Transformations: 40+ years of restoration at 'Iolani Palace

There was a slow down with signage, but the new temporary exhibit is now complete. Come to the Palace and check out Restoring 'Iolani Palace, a small collection of objects and images which illustrate building restoration, interior refurnishing, and artifact conservation that began in the 1960s and continues today.

There's something magical about seeing "before" and "after." Seeing the transformation, what goes on behind the scenes, is eye-opening. This exhibit shows a little of both.

Here are some of the photographs i thought were most interesting (not all are in the exhibit):

BEFORE & AFTER

Mauka facade

Upper Hall

IN BETWEEN

Not quite sure what's happening but looks like full on construction zone--
dusty with a pile of bricks

Awesome jacket! George Ariyoshi was Governor during building restoration.

Look at the construction of this arch! (I think its a door.) I never imagined the frame as separate from the building.

Just like the door frames, I hadn't thought of the wall paneling as separate. Think of all that wood that was refurbished and reworked! Much of it was badly termite eaten. In this photo you can see the base brick construction after the paneling is removed and wood floors being installed.

Teamwork! Workmen carry a completed wood flagpole across the grounds.

The Restoration Exhibit takes the place of the Ancient Regalia Exhibit. Featherwork and other sensitive ethnographic artifacts have been removed in preparation for renovations to the air conditioning system.