Old color movies of Honolulu on VJ Day, 1945 (& maybe a glimpse of Kona)

A lost world.



Very cool video assembled from 16mm film by Richard Sullivan (who also shot the film, according to a comment by his son, here). Interesting shots of how Honolulu looked in August 1945, and at the 3:04-3:08 mark what looks like a woman enjoying the view from the upper road between Kona and Waimea( near where the scenic viewpoint turnoff is now, it appears), looking towards Pu'uanahulu and Kohala. Anybody else see that?

On a related note, the kissing nurse in the famous VJ Day photo passed away this past Sunday.

Kona Association for the Advancement of Alahe'e (KAAA)

Unfortunately, there's no such thing: the alahe'e is a good looking, fragrant plant with clusters of white flowers. Kealakehe residents (or people with kids at the schools there) know that when they're in bloom, they perfume the air of the whole area. Recently, the (badly-needed) widening of Palani has taken out a number of sterling specimens of alahe'e, including the one pictured here. RIP, buddy, thanks for the blossoms. (Click on image for larger.)

In the "plants still alive" category we have a vivid orange lehua, from Huehue Street, in the mist and clouds:

Hawaii Photo Expo in Hilo June 4-23

Last night I attended the opening of the Hawai'i Photo Expo at the Wailoa Center Gallery in Wailoa Center State Park just makai of the State Building in downtown Hilo. I went because I have a picture in the Expo, shown below:

That's a real fire extinguisher, by the way, not a piece of conceptual art. That's also not a trash can right below my picture, though it confused me at first, too. Anyway, my picture is right by the door, and there are many lovely and interesting photos by much better photographers than I. Worth a look.