Hawaiian Language Printing

Support for this project has been provided by a grant from the Pine Tree Foundation.

Printing technology came to the Hawaiian Islands in 1820 when Protestant missionaries sailed there from Massachusetts, bringing with them a Ramage printing press, cases of type, and a young printer’s apprentice. Working together, Native Hawaiians and missionaries printed an estimated thirty million pages in the Hawaiian language within a few decades ―making the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi one of the mid-nineteenth century’s most highly literate societies. 

Many of these original printed materials, which were written in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (the Hawaiian language) or created by Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) before 1900, are now in the American Antiquarian Society collections. The AAS General Catalog contains detailed records for nearly 300 titles published in the Hawaiian language between 1822 and 1900, in addition to many other English-language Hawaiiian materials.

The digital library below provides direct access to approximately one third of AAS's Hawaiian language collection. This includes all the Hawaiian language newspapers and visual materials (engravings, views, maps, etc.), as well as a selection of the books.

About this Resource Early Printing in HawaiianPeople in the Collection

Digital Library

 

Displaying 1 - 94 of 94
Title Date Format
Aferika 1840 Engravings
Aina Moana 1840 Engravings
Alemanaka Hawaii, no ka makahiki ... 1835 1834 Books
The Alphabet 1822 Books
Amerika Akau 1840 Engravings
Amerika Hema 1840 Engravings
Amerika Huipuia 1840 Engravings
Animal skeletons 1835 Engravings
Ao Kikois 1844 Books
The Appearance of the Three Hills formed by the late eruption 1840 Engravings
Aritemetika oia Ka hoike helu 1828 Books
Asia 1840 Engravings
Atlas in Hawaiian 1858 Books
Bread Fruit Tree, The Banana, The Bamboo 1838 Engravings
Diamond Hill as seen from Honolulu 1838 Engravings
Europa 1840 Engravings
Female Seminary 1840 Engravings
Government schools, 1854. He papa hoike o na kula o ke aupuni o ko Hawaii nei pae aina M.H. 1854. 1855 Books
Grave of Mr. McDonald 1840 Engravings
Hana Ma Maui 1843 Engravings
Hawaiian Costume 1840 Engravings
He Ao ana Kiritiano he olelo hoonaau ao i ke kanaka i ka ke Akua 1841 Books
He Hoikehonua 1832 Books
He Mau palapala aina 1842 Books
He Mau palapala aina 1840 Books
He ninau ma ke ao ana Kiritiano, i hooponopono hou ia ma kekahi vahi 1841 Books
He olelo a ke akua 1825 Books
He papainoa no na kahu, a me na kumu, a me na haumana o ke Kulanui o Hawaii nei, ma Lahainaluna i Maui. 1836
He ui no ka olelo a ke akua 1827 Books
He Vahi katekimo 1842 Books
He Vahi katekimo a me kekahi mau pule i heluheluia'i e ka poe Katolika o keia pae aina. 1842 Books
He Wahi olelo no na makua mea keiki 1842 Books
Hilo, Hawaii 1840 Engravings
His Majesty's speech at the opening of the Legislature of 1862 1862 Books
Hoike o ka halawai 1867 Books
Holden 1838 Engravings
Honolulu as seen from the foot of Puawaina Punch-Bowl Hill 1837 Engravings
Ka Aha Elele / The Convention 1864 Newspapers
Ka ai o ka la. No. 1. 1833. Oihana. 1833 Books
Ka be-a-ba 1825 Books
Ka Elele 1845 Newspapers
Ka Elele Hawaii 1848 Newspapers
Ka Euanelio a Luka  1827 Books
Ka Hae Hawaii 1856 Newspapers
Ka hoike o ka halawai makahiki o ka Ahahui Kula Sabati, ma Honolulu, Iune, 1868. 1868 Books
Ka hoike o ka halawai makahiki o ka Ahahui Kula Sabati, ma Honolulu, Iune, 1869 1869 Books
Ka hoike o ka halawai makahiki o ka Ahahui Kula Sabati, ma Honolulu, Iune, 1870. 1870 Books
Ka hoike o ka halawai makahiki o ka Ahahui Kula Sabati, ma Honolulu, Iune, 1871. 1871 Books
Ka Hoku Loa 1860 Newspapers
Ka Lau Oliva 1871 Newspapers
Ka moo olelo no Iosepa 1828 Books
Ka Nonanona 1843 Newspapers
Ka Nuhou Hawaii 1873 Newspapers
Ka Nupepa Kuokoa 1862 Newspapers
Ka Oihana a ka poe Lunaolelo 1832 Books
Ka olelo a Iesu ma ka mauna 1828 Books
Ka Palapala ho ka Poepoe 1840 Engravings
Kaluaaha ma Molokai 1838 Engravings
Kamehameha 1840 Engravings
Ke Alaula 1866 Newspapers
Ke Au Okoa 1866 Newspapers
Ke kanawai o Iehova 1825 Books
Ke Kumu Hawaii 1834 Newspapers
Ke Kumu Kamalii 1837 Newspapers
Kumumua 1843 Books
Lahainaluna 1840 Engravings
Maui seen from the anchorage at Lahaina 1838 Engravings
Mission House, Hana 1838 Engravings
Mission Houses, Honolulu 1837 Engravings
Mission Seminary 1838 Engravings
Na Hana i ka wa hoolaa i ka luakini hou. 1842 Books
Na liu o ka waiwai 1874 Books
Na Mokupuni o Hawaii 1839 Engravings
Na Mokupuni o Hawaii 1840 Engravings
Na Mokupuni o Hawaii Nei 1837 Engravings
Na Muliwai 1840 Engravings
Na olelo-pule no ka poe Kiritiano o ko Havaii Pae Aina 1841 Books
The Night-Blooming Cerius 1840 Engravings
No ka moe kolohe. 1829 Books
Nuhou: The Hawaiian News 1873 Newspapers
O ke Koma, oia ke kiko hoomaha iki 1842 Books
O ke kumumua na na kamalii 1837 Books
Oahu Charity School 1838 Engravings
The Pacific Commercial Advertiser 1856 Newspapers
Palapala kauoha a ka luna helu o 1866. 1866 Books
The Polynesian (1840) 1840 Newspapers
The Polynesian (1844) 1844 Newspapers
Temperance Map 1843 Engravings
Vahi hoike Katolika 1841 Books
View of a stream of lava as it entered the sea at Nanawale 1840 Engravings
View of Kailua, Hawaii, 1836 1839 Engravings
View of the bay of Kaawaloa 1840 Engravings
View of the countryback of Kailua 1836 Engravings
The Weekly Argus 1852 Newspapers