Museum spotlights scholar's legacy, Alaskan refuge
Advertiser Staff
Ever wonder who introduced the mynah bird to Hawai'i? When did the lychee tree come from China to the Hawaiian Islands? Who was the first doctor to work at what was known as the Queen's Hospital when it was founded? Who does the scientific name of the pua maka nui honor?
The answers to these questions are revealed in a new Bishop Museum exhibit entitled "Dr. Hillebrand in Hawai'i," opening in the museum's Hawaiian Hall on Saturday. It will be on display through April 2005.
A German doctor, William Hillebrand arrived in Hawai'i in 1850. Over the next 20 years, he made enormous contributions to the kingdom as a medical doctor, public servant, scientist and importer of exotic plants and animals. Best remembered today for his discoveries and publications as a botanist, Hillebrand's roles as physician, public-health official, diplomat and civic-minded citizen are less often recalled.
The thriving Chinese and Portuguese communities in the Islands today are legacies of Hillebrand's government service. Hillebrand served Hawai'i as immigration commissioner in the 1860s.
The exhibit is financed by the German Consulate in San Francisco and the German Benevolent Society of Honolulu. It will showcase photographs, images, specimens and artifacts that illustrate Hillebrand's contributions to Hawai'i from 1850 to 1870.
Also opening Saturday is "Seasons of Life and Land," a photo exhibit featuring the works of Subhankar Banerjee. Banerjee took a 4,000-mile journey with guide Robert Thompson, on foot, by raft, kayak and snowmobile along the Hulahula River (named by Hawaiian sailors on whaling ships) in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The exhibit will be on display in the Hall of Discovery through August 1.
"Seasons of Life and Land" offers a photographic portrait of the Alaskan Refuge spanning the diversity of all four seasons.
The museum, at 1525 Bernice St., is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $14.95 for adults; $11.95 for children ages 4 to 12; special rates for kama'aina, seniors and military. Children younger than 4 and Bishop Museum Association members are admitted for free.
For information, call 847-3511 or visit www.bishopmuseum.org.
