New stamps from Hawai'i
Hawai'i Post
Greetings from Hawai'i Post in the Hawaiian Islands. Hawai'i Post is
an express mail delivery company on the island of O'ahu that requires
stamps to prepay postage on all urgent letters and packages.
A set of two stamps and one mini-sheet were issued on June 2nd 2002
celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Captain Henry Berger's arrival in
Hawai'i from Potsdam, Prussia.
In the 1870's, King Kamehameha V of Hawai'i was in need of someone to
be Bandmaster of the Royal Hawaiian Band (founded in 1836). He turned
to Europe and requested that Kaiser Wilhelm I of the newly formed
German Federation send a suitable person. The Kaiser ordered Army
Captain Heinrich Berger of Potsdam*, Prussia to proceed to Hawai'i to
take up the role. Captain Berger arrived on the steamer "SS Mohongo"
in Honolulu harbor on June 2nd 1872. Apart from a brief return to
Germany, Captain Berger stayed in Hawai'i for the rest of his life.
Under his leadership, the Royal Hawaiian Band flourished. The Royal
Hawaiian Band with Captain Berger as Bandmaster, performed over 10,000
concerts in Hawai'i and throughout the world. Captain Berger wrote
many compositions, including the Hawai'i national anthem "Hawai'i
Pono'i" with King Kalakaua and helped to compose "Aloha O'e" with
Queen Lili'uokalani.
*Potsdam, Prussia was the Royal Seat of the Brandenburg-Prussian
rulers including Kaiser Wilhelm I.
The first stamp prepays the Overnight rate. It shows a map of Prussia
with a portrait of Kaiser Wilhelm I .
The second stamp prepays the Same Day rate. It shows a portrait of
Captain Henry Berger.
The mini-sheet shows a photograph of Captain Henry Berger and the
Royal Hawaiian Band on the steps of 'Iolani Palace, Honolulu.
The cachet on the First Day Cover shows the Bandstand at 'Iolani
Palace, Honolulu.
For more information about this issue, please go to:
http://www.hawaii-post.com/02JUN02.html
For more information about other issues from Hawai'i Post, please go
to:
http://www.hawaii-post.com/stamps.html
Mahalo,
Hawai'i Post
P O Box 8735
Honolulu Hawai'i 96830
U.S.A.
sta...@hawaii-post.com
http://www.hawaii-post.com