John Shea O'Donnell Photography & Design, San Francisco: Hawaii 4

johnsheao°donnell PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN HAWAI'I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

INTRODUCTION TO GALLERY Press Esc to close INTRODUCTION TO HAWAI'I GALLERY No longer a Polynesian paradise inhabited by competing factions on its islands, though Hawai’i is still an island chain inextricably tied to volcanoes. Vestiges of the native Hawaiian culture are memorialized, but that Protestant missionary-founded school, Punahou continues to breathe life thanks to Hawai’i’s post-colonial elite while the Kamehameha Schools need to continue fighting to protect their aim to serve the indigenous Hawaiians. Monk Seal and hono live astride imported geckos, birds and tropical flowers. Hawai’i’s son, Daniel Inouye, passes before another island sunset. Hawai’i is many things to many people. These pictures are from a short return visit after having lived there for about a year a few years back. Having grown up in Southern California, Hawai’i’s beaches is not what is most distinctive about the islands but rather, the volcanoes and flowers, while remnants of native Hawaiian culture are difficult to find unless they can be commoditized. There is something awesome about seeing active lava flows in person perhaps because they remind us how land is formed at one time liquid and too hot to support life as we know it and yet cooled over time, what helps provide us with sustenance. The shape of dried lava flow, black with hints of red iron, when it still retains the memory of its liquid past is a marvel of ripples, folds, bubbles, reflective sheen made more spectacular when green plant life begins to pop up between cracks. It’s these rich volcanic soils, the rains and warm weather which make the islands wonderful greenhouse to the world’s flowers which seem to appear in colors more bold than most places. The tiki of Pu’uhonua O Honaunau are a reminder of the pre-colonial era of Hawai’i before American Protestant missionaries persuaded the natives to abandon their religion for the religion of Mammon and shame while abstract etches in stone reveal the importance of rowing, surfing and turtles to the old life. (If you are interested in Hawai'i's history, please check out http://www.johnsheaodonnell.com/HawaiianHistory)
			PALM BERRIES	SUNSET ON KONA, THE BIG ISLAND	CHINAMAN'S HAT ISLAND, KANEOHE	KANEOHE	KANEOHE
	HALE O LONO, WAIMEA VALLEY, O'AHU. "House of Lono," reconstruction of a heiau believed to have originally dated from 1470.	HALE O LONO, WAIMEA VALLEY	HALE O LONO, WAIMEA VALLEY	HALE O LONO, WAIMEA VALLEY	HALE O LONO, WAIMEA VALLEY	PORTRAIT OF KAMEHAMEHA IN WESTERN ATTIRE, BISHOP MUSEUM, O'AHU. He is said to have only worn Western attire for brief visits with Westerners as a shrewed political gesture.	TOMB OF KAMEHAMEHA'S FRIEND-IN-ARMS, JOHN YOUNG, MAUNA 'ALA ROYAL MAUSOLEUM, HONOLULU. "Beneath this stone are deposited the remins of John young (of Lancashire England) the Frend and Companion in Arms of Kamehameha who departed this life December 17, 1835 in the 93rd year of his age and the 46th of this residence on the Sandwich Islands.
	TOMB OF JOHN ADAMS KUAKINI CUMMINS, O'AHU CEMETERY, HONOLULU. Son of an Englishman and High Chiefess Kaumakaokane Papali'ai'aina. He was a landowner, sugar plantation owner, involved in the Hawaiian Kingdom government and supporter of Queen Lili'uokalani.	TOMB OF LORRIN ANDREWS, O'AHU CEMETERY, HONOLULU. Andrews was a member of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) who beginning with Hiram Bingham, worked successfully to Christianize Hawaiian culture. He was a member of the third group of ABCFM along with Gerrit Parmele Judd to arrive in the Sandwich Islands, and was the grandfather off Lorrin Thurston.	KAWAIAHA'O CHURCH, HONOLULU. Designed by Hiram Bingham and commissioned by Kamehameha's widow, Ka'ahumanu, it was completed in 1842. Hiram Bingham was the first missionary to make inroads into Hawaiian society after realizing the most effective way to convert the Hawaiian people was to start with the Ali'i or royalty. King Kamehameha preserved Hawaiian culture but after his death, his wife Ka'ahumanu fell under Bingham's influence.	GATE OF PUNAHOU. Punahoa was founded by Hiram Bingham and Gerrit Parmele Judd to educate missionary children but was later opened to others. It was the training ground for haoles like William Little Lee and Charles Reed Bishop, who wrested control of the islands from the Hawaiians. It remains an elitist institution to this day. It is the alma mater of Barack Obama.	TOMB OF GERRIT PARMELE JUDD, O'AHU CEMETERY, HONOLULU. Judd, a missionary, represented the second influence of the ABCFM. He orchestrated the Big Mahele, essentially a large islands land transfer to the missionaries, their children, and friends away from the native Hawaiians. Similarly he seated the same people in the government of the Hawaiian Kingdom.	CLOSEUP, TOMB OF GERRIT PARMELE JUDD. Perhaps friend of Hawai'i but not earnest friend of Hawaiians.	TOMB OF ASA G. THURSTON, O'AHU CEMETERY, HONOLULU. Missionary son of Asa Thurston who arrived in the islands with Hiram Bingham. Asa G. Thurston was the father of Lorrin Thurston. Lorrin, an alum of Punahou, was a principle leader of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
	IOLANI PALACE. Royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawai'i beginning with Kamehameha III and ending with Queen Lili'uokalani. After Lili'uokalani was overthrown, it served as the capitol of the Provisional Government, Republic, Territory, and State of Hawai'i until 1969.	'ALA ROYAL MAUSOLEUM. Initially the burially place of the leaders of the Kingdom of Hawai'i, their remains were moved to other locations on the property. The only two individual tombs on the property are for haoles: Charles Reed Bishop and John Young. Queen Lili'uokalani and King Kalakaua's remains were put in a crypt named after the latter with several others. Kings of the Kamehameha Dynasty were buried in a separate tomb.	TOMB OF THE KAMEHAMEHA DNASTY, 'ALA ROYAL MAUSOLEUM, HONOLULU	THE KALAKAUA DYNASTY CRYPT, 'ALA ROYAL MAUSOLEUM, HONOLULU	QUEEN LILI'UOKALANI, KALAKAUA CRYPT	TOMB OF HIGH CHIEFESS ELIZABETH KEKA'ANIAU LA'ANUI PRATT (1834-1928), O'AHU CEMETERY, HONOLULU. Keka'aniau was a favorite at the royal courts of King’s Kamehameha III, IV, V, Lunalilo, and Kalakaua. The latter four were her schoolmates at the Royal Boarding School, founded by Kamehameha III for the preparation of Hawaii’s future rulers. Keka'aniau was the last surviving member of it’s original 16 royal students.	ALI'IOLANI HALE, HONOLULU. The "House of Heavenly Kings," sits opposite the Iolani Palace, the Ali 'Iolani Hale, and housed the government administrators of the Hawaiian Kingdom for awhile in the late 19th century before it's overthrow. It now serves as the seat of the Supreme Court of the State of Hawai'i.