Matson Brochures
Two Matson Navigation Company brochures, ca. 1930 and ca. 1916
In the years before regular airplane service began in 1936, ships were literally the only way to travel across the Pacific, and Matson’s ships were the main mode of transportation between Hawai‘i and the west coast. Tourists were a significant part of Matson’s trade, and the company distributed a huge number of very striking published pieces to attract customers. These two brochures happen to both feature Diamond Head, an internationally-known symbol of Hawai‘i. Despite the illustration on the right, large passenger ships never sailed so close to Waikīkī. (DeSoto Brown Collection)
Mahalo to DeSoto Brown for the image and caption.
