HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

122

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA COLLEGE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE AND HUMAN RESOURCES HISTORIC COSTUME COLLECTION AS A STATE TREASURE OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE AND ENCOURAGING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A MUSEUM FOR ITS PRESERVATION

 

 


     WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Historic Costume Collection is a world class, hidden treasure; and

 

WHEREAS, the Historic Costume Collection contains approximately sixteen thousand items of well-documented Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Pacific Rim, Asian, and Western costumes, textiles, accessories, and dolls that preserve the historic legacy of these cultures through clothing and apparel artifacts; and

 

     WHEREAS, expert Dr. Linda Arthur, Professor and Curator at Washington State University, examined the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources' Historic Costume Collection and stated that it is one of the most significant collections in an American university because it is the largest collection of Asian, ethnic, and Hawaiian textiles and garments, dating as far back as the early 1800s; and

 

     WHEREAS, many items in the collection are worth thousands of dollars and are unique, rare, and irreplaceable; and

 

WHEREAS, donations of these precious items are made to the University of Hawaii with the understanding that the gifts will be preserved and protected for as long as possible; and

 

     WHEREAS, although this large and valuable collection should be shared with the academic world and the general public, its integrity and prominence are severely limited by the absence of three important factors:  a permanent and secure museum display space; a full-time curator to manage the collection; and a sufficient financial base to support its legacy for future generations; and

 

     WHEREAS, because of the University of Hawaii's inability to offer a permanent display area, the collection lost a significant part of Hawaii's plantation history when valuable costumes that documented that era were donated to the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles in 1993; and

 

     WHEREAS, the designation of a curator, whose primary job is to manage the costume collection, is critical for the proper oversight and preservation of the collection; and

 

     WHEREAS, this priceless collection also needs proper organization and identification to preserve and connect the historical documentary record with the corresponding garments; and

 

     WHEREAS, the storage of the garments poses a high risk of damage caused by inadequate storage space, the use of lining paper with acid content and wire hangers instead of padded plastic hangers, lack of archival storage boxes and adequate shelving, and improper handling of materials; and

 

     WHEREAS, the absence of a museum presents security problems, with too many people entering the collection's storage room, thereby posing the risk of disorganization, theft, and lack of control in tracking items; and

 

     WHEREAS, insects have damaged some of the textiles and the extent of that damage is not known; and

 

     WHEREAS, the absence of a proper display and lack of storage space poses environmental threats to the collection; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature acknowledges the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Historic Costume Collection as a world class collection of historic and national quality, integrity, and significance; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature encourages the University of Hawaii to find and secure a permanent home to properly manage, display, preserve, and promote this cultural and academic treasure; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Regents and the President of the University of Hawaii.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Historic Costume Collection; University of Hawaii