The manuscript holdings of the Hawaiian Historical Society relate to the Hawaiian Islands and Polynesia. They include letters, journals, diaries, unpublished articles, and research notes. The holdings include original manuscripts, typescripts, and photocopies. The manuscripts are cataloged in the main library catalog by author, title (if available), and subject. Manuscripts are also included in the Society’s on-line public access catalog (see the OPAC link on the right).
Important collections include:
- Papers of William D. Alexander (historian, linguist, surveyor), 1890–1912 (250 pieces);
- Journal of Hiram Bingham, Jr. (missionary to Gilbert Islands), 1856–1857, on a voyage from Boston to Micronesia (1 vol.);
- Letters of Sereno E. Bishop (missionary, surveyor, writer) to Gorham D. Gilman (consul general for Hawai‘i at Boston), 1889–1908 (239 letters);
- Correspondence of George Brown (U.S. consul to Hawai‘i), 1843–1846 (164 p.);
- Hilo shipping lists by Titus Coan (missionary), 1844–1882 (85 p.);
- Account book of William French (Honolulu merchant), 1818–1819 (1 vol.);
- Sketchbook of Charles Furneaux (artist), an illustrated narrative of the lava flow of 1880–1881 (1 vol.);
- Journals, letters, and notes of Gorham D. Gilman concerning travels in the Hawaiian Islands, 1843–1848 (598 p.);
- Journal and papers of Joseph Jackson (postmaster general), 1856–1859 (1 vol. and 20 pieces);
- Journal of Alexander Liholiho (Kamehameha IV) on a voyage to the United States, England, and France, 1849–1850 (1 vol.);
- Notebooks of William Charles Lunalilo (king of Hawai‘i), including diaries, letters, and poems, 1847–1853 (110 p.);
- An elementary grammar and vocabulary of the Hawaiian language attributed to Henry Obookiah (pupil at mission school in Cornwall, Conn.), 1817 (1 vol.);
- Private journal of William Cooper Parke (marshal of the Hawaiian kingdom), 1859–1860 (1 vol.);
- Correspondence of Joel Turrill (U.S. consul to Hawai‘i) with prominent men of the Hawaiian Islands, 1845–1860 (102 items).