I was just about a month old when Hawaii officially become one of the United States. It got a lot of press in the 1960's. I watched, Hawaii Five-O, the original TV series from about the age of nine (most probably on a black and white television). If you know me at all, you are also aware that I like the tropics. So, of course the Pacific-Ocean island was one of the first big vacations we took after coming to Canada.
We were witness to the Kodak Hula Show in Waikiki in 1998. That particular event had celebrated its 60th anniversary the year before we got there. The show was started in 1937 by Fritz Herman, then-vice president and manager of Kodak Hawaii. At the time, visitors had few opportunities to take pictures of hula shows during the daytime. The show was held for decades at Sans Souci. During its final years, it took place on the grounds of the city's Kapiolani Park at the Waikaki Shell. We saw it there. Less than a year later, in June of 1999 Kodak pulled funding. Although the show operated without their sponsorship for a few more years, it was eventually closed for good in 2002. I feel fortunate to have directly witnessed this part of history.
