[1920s Hawaii photo album with "The Big Kahuna" content.]

An album of over 100 original photographs documenting a French tourist's trip to Hawaii at the time of the centennial of the arrival of American missionaries, with images of apparently related celebrations, two photos of Duke Kahanamoku-the noted father of modern surfing and Olympic swimmer-and an engaging variety of other images, including several of Edward, the Duke of Windsor (later Edward the VIII).

The two images of Kahanamoku-likely commercially produced-show the handsome Hawaiian waterman in a bathing suit standing next to an upright surfboard (bearing the name "Duke"); the other image (annotated "Kahanamoku") captures him as he is about to dive into the water. Other subjects documented in the album include: the volcano Kilauea; beach scenes; steamship travel; "Volcano house"; Rainbow Falls; Mount Kilawa; a native Hawaiian musical group posing with instruments; gardens and residences; a Mormon Temple; a rowing competition; piers on the beach; the Taro plant; a fishermen; Hula dancers; sugar-cane farmers; native dwellings; a banquet, and several images of a parade and other celebratory activities, one of them featuring a float with a model ship mounted on the bow flying a flag with the word "Pioneer" on it, a reference to the Pioneer Company of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, which first arrived in Hawaii in 1820. The photos were taken at Moana, Honolulu, Koko Head, Haleiwa, Waikiki, Diamond Head, etc. One photo is captioned, "Avril 1920." Two images are by photographer R.M. Clutterbuck, and one is a photo postcard by U.S. photographer Ray Jerome Baker (1880-1972). A handful of images show the future Edward VIII sitting in a boat surrounded by a smiling crownd, marching in a parade, etc. The compiler of the album, who is unidentified, traveled to Hawaii aboard the SS Lurline. Various individuals are identified throughout.

Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968)-fondly called "The Duke" and "The Big Kahuna"- won five Olympic medals as a swimmer, and for a period was regarded as the world's greatest freestyle swimmer. Duke also popularized and became an icon of the ancient Hawaiian sport of surfing, which by the late-19th century had nearly been eradicated in Hawaii by missionaries. Between 1913 and 1917, Kahanamoku set three world records in the 100-yard freestyle. He also helped develop the flutter-kick (which replaced the scissors kick), and toured the world teaching the technique. In the 1920s he began appearing in Hollywood movies. Between 1932 and 1961, he served as sheriff of the city and county of Honolulu. He was the first person to be inducted into both the Surfing and Swimming Halls of Fame.

An appealing photo-document of the Hawaiian scene in 1920.

REFERENCES: Duke Kahanamoku at britannica.com; The extraordinary surfing life of Duke Kahanamoku at surfertoday.com