This post was originally published back in 2012, so it seems like it’s an appropriate occasion to run it by you again.

In honor of Kamehameha Day, June 11, here’s a collection of photos of celebrations past.

Each photo links to a series of additional pics. Just click on any of the photos to see more.

1939 or 1940? I found these unmarked photos among my dad’s papers. I’m guessing that it’s Kamehameha Day, because in one photo you can see a large wreath at the base of what appears to be the Kamehameha Statute, with some long strands of flowers visible behind. And I’m guessing it was just before the outbreak of WWII. My dad arrive in Honolulu in May 1939, so it could have been that same year.

1944…Hawaii was still under martial law in 1944 when my father and other members of the Junior Chamber of Commerce staged a Kamehameha Day celebration on Waikiki Beach. Thousands of servicemen and some local residents jammed the beach for the event, which included canoe and surfboard paddling competitions, although it looks like the beauty contest drew the most attention.

1949…After WWII, the newly formed Waikiki Surf Club held a series of Kamehameha Day competitions in Waikiki, including this one in 1949. These got large amounts of news coverage at the time.

1957…I found these negatives in a yellowed envelope, carefully described and dated by my mother, Helen Lind. She took the photos from a vantage point at the corner of King Street and Punchbowl Street, in front of city hall and across from Kawaiahao Church. There’s an interesting view down King Street in the first photo.