Here Are The Oldest Photos Ever Taken In Hawaii And They’re Incredible

We love looking at photos of the past, imagining what life was like for generations before us. Hawaii has undergone monumental changes since the late 1800s, including the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, the development of Hawaii as a tourist destination, and in 1959, the island’s admittance as the youngest state in America. These 17 photographs were taken in the mid to late-1800s - long before Hawaii became a state. Some of the oldest photos of Hawaii, these images depict an era of old Hawaii you’ve only imagined in your wildest dreams.

1. A photograph of the Hawaiian railroad taken in 1882.

2. A fire burns in Honolulu’s Chinatown in 1900. The fire was set to destroy homes suspected of being infected by the bubonic plague, one of the worst disasters in the history of Hawaii.

3. Kamehameha V's summer residence at Helumoa - also known as The Royal Grove - as photographed in the mid-1800s.

Isn't it interesting to get a look at Hawaii in the 1800s?

4. The Kalaupapa Leper Colony as photographed in the 1880s.

5. This photograph depicts two Hawaiian children doing the hula in 1890, a little slice of what living in Hawaii was like in the 19th century.

6. This photograph of Laupahoehoe Village, circa 1885, shows us how gorgeous Hawaii is – even in black and white.

7. An old, undated photograph of the He’eia Fishpond on Oahu’s windward coast.

8. Princess Keelikōlani's grass house in Hawaii, circa 1883.

9. Keōua Hale was not only the palace of Princess Ruth Ke'elikōlani, but it was larger than Honolulu’s modern Iolani Palace.

10. Father Damien with the Kalawao Girls Choir at Kalaupapa, circa 1878.

11. A grove of palm trees near Kaunakakai on the tiny Hawaiian Island of Molokai.

12. Honolulu Harbor sure looks a lot different now than when this photo was taken in 1900.

13. Queen Liliuokalani as photographed in 1891 at the beginning of her reign at Iolani Palace.

14. An undated photograph of Kalawao men in front of St. Philomena Church.

15. This ethereal photograph was taken in Hawaii Island’s Puna District in the late 1800s.

16. The Hale Ali’i - home of King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma - as photographed in 1879.

17. Merchant street looking toward Waikiki, circa 1885.

Do you love seeing some of the oldest photos of Hawaii and marveling at just how much it's changed? You’ll enjoy looking at these 13 then-and-now photographs of the Hawaiian Islands.