Hawaii Artifacts by Mike Wagner

Look around Honolulu and you’ll find colorful reminders of yesteryear when Honolulu was a young city in bloom. Geometric lines of Art Deco and Art Nouveau curves converged with America’s neon optimism, while Asian influences marked the emergence of a new immigrant culture.

These images are a small part of a larger collection by MVNP Associate Creative Director Mike Wagner, who possesses an uncanny ability to transform the every day into inspiring works of art. Armed with his iPhone, Mike wanted to capture these Hawaii artifacts before they fade from both our city landscape and our collective memory. (The Tanabe Market sign further down on this page is now gone, removed just a few days ago.) To see the whole collection, along with locations on where to find these signs, visit our MVNP Facebook page. 

Note: Leonard’s Bakery in Kapahulu is still one of the best places in town for hot, sugary malasadas, while Like Like Drive Inn (pronounced Lee-keh-lee-keh)  is a local favorite for a piping bowl of saimin at 2 in the morning, or anytime.

The answer to our Facebook question: Where is this located? Answer: On Wilder Avenue in Makiki.