History Lessons

Brown's love of the past began at a young age. He always regaled in his family's tales about Hawaii of bygone days. Shortly after he began listening to his parents' record albums from the '30s and '40s, he started to collect all things Hawaiian. Eventually, he would focus his efforts on the memorabilia and mementos of Hawaii of the imagination - the Islands as a tourist destination throughout the years.

Brown, along with several other experts, helped Hawaii Business' editorial staff compile its list of Island icons. Last month, he took a few moments to discuss what, if anything, history can teach us.

Photo: Jimmy Forrest

HB: Was there a golden age in modern Hawaiian history?

A: When thinking about the past, it is so easy to say that, back in the old days, it was so much this or so much that. It is so easy to fall in the trap of nostalgia and the golden glow of the yesteryear. You can find quotes as far back as the 1800s, in which people are saying Hawaii isn't as nice as it used to be. For us, it would have been a veritable paradise. It is easy to forget that life in the past was as real as it is today. There were problems, many problems. If you were extremely wealthy and stayed at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, it was a fun world. If you were working on a plantation, it wasn't. You didn't have the level of medical care that we have grown accustomed, so the answer to your question is, no. This idea of there being a golden age is just a fantasy.

HB: If the old saying that those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it is true, what should we remember, so we don't make the same mistakes again?

A: I think that probably we shouldn't develop things the way we did, Waikiki being a prime example. Now to fix our mistakes, we have to tear things down. In the '60s, development occurred with very little control or forethought. Waikiki's infrastructure was developed in the '20s for residential use, not for a city of high-rises. As a result, the streets are far too narrow for the area, among other problems. The subsequent development of modern Waikiki had very little regard for history or historic preservation and conservation. We lost many distinctive buildings and homes. Some that recently come to mind are Canlis Restaurant and the original International Marketplace, which is rundown now, but was quite nice when it opened. However, I'm not saying that Waikiki is some kind of hellhole. There's an awful lot of vitality and a lot going on down there.

HB: So is history and historic preservation a luxury for the affluent and affluent societies?

A: Yes and no. If you're a property owner, your obligation is to your family and business. If the taxes on your family home in Waikiki are going up and up, you have to do something. You have to sell. But, on the other hand, much of today's redevelopment of Waikiki is taking into account the history of the area, even though many of the structures have been gone for years. I had my doubts about the Waikiki Historic Trail when it was first proposed, because there would be nothing to see besides the plaques themselves. Everything has been paved over. However, the trail is well done, and visitors seem to want to experience a little history, even though there might not be a trace of it.

HB: Is there something in our recent history that we should try and duplicate?

A: The best lesson that we can learn from history is that sometimes there are things that are going to happen that we can't imagine coming true. It's not that people have their heads in the sand and are ignoring it. You just can't anticipate the profound change ahead. We just have to be aware that that is something we are going to have to live with. For example, even though there were indications that sugar was in decline, no one in 1950 or even 1960 could have ever imagined Hawaii without a sugar industry. Sugar was everything to the Islands. It's why most of us are here today. Fortunately, we had tourism. More recently, no one could have anticipated the effect Sept. 11 would have on our economy. The airlines shut down for two days and, when they started up again, everyone was afraid to fly. It kicked tourism down the stairs.

HB: So someone who studies history as closely as you doesn't necessarily have a better view of the future or even the present?

A: I don't have a best guess as to what's going to happen in the future, and I'm grateful that I'm not in the position in either government or business where I would have to make those kinds of decisions. My only advice is that somehow you have to be prepared for the unexpected and the unimaginable.