MORE THAN 100 ITEMS RETURN HOME TO IOLANI PALACE

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Jocelyn Collado or

Megan Kakimoto

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MORE THAN 100 ITEMS RETURN HOME TO IOLANI PALACE

Helen Ladd Thompson Revocable Trust donation includes historical documents, royal orders, and long-lost photographs

HONOLULU (Jan. 22, 2020) – The Friends of Iolani Palace has welcomed home more than 100 items thanks to a generous donation from the Helen Ladd Thompson Revocable Living Trust.

“Many Palace treasures were lost to time after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, so we are extremely grateful to receive such well-preserved pieces from an important chapter of Hawaii’s history from the Helen Ladd Thompson family,” said Paula Akana, executive director of The Friends of Iolani Palace. “It’s always fulfilling to see items return home, and we hope this donation will encourage others to help The Friends of Iolani Palace bring more objects home.”

The Thompson family was inspired to donate the 113 objects they inherited from their ancestors, Antone and Emily Rosa, to share these representations of a unique time in Hawaii’s history with the public. Antone Rosa served both King Kalakaua and Queen Liliuokalani in numerous positions, including as Attorney General and as a Privy Council member. All items have been carefully preserved by the family, and include numerous royal orders, military accessories, historical documents, and photographs. Also included in the donation is a helmet plate from the Prince’s Own, a volunteer uniformed artillery unit of the Hawaiian Kingdom, which inspired the 2019 Palace ornament.

“It’s rare to receive so many cultural resources in such great condition. We thank the late Helen Ladd Thompson and her family for caring for them over the years,” said Teresa Valencia, director of curation and education at Iolani Palace. “The variety of objects donated lets us further understand this period of Hawaiian Kingdom history. We will share these cultural resources with our visitors by placing them on display in the near future.”

For information on returning objects to the Iolani Palace collection, visit www.iolanipalace.org/palace-collections.

About Iolani Palace

Iolani Palace is the only official residence of royalty in the United States. King Kalakaua was the first reigning monarch to travel around the world and built Iolani Palace in 1882 to enhance the prestige of Hawaii overseas and to mark Hawaii’s status as a modern nation. For more information, please call Iolani Palace at (808) 522-0822 or visit www.iolanipalace.org.

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