest magazine west of the Mississippi.

1921

“An event of tremendous significance in the history of the Territory of Hawaii will take place in the month of July when the great Hawaii National Park, by far the most wonderful of the playgrounds set aside for all time for the use of all peoples, will be formally dedicated to the American nation by a representative of the United States government,” writes Paradise of the Pacific, predecessor to HONOLULU Magazine. The magazine devoted most of its issue to the new park, crediting, among others, Professor T.A. Jagger Jr. director of the Hawaiian Volcano Research Association, for getting the volcanoes declared a national park. The Jagger Museum and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is named after him.

1936

Paradise of the Pacific launches a subscription campaign in which people who sold the most subscriptions could win “substantial, worth-while prizes,” including a choice between a Terraplane Sedan or a Terraplane Coupe as first prize, a Gruen diamond wrist watch, a nine-tube Atwater-Kent Radio Phonograph Combination, a trip to Kilauea Volcano and $50 in cash ($803 in 2011 dollars). Don’t remember the Terraplane? These stylish cars were produced by the Hudson Motor Car Co. between 1932 and 1938, designed to be affordable during the Depression. Amelia Earhart attended the launch of the line. In 1954, Hudson merged with the Nash-Kelvinator Corp., becoming American Motors, until that, in turn, was bought by Chrysler in 1987, when AMC’s most popular product was the Jeep.

1966

Happy birthday to us! Paradise of the Pacific launches under a new name, HONOLULU Magazine, with its July 1966 issue. Articles included a cover story on a recent visit to the Islands by Jacqueline Kennedy, as well as a look at the modernist Mauna Kea resort on the Big Island after its first year of operation; a fashion spread on ladies’ hats; a profile of Hal Lewis, then celebrating 20 years as popular radio personality, J. Akuhead Pupule; and a recipe for a banana split made for the Marianist members of the Chaminade College faculty, as a reward for chastity. The localized recipe included guava, lilikoi and pineapple sherbets instead of vanilla, strawberry and orange ice cream.