Nearly 40 years after they were taken, pictures of Waikiki and its denizens have triggered memories and responses from Star-Advertiser readers.
Eric Yanagi, a 22-year-old commercial photographer in 1973, took it upon himself to document the people of Waikiki and their environment in the face of rapid development. He recently published a book of his photographs, "Waikiki ’73," which was featured on the cover of the Aug. 12 Today section with a plea for help in identifying some of the people in his pictures.
An elderly man, mandolin in hand and a smile on his face, who is seen on the cover of the book was identified by Nalani Puha as her grandfather, John Moses Puha.
"He used to take his mandolin and serenade the people, first in front of the McDonald’s at the Fort Street Mall, and then he took his mandolin and entertained the people in Waikiki," she said in an email.
"I remember when McDonald’s learned of his death, they wrote a thank-you to him in the Star-Bulletin."
Many of Puha’s relatives wrote in about the photo, but he was warmly remembered by others as well. Reader Ca Choi recalls working in front of the Rigger Restaurant in the Outrigger Hotel in 1973 and seeing Puha perform there frequently.
"He was a very friendly person," Choi said in an email. "I still think of him occasionally. I sure miss those days."
So far, information has been gathered on five other pictures, including a group photo of the late musician Jesse Kalima and his family.
Along with his wife, Dorothy, and children Andrea, Dana and Kaliko, Kalima is seen standing in the entry to his Wai Nani Way home, which reader Andre Lopez described as "a gathering place for entertainers, movie stars, celebrities, beachboys and even a teen club called the Go-Getters’ Club."
"Lots of fond memories and kanikapila could be found at this residence," said an email from Lopez, a musician who joined in the activities and eventually married Andrea Kalima.
Kalima helped popularized the solo ukulele playing style. According to the website ukulele.org, he won the Hawaii amateur ukulele championship at age 15 by playing the march "Stars and Stripes Forever," and formed the Kalima Brothers, which was known as "A Thousand Pounds of Melody."
Some of the identifications are as notable for who submitted them as much as for who’s being identified. Retired Deputy Police Chief Karl A. Godsey wrote in to identify the two officers sitting in their patrol car in one of the photos as Ronald Yuen and Claude Forney. Godsey said Forney died many years ago and that Yuen is a retired reserve officer for the Honolulu Police Department.
Occasional online updates of the book will be provided at staradvertiser.com. Yanagi is planning to add the information to future editions of the book.
The photographs, grouped in three slide shows, can be accessed via the staradvertiser.com front page; names and other information can be emailed to waikiki73@staradvertiser.com.
