Hawaii In the 1950s
I have a few vintage Hawaii slides to share with you today! Undated, but from the 1950s for sure.
This first one is labeled "American Factors Building". After a little research I learned that it was known as the "Hackfeld Building" (renamed AMFAC in 1966). Described in the Honolulu Advertiser as reflecting the “Italian Renaissance,” the building was really much more than this. With its board facades and domed entry (it) had all the trappings of a full-blown Beaux Arts Style block. The H. Hackfeld & Co. headquarters was three stories high, with an additional story and dome on the Queen and Fort Street corner. The old stone Hackfeld/Amfac Building came down in 1969 to prepare for the construction of the second of the two Amfac Center buildings, the Hawaii Tower (Hawaii Building), completed in 1971.
Next is this photo of Lau Yee Chai (which translates to ‘House of Abundance’) was built in 1929 by Chong Pang Yat, and its elaborate, classical Chinese architecture stood out in the Waikiki landscape, effectively attracting mainland tourists to its door. The original landmark restaurant featured a moon gate entryway, fishpond filled with carp, waterfalls, and a rock garden.
It featured expensive paintings and scrolls, fancy lacquered screens, waterfalls and ponds with carp, and attractive plants. Its advertisements claimed that Lau Yee Chai was “the most beautiful Chinese restaurant in the world.” This version was demolished in 1966 - The restaurant relocated to the Waikiki Shopping Plaza on Kalakaua Avenue for a few years before shutting down.
Here are two vintage postcards:
And finally, a beautiful view on Waikiki Beach, with Diamond Head in the distance. That's the Hawaii I want to visit!
8 comments:
"Building came down in 1969 ".
"the most beautiful Chinese restaurant in the world"... "demolished in 1966".
Good grief! I guess the greedy barbarians are in charge everywhere!.
The dark exterior of the Hackfeld/Amfac Building does make it rather imposing and dreary looking, but it's nothing that a coat of light-colored paint couldn't fix. I love the look of the Lau Yee Chai restaurant in your slide scan.
Thanks for the trip to Hawaii, Major. Mahalo.
These are nice pictures of Things That Are No More. The last photo is an interesting juxtaposition of man-made objects, none of which are still standing, and Diamond Head, a geologic formation that will outlast anything we care to build.
JB, ”The dark exterior of the Hackfeld/Amfac Building does make it rather imposing and dreary looking, but it's nothing that a coat of light-colored paint couldn't fix.” I couldn’t agree more. I’m thinking Irvine Pink with bright blue accents and some sparkles thrown in.
I found an interesting history of the company that Hackfeld founded that helps explain where the name “American Factors” came from. For those of you with a long familiarity with Hawaii, it also ties in with the historic department store chain Liberty House.
Thanks, Major! I can dream of a Hawaii as I shiver in a Midwestern December.
Oh, one additional comment that the history doesn’t mention - the Hackfeld Gate, shown in the photo at the top of the article, is now on display in Walker Park, the triangle of open space in front of the Hackfeld Building in the first of today’s GDB photos.
Fun photos… there are echos of these places still around…the first is not too dissimilar to ʻIolani Palace nearby, the restaurants represent a Chinatown still sort-of there; while the last looks like the beginnings of International Market Place, and many similar garden malls. All long overwhelmed by mid-century boxy building and late-century towers. And a beach, that lives in infamy, and film.
MS
This is good stuff, Major.
As MS noted, the general look of the first building is still visible downtown. The Podmore Building (now a restaurant and offices) could be a smaller sibling.
In Chinatown, a few blocks away, the Wo Fat Building shares many characteristics with the second building. Wo Fat is now a protected landmark. On my last visit, it was being renovated, possibly for another restaurant. And I know you will ask, is this Wo Fat connected to the criminal mastermind in Hawaii Five-O?, and yes, the Building inspired the writers to name the villain.
Thanks for this enjoyable post, Honolulu is one of my favorite cities in spite of the terrible 70’s architecture.
JG
Podmore: 844Q+X92 Honolulu, Hawaii
Wo Fat: https://maps.app.goo.gl/A9nHnTJGQSMQAyoPA
This being Pearl Harbor day, is this post just sheer coincidence? KS
JB, it’s like everyplace, LA is tearing down any charming old building for “luxury condos”. Sure to be affordable for the average person! They think that making them “mixed use” makes it OK, but it’s dumb. In my opinion. I’m sure that if the Hackfeld building photo had been taken on a sunny day, it would have looked much cheerier. Even Disneyland looks sad on a cloudy day.
Chuck, I was thinking that they should tear down Diamond Head and turn it into a big food court. If you’d like to invest, just send me piles of money. It’ll be great! “Irvine Pink”, ha ha. For somebody who claims to have learned at the feet of John Hench, KI sure doesn’t get much respect. I think she gets more praise for saving money by using leftover paint. Thank you for the link to the article about the Hackfeld Gate (etc)! I’d never heard of the “Liberty House” chain of stores.
Chuck, is a gate still a gate if it falls in the woods and makes no sound?
MS, having never been to Hawaii (because I won’t go without my invasive species “comfort animals”) but I would like to believe that there are still some tiny shreds of “Old Hawaii”. I did a post years ago showing a photo taken from “The Punchbowl” in the 1950s - Honolulu looks beautiful and charming in the old photo, and kind of awful in the “new” photo.
JG, it’s so weird, I have never felt a strong desire to go to Hawaii. Which is especially odd because my parents used to LOVE to go there, when my dad was in the Navy and my mom would fly out to meet him. I guess I want to see Hawaii, 1956, not Hawaii, 2024. I’m glad to hear that there are still areas with a bit of history, though.
JG, thanks for the link! That building reminds me a little of the kind of thing you’d see in various Chinatowns around the US.
KS, it actually IS a coincidence, I wrote this blog post many months ago!! How crazy.
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