This page last updated: 29 May 2019


::: BOOK PROJECT :::
Hono Post Office


On the left of this hand tinted c.1900 Island Curio Co. post card view is the colonnaded Honolulu Post Office on Merchant Street.




People ask when the long expected update to Meyer and Harris will be finished. A project to update this classic work was commenced about 1984 under the auspices of the Philatelic Foundation. In time, the project evolved into creating an entirely new set of books rather than being presented as an update to Meyer and Harris.

The first “book” actually consists of three volumes and is titled Hawai'i Foreign Mail to 1870. This set was released at the American Philatelic Society StampShow 2012, held in Sacramento, California in August, where it won the Grand Award and Gold Medal in the Literature Competition. Since StampShow, the book garnered the Ashbrook Medal, awarded by the United States Philatelic Classics Society, and a Large Gold Medal in the international literature competition at World Stamp Expo 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. In August, 2014, the book won a Large Gold Medal in the international literature competition at PHILAKOREA 2014, held in Seoul, Korea, with a special prize for “best in show,” the first time a literature exhibit was singled out as “best” in an FIP literature competition. In May, 2016 at World Stamp Show NY2016, the book won its third international Large Gold Medal and once more received the “best in show” special prize.

As the title reveals, these volumes cover Hawaii foreign mail to 1870 (i.e., mail to and from Hawaii). Included is a sailing list of vessel arrivals and departures at Hawaii from 1800 to 1870, census data on several categories of mail (including “pioneer covers” sent before 1830, covers sent “via Mexico,” the Honolulu straightline covers, missionary covers and Hawaiian Steam Service covers). Later books will address: 1) Hawaii postal history from 1870-1900 including local and interisland mail and postal markings; and 2) postage stamps, postal stationery, revenue stamps, official stamps and local stamps. You can help by continuing to send new information to me through the web site Feedback features. Publication of the series is made possible with private donations to the Philatelic Foundation.

Details for ordering the book are set forth in the following Philatelic Foundation advertisement.

Mystic with on-line


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