Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-05-27
WOMAN RESPONDS
1OINVITATIONOF
FAIR Commission
Offers John Effinger Pointers
on Decorations of Hawaii
Exposition Building

The following communication has
been addressed to John Effinger. the
newest member of the Hawaii FaiI
Commission. in response to his sug
gestion that the ladies of the terri
tory be called upon for suggestions as
to the plan for decorating the Hawaii
building.
The letter is written by one of the
ladies suggested by Mr.. Effinger as
being possessed of ideas that would
prove invaluable to the commission
and reads:
Honolulu. T. H., May 20, 1914.
Mr. John Effinger,
Dear Sir: 1t gives ME great pleas.
ure to- read in the papers that you
are going to give the ladies a chance
to help plan the decorations for the
Hawaiian building at the Panama-Pa
cific Exposition in 1915. AS you have
been kind enough to think of me in
naming the first few, thought that
you might like to read a little about
some of the ideas which Immediately
presented themselves to my Hawaiian
mind-in which have built and dec.
Grated many mansions. LIP.
l For an assembly or reception room,
how would it be to have the entire
ceiling and freize, extending down sew.
eraI feet, of tapa put on like wall
paper. If the terra Gotta and brown
designs were used. the pieces pasted
near the center could be the thickly
designed or covered, and the parts
near the wall the variety lighter and
less ornamented. Tapa is expensive.
Ii the proper papers we're secured
ahead of time, clever painter could
give the desired effect in very mex
pensiye materials. have used tapa
on ceilings and walls to good effect.
We must try to take our Hawaiian
materials and apply them with mod.
ern design but stop short of having a
ridiculous imitation, poorly executed.
So much for the ceiling, unless the
lights belong to that part of a room.
For a Hawaiian evening at, the XII
lohana Art League, we derived heau-
tiful effect, in lighting, by having
large wire frames covered with fern
leaves and lined with green paper.
How would 1t be to have the shades
made to represent huge hanging has.
kets of ferns, with ropes of foliage to
represent leis on which to swing them,
from the ceiling?
At the places on the ceiling where
the ropes are fastened could be huge
round bouquets or rosettes Of ferns.
II we begin at once. we could make
artificial fern leaves Of wire and cloth
or other proper materials. As must
not cling like spider to the ceiling
any longer. Il shall descend TO the
walls. FS-
OF course, real Hawaiian lanai
or house should not have any walls.
For San Francisco, glass windows on
all sides, covered with an endless
chain of hula skirts. would give an
effect which know is unexcelled
where light, ventilation or protection
alternate. If all the walls are not
windows, perhaps shelves of Gala.
bashesg and cunios could cover the in
tervening space. Now we are down
the walls to the place where a Hawai-
ian Hikiee could travel the entire dis
lance around the room. Please do
not have little two-foot window seat
effect.
If It is seven feet wide, the part
near the wall could be used for ex-
bibiting little canoes, grass houses,
dolls, tapa sticks, cushions and the
hundreds of Hawaiian-made and nat.
ural articles, which every one will
wish to see. think that large paint
ings of Hawaii would look we'll rest
ing against the walls or hula skirt
covered windows, placed at irregular
intervals and angles. Hawaiian pot
ted plants could also be placed on this
wide Hikiee. s#es.. ...,>.
Last, the floor. painted to repre-
sent a large Hawaiian mat in wide
plat. &~l.. ii. i. y y n. &
For furniture, koa chairs and tables,
and tabourets with ferns and palms
everywhere. &<
Z In the center a fountain of Hawai-
ian moss-coyered stones with a little
jet to sprinkle all the handkerchiefs
with MALE or aloha perfume. Would
it be possible to take any of our
pretty fish, The fountain could re-
present an aquarium and our fish pic.
lures shown.
Do not let us have any dead fish
in bottles. Do try to make the place
look like our bright. pretty islands.
We want lots OF Hawaiian music.
flowers and ferns, light and fresh air
and pretty Hawaiian dancing Why
we are always advertising the old.
fashioned, ugly, vulgar dancing is al
to many who know the artis-
lie, dainty hula kui.
can see a large. airy, light in-l
terror; the buff terra cottas of theI
Lapas. the tans OF the hula skirts.
mats, and grass articles, the greens
of the ferns and palms, the browns
If the koa furniture and calabashes, |
ind the yeiIoWs Of fresh sunfIowers,
and paper lima leis. The
'resh flowers might be ordered ahead |
81 time and constantly replenished
Turing the exposition season
On certain days or occasions. ii |
would be jolly to give away so lima
ofe m tho v5aff0r6 hnffrsSnr. fa4fo n /