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gurrey : surf riders of hawaii, 1915
gurrey : surf riders of hawaii, 1915
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gurrey : surf riders of hawaii, 1915 |
The 1915 article reproduces
the text and poem, however it has two extra photographs.
Each page assigns coyright to A.R.G.,
JR.; and each page and image has its own black line
border, not reproduced.
The uploaded images are scaled approximtely
to the size as printed, and I have assigned the numbers and titles in [brackets].
This was not the first surf riding article in St. Nicholas, Alexander Hume Ford's article on Pacific sports and games, A Boy's Paradise in the Pacific, was featured in the August 1908 edition.
Some of the images appeared in other publications
of this period, notably photograph 5, Duke Kahanamoku at Waikiki,
which was used extensively in advertising for Gurrey's Honolulu photographic
studio from the end of 1910.
It was printed on the cover of the
first edition of The Mid-Pacific
Magazine in January 1911, and as the frontpiece of Volume 2
Number 2, with the stanza from Byron's Childe
Harold.
The photograph was possibly the template
for a coloured illustration used by the Hawaiian Promotion Committee to
publicise their Floral Parades and Mid-Winter Carnivals 1911-1914, and
later appropriated to promote Duke's tour of Australia in 1914-1915.
The first edition also printed a photograph,
Riding
the Surfboard at Waikiki Beach, illustrating a tandem shoulder carry,
"Copyright 1910 A.R. Gurrey Jr.," very similar
to photograph 6.
In 1912, The
Mid-Pacific Magazine published photograph 3 in Volume 4, Number
5, titled "Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, Hawaii's Champion Swimmer of the World,"
with copyright by Gurrey.
As most photographs indicate that Duke
was a natural-footer, here he is riding goofy-foot, or rather switch-foot
(unless the negative was flopped).
This may have been to advantage the photographer,
the most dramatic shots are those with the surfer facing the camera, ideally
framed by Diamond Head, as in photographs 1 and 10.
Photographs 1 (heavily cropped) and 7 were
reprinted, in what was probably a syndicated article, by the Dakota
County Herald, September 10, 1914, page 3.
Photograph 1 was printed in a National
Geographic Magazine article, The Geography of Games, in
August, 1919.
The rapid adoption of Kodak's Box Brownie
is perhaps illustrated by the numerous photographs (along with illustrations,
poems, and stories) contributed by younger readers for awards in The St.
Nicholas League.
For example, the, The Water at Twilight
(a photograph of a breaking wave) on page 945 by Dorothea Setzer
of Michigan, aged 11, who was awarded a silver badge.
And I have loved thee, Ocean! and my joy
Of youthful sports was on thy breast to be
Borne, like thy bubbles, onward; from a boy
I wantoned with thy breakers, - they to me
Were a delight; and if the freshening sea
Made them a terror, t'was a pleasing fear;
For I was as it, were a child of thee,
And trusted to thy billows far and near,
And laid my hand upon thy mane, -
As I do here.
LORD BYRON
As the great ocean
roll strikes the reef at Hawaii, all the force arid energy of a thousand
miles is halted in its course.
Maddened at its
unknown foe, it throws its billowing form headlong over the reef; boiling
and churning it rushes along, dissipating its strength in the quiet pools
until at last it dies, a mere ripple, on the beach.
|
What are those swiftly moving forms gliding over the surface of the foam-specked waters like a school of dolphins- their bronze bodies glistening in the sunlight? Are they a company of sea-nymphs or mermen? They are a merry band of water-lovers- the Surf-riders - and no legendary water-sprite ever rode the waves with more joyous abandon than these. Far out at sea,
there is a faint unevenness silhouetted against the sky.
The wave is spent, the rider drops astride his board, and, with the grace of a sea-gull turning in its flight, he heads for the reef again. |
Text and photographs copyrighted by A. R. Gurrey, Jr., Honolulu, T. H.
[5. Duke Kahanamoku, as used in Gurrey's
ads]
[7. Two natural-footers, sliding left]
[9. Headstand and four paddlers.]
[10.Goofy-foot on curling left-hander,
with Diamond Head in the background.]
 |
[Breaking wave.] By Dorothea Setzer, age 11, Michigan.
|
Gurrey, A. R. Jr. (First book dedicated
to surfing)
884- The Suif Riders of Hawaii (Honolulu:
A.R. Gurrey Jr. 1911-14:t) (SB)
(Four known copies)
8 surfing photos, that vary between books.
The first surfing book, self-published
with hand printed photos on boards.
Photos of surfing at Waikiki with short
text on surfing and a stanza from Byron poem "hand printed photos on boards.",
and ends with a photo of Duke.
Gurrey who surfed and pioneered water
photography is credited as the first surfing photographer.
885- "Childe Harold" Mid-Pacific Magazine
Timothy DeLaVega noted:
Desoto Brown sent over some interesting
info on what the Bishop Museum's copy is like
"The Bishop Museum copy is very different
as can be seen by this list.
We only have single photos per page; no
doubles.
And no blank pages either.
Ours also appears to have only 3 of the
same photos as the listing in the message below.
| Page 1
Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8
|
Title page
Lord Byron poem Man with arms out; Diamond Head at left (listed below also on p. 3) Text about surfriders Full-length, fairly close view of Duke on board with his arms out (as used in Gurrey's ads) (listed below on p. 11) Duke (presumably) with boy on his shoulders (identified in another copy of this photo in our collection as Charlie Little, listed below on p. 9) One man, with right arm down straight and left arm up, bent at elbow; with shoreline (present-day location of Royal Hawaiian) partly visible on right Two men, both crouched on their respective boards, with man on right reaching out to touch the nose of the board on the left Duke (presumably) with arms partly out, with Diamond Head in much of the background. Two men on foamy breaking wave, each with arms out at different angles One man standing on his head with 5 other guys on same wave but all others still flat on their boards Blank |
 |
Gurrey Jr, A.R. : Surf Riders of Hawaii. A.R. Gurrey Jr., Honolulu, 1911-1914. Image courtesy of Scott Emerson. |
 |
And I have loved
thee, Ocean! and my joy
Of youthful sports
was on thy breast, to be
Borne, like thy
bubbles, onward; from a boy
I wantoned with
thy breakers, - they come to me
Were a delight;
and if the freshening sea.
Made them a terror,
t'was a pleasing fear;
For I was as
it, were a child of thee,
And trusted to
thy billows far and near,
And laid my hand
upon thy mane,
As I do here.
| Right: Gurrey's Billboard, printed
in
The Mid-Pacific Magazine
Published by Alexander Hume Ford, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, Volume 1, Number 1, January,1911, page 133. Pioneer Adv.
Company
Reproduced in many subsequent editions. |
 |
| The image was also used on the first edition
of The Mid-Pacific Magazine
Published by Alexander Hume Ford, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, Volume 1, Number 1, January,1911. Cover right. |
 |
| Similar photograph (?) printed in:
Kahanamoku, Duke Paoa: Riding the Surfboard. The Mid-Pacific Magazine Published by Alexander Hume Ford, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, Volume 1, Number 1, January,1911, page 2. Image right: RIDING THE SURFBOARD
AT WAIKIKI BEACH,
|
 |
 |
Gurrey Jr, A.R. : Surf Riders of Hawaii. A.R. Gurrey Jr., Honolulu, 1911-1914. Image courtesy of Scott Emerson. |
Kampion: Stoked (1997) page 38. Credited to Bishop Museum |
Thoms: Surfmovies (2000) page 22. |
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