Video
Stephen T. Mather Film Collection: Hawaii #2, 1927
Descriptive Transcript
Two men and a woman walk out of an arched doorway of an ornate building. A man and two women walk among tall plants. Two men and a woman walk out of a building.
A large sit-down dinner, with many dozens of people sitting at long tables. Many are wearing leis. Although not identified in the video, this is a dinner event from the Pan-Pacific conference for dignitaries and attended by Secretary of the Interior Hubert Work and NPS director Stephen T. Mather. People mill about as a group sings, a man plays a guitar, and a woman plays a ukelele.
Scene changes to two park rangers and a couple of men by cars. Cars are lined up on a dock where the steamship “Calawaii” is docked. Although not identified in the film, the “Calawaii” is docked in Honolulu. It delivered Secretary Work’s party to that city following three days on Maui and Hawaii so that they could sail to San Franciso, California.
Scene changes to about eight people and horses preparing to ride. Stephen Mather and his distinctive movie camera case is on one of the horses.
Two men stand talking at the rail of a boat. A fast boat with about 10 people sitting on the bow streams along in the water, filmed from above on another boat. The boat is named “Hilo Pilot.” Women with armfuls of leis wait for passengers to disembark from a ship gangplank. A steam train runs along the dock. People in the open carriages of the train wave as they ride past.
Scene changes to two men walking down a walkway from a building. Above the door the sign reads, “Hawaii National Park” which suggests this is the headquarters building. Although not identified in the film, the first man is Secretary Work.
Four men and a woman stand outside. The woman shakes a man’s hand. Although not identified in the film, Stephen Mather can be seen standing at the far right of the group. Another man is seen holding a motion picture camera. Lots of people mill about. A building with observation binoculars. Although not identified in this film, this scene is probably part of the dedication of a new museum situated on Uwekahuna bluff overlooking Kilauea crater.
A man pushes the denotator on a box to set off a charge as a crowd of people stand around him. Although not identified in the film, he is Secretary of Interior Hubert Work. He then shakes the hand of the man standing next to him, probably Governor Wallace R. Farrington. A man in an NPS uniform standing nearby isn’t identified in the film but he is Hawaii National Park superintendent Richard T. Evans. A little way down a curved road, an explosion happens, and a dust cloud appears. Although not identified in the film, this was the beginning of construction work on the Chain of Craters Road through Hawaii National Park.
Scene changes to men hitting golf balls. Although not clearly visible or identified in the film, they were hitting the balls into the Kilauea Volcano, aiming for the crater to become part of the “Hole-in-One Club” of Kilauea Volcano. Although not identified in the film, some of the golfers are Secretary Hubert Work, Governor Wallace R. Farrington, US Commissioner of Education Dr. J.J Tigert, and Stephen Mather.
Many people walk along a path through a garden. Some start to run, and others appear with umbrellas, indicating that it has started to rain.
Superintendent Richard T. Evans shakes hand with a woman. They are standing at the bottom of a stairs in front of a wooden building, probably the Volcano House but not identified as such in the film. Soon five women and girls come out of the building and come down the stairs. They walk to a grassy area near the building and play with a small dog who jumps excitedly. Superintendent Evans reappears.
Scene shifts to people on a boat. A navy band is assembled on the deck. A man covered in leis goes up the gangplank. Superintendent Evans stands with a man and woman who both wear leis. The men shake hands and Evans leaves. Other passengers laden with leis are seen, although in at least one instance a man’s face is barely visible for all the leis around his neck. People with leis shake hands with others on the dock and board the ship. A Navy brass band plays.
Scene shifts to onboard entertainment which consist of whacking each other with small clubs seemingly made of rolled newspapers while blindfolded, feeding each other while blindfolded, and something like an egg and spoon race.
Description
Silent black-and-white home movies of Secretary of Interior Hubert Work and party traveling in Hawai’i and attending Pan-Pacific conference events; Hawai’i National Park building; Secretary Work detonating an explosion to begin the Chain of Craters Road in Hawai’i National Park; hitting golf balls into the Kilauea Volcano; Superintendent Richard T. Evans and Director Stephen T. Mather are in some scenes; shipboard activities. Copyright transferred to the NPS.
Duration
14 minutes, 45 seconds
Credit
NPS History Collection (HFCA 1883)
Date Created
11/21/2024
Copyright and Usage Info