Iolani Palace, Honolulu, Hawaii - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

King David Kalakaua, who reigned from 1874 to 1891, was the first Hawaiian monarch to travel extensively through Europe and the rest of the world. Having seen some of the grand palaces in other nations, Kalakaua got the idea of building one for himself. The resulting structure, which took three years to build, was a collaboration of three different architects and defies classification. It was named Iolani Palace, the same name that was given to the former royal residence by King Kamehameha III.

Construction of the new palace began in late 1879. During his travels, King Kalakaua was exposed to many modern technological advances. As a consequence, Iolani Palace was equipped with both electric lighting and a telephone. This occurred before either of these “modern” conveniences was installed in the White House in Washington, D.C.

Iolani Palace’s stint as royal residence was rather short-lived. When David Kalakaua died in 1891, his sister, Liliuokalani became Queen. But her reign only lasted until 1893 when the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown, and the Hawaiian Islands were annexed to the United States. Iolani Palace then became the official seat of government, serving as capitol for the Republic of Hawaii, the Territory of Hawaii and finally, the State of Hawaii. (David Kalakaua and Liliuokalani are familiar names to philatelists as both have appeared on Hawaiian postage stamps of the classical period.)

After the new Hawaii State Capitol was completed in 1969, Iolani Palace was turned over to preservationists who restored the building to its former splendor as royal residence. Iolani Palace was opened to the public in 1978, almost a decade after the restoration was begun. The postal card was issued the next year drawing attention to the historic preservation effort. Well, historic preservation indeed: This place has been under near constant attack from relentless Formosan termites since the day it was originally built. Today, the building features underground steel barrier plates and the latest in termite baiting technology.

Iolani Palace has been designated a National Historic Landmark and is also on the National Register of Historic Places.

Stamp Issuing Country: United States Date of Issue: 1-Oct-1979 Denomination: 10c Color: multicolored Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]

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