O’ahu – Honolulu: Bishop Museum – Hawaiian Hall – Painting
wallyg has added a photo to the pool:
The Hawaiian Hall Complex at the Bishop Museum consists of Hawaiian Hall and Polynesian Hall, both built to the Richardsonian Romanesque design of architect William F. Smith in 1898. The three-floor Hawaiian Hall takes visitors on a journey through the different realms of Hawai‘i. The first floor is the realm of Kai A-kea which represents the Hawaiian gods, legends, beliefs, and the world of pre-contact Hawai‘i. The second floor, Wao Kanaka, represents the realm where people live and work; focusing on the importance of the land and nature in daily life. The third floor, Wao Lani, is the realm inhabited by the gods; here, visitors will learn about the ali‘i and key moments in Hawaiian history.
The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawai'i State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, located in the historic Kalihi district, is the largest museum in Hawai'i and home to the world's largest collection of Polynesian cultural and scientific artifact. The museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop, in honor of his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last legal heir of the Kamehameha Dynasty. The museum was established to house the collection of Hawaiian artifacts and royal family heirlooms of the Princess, but has since expanded to include millions of artifacts, documents and photographs. Bishop built the Hawaiian Hall and Polynseian Hall on the grounds of the origianl Kamehameha School for Boys. The Museum and School shared the Kapa-lama campus until 1940 when a new larger school complex was opened nearby, and the museum expanded.