The Island of Hawaii, The Big Island of the Territory of Hawaii… [with] Street Map of Hilo showing points of interest (verso).

Description

Ruth Taylor White’s Most Elusive Hawaiian Map.

This is a c. 1940 Ruth Taylor White pictorial map of the Island of Hawaii, issued by the Chamber of Commerce of Hilo with a WPA Street Map of Hilo on the verso, and believed to be the first edition of this map, predating a known 1942 wartime edition distributed by the USO Club. White’s Hawaiian pictorial maps are among the most celebrated and collected works in American pictorial cartography, and this example, virtually unrecorded, is among the rarest in her Hawaiian series.

The map’s cartouche text, asserting that Hawaii joined the United States “voluntarily and not by conquest or purchase,” gives the piece an unusual political dimension that elevates it beyond the typical tourist production.

The Map in Detail

The pictorial map covers the full extent of the Island of Hawaii in White’s characteristic warm and witty style, from the Kohala Peninsula in the north to South Point at the island’s tip. Mauna Kea (13,825 ft.) and Mauna Loa dominate the interior, with Kilauea volcanic rendered within Hawaii National Park. Plantations, ranches, historic sites, and cultural landmarks are annotated throughout, with illustrated vignettes depicting coffee cultivation, sugar production, surfing, native figures, and sailing ships. A dashed line at the upper right leads the eye toward Honolulu.

The verso presents the WPA Street Map of Hilo, prepared by the Works Progress Administration and delineated by B.D. Chilson, showing Hilo Bay, Kuhio Bay, Coconut Island, Liliuokalani Gardens, the Naniloa Hotel, the Railroad Station, the Chamber of Commerce, Hilo Airport, the U.S. Naval Radio Station, the Hawaii National Guard Rifle Range, and the sugar mill facilities along the Wailoa River.

Historical Context

The cartouche’s claim that Hawaii joined the United States “voluntarily and not by conquest or purchase” is a pointed political assertion, one that was far from uncontested even in 1940. The 1898 annexation of Hawaii followed the 1893 overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani, with direct U.S. military involvement, and the Newlands Resolution, which formalized annexation, was passed by a simple Congressional majority rather than by treaty, precisely because a treaty would have required Hawaiian consent. The Chamber of Commerce’s decision to place this claim at the heart of a tourist map reflects the civic anxieties of pre-war Hilo, eager to present the territory as a proudly and voluntarily American place.

The WPA street map on the verso quietly tells a parallel story: the U.S. Naval Radio Station and the Hawaii National Guard Rifle Range visible on Chilson’s Hilo map are reminders of the military infrastructure that would define the islands after December 7, 1941. A 1942 edition of this map is known, with the Chamber of Commerce credit replaced by the Big Island USO Club and a printed date added, a wartime repurposing for soldiers stationed on the island. The present undated example, bearing the Chamber of Commerce imprint, is believed on this basis to be the earlier, first edition.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by Ruth Taylor White and issued by the Chamber of Commerce of Hilo, with the verso street map prepared by the Works Progress Administration, Hilo, and delineated by B.D. Chilson. At least two editions are recorded: the present undated first edition, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Hilo, and a 1942 wartime edition distributed by the Big Island USO Club. The 1942 edition has appeared on the market at least once; the present first edition appears to be unrecorded and is the only example we have encountered.