As I begin to develop my blog about Duke Kahanamoku, I have been contemplating the content throughout the day. Although I currently have limited material, I possess several books and numerous photographs of him.
While I could safely base my blog on the information found in these resources, I aspire to create something more distinctive, informed by my own curiosity and perspective.
For instance, a particular photograph captured my attention two months ago. I found myself questioning the location of the parade depicted and what he was holding; it resembled a camera, though I had my doubts.
I recalled reading an article, although I cannot remember its source, which mentioned his journey to Antwerp in 1912. If memory serves, he and his companions spent two weeks aboard a boat, passing the time by dancing.
Recently, while watching one of his old videos, I noticed he was holding the same portable device that piqued my interest. After an hour of research, I retrieved one of his books and discovered that this intriguing gadget was, in fact, a gramophone, which he likely took on many of his travels.
In relation to the gramophone, I conducted some research and discovered that Emil Berliner (1851–1921) invented the gramophone in 1887. This device served as the mechanical precursor to the electric record player.
Duke enjoyed bringing his gramophone along because it played records for dancing, suggesting he was quite the dancer himself. As I flipped through the pages, I came across a photograph of him that bore similarities to the one I am currently discussing, albeit with a few distinctions.
It turns out he participated in the parade of Olympians in New York City upon their return from Antwerp. In the image from the book, he is once again holding his gramophone, standing between Aileen Riggin and Helen Wainwright.
Before concluding today’s blog, I once again examined Duke’s photograph from the parade and couldn’t help but ponder what he might have been thinking at that moment.
I imagine this could have been one of his proudest moments, as he was an integral figure in surfing history.
What thoughts arise for you when you look at this photograph?
