Bishop MuseumExplore

Journeys

The expeditions, reassembled

Every dated label is a diary entry. Read a collector’s labels in order and the voyage comes back: the islands in sequence, the days at each, the specimens from every stop. 1,124 journeys so far, 1879 to 2026, 203,983 specimens between them.

426 collectors and expeditions18,585 days in the field3,965,525 km between stops134,517 photographed specimens

van Royen

the United States · Jul – Aug 1973

van Royen in the United States, July – August 1973

97 specimens · 17 stops · 27 days

Charles N. Forbes

3 islands of the United States · Oct 1910 – Jan 1911

Charles N. Forbes in Oʻahu, Maui and Kauaʻi, October 1910 – January 1911

48 specimens · 16 stops · 97 days · 1,320 km

Otto Degener

Oʻahu · Jan – Jun 1933

Otto Degener in Oʻahu, January – June 1933

41 specimens · 17 stops · 136 days · 1,199 km

Steven Perlman

4 islands of the United States · Apr – Jul 2012

Steven Perlman across 4 islands of the United States, April – July 2012

47 specimens · 14 stops · 84 days · 1,122 km

A.K. Sakai

3 islands of the United States · Jun – Jul 1985

A.K. Sakai in Hawaiʻi Island, Lānaʻi and Maui, June – July 1985

70 specimens · 9 stops · 14 days · 289 km

Isa Degener

Kauaʻi · Sep – Oct 1955

Isa Degener in Kauaʻi, September – October 1955

59 specimens · 10 stops · 31 days · 126 km

E.A. Bessey

Hawaiʻi Island and Maui · 1–29 Jun 1940

E.A. Bessey in Hawaiʻi Island and Maui, 1–29 June 1940

106 specimens · 13 stops · 29 days · 325 km

Harold St.John

3 islands · Mar – Apr 1949

Harold St.John in Niʻihau, Nihoa and Enewetak Atoll, March – April 1949

101 specimens · 4 stops · 14 days · 4,437 km

A.A. Tam

Maui and Molokaʻi · 1–30 Mar 1952

A.A. Tam in Maui and Molokaʻi, 1–30 March 1952

78 specimens · 6 stops · 30 days · 204 km

Steven Perlman

4 islands · Mar – May 2007

Steven Perlman across 4 islands, March – May 2007

77 specimens · 9 stops · 50 days · 5,611 km

F. Salucop

Maui · Jul – Aug 1939

F. Salucop in Maui, July – August 1939

58 specimens · 10 stops · 36 days · 189 km

F. Raymond Fosberg

4 islands · Dec 1957 – Jan 1958

F. Raymond Fosberg across 4 islands, December 1957 – January 1958

61 specimens · 17 stops · 32 days · 36,429 km

Earl T. Ozaki

3 islands of the United States · Dec 1953 – Jan 1954

Earl T. Ozaki in Molokaʻi, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island, December 1953 – January 1954

103 specimens · 5 stops · 11 days · 710 km

Lynette Williams

Molokaʻi · Dec 1938 – Jan 1939

Lynette Williams in Molokaʻi, December 1938 – January 1939

97 specimens · 4 stops · 15 days · 37 km

R.L. Stemmermann

Hawaiʻi Island and Maui · Mar – Jul 1980

R.L. Stemmermann in Hawaiʻi Island and Maui, March – July 1980

41 specimens · 18 stops · 132 days · 766 km

R.L. Stemmermann

Hawaiʻi Island and Maui · 7–28 Apr 1984

R.L. Stemmermann in Hawaiʻi Island and Maui, 7–28 April 1984

91 specimens · 4 stops · 22 days

W.H. Hatheway

Kauaʻi · Jan – Feb 1950

W.H. Hatheway in Kauaʻi, January – February 1950

73 specimens · 8 stops · 12 days

David Palmer

Kauaʻi and Maui · Jun – Jul 1992

David Palmer in Kauaʻi and Maui, June – July 1992

62 specimens · 8 stops · 47 days · 338 km

David Timmins Fullaway

Laysan · 1–27 Apr 1923

David Timmins Fullaway in Laysan, 1–27 April 1923

142 specimens · 6 stops · 27 days

C.A. Russell

Swirl and Allen Island [Washington] · Jun – Jul 1973

C.A. Russell in Swirl and Allen Island [Washington], June – July 1973

53 specimens · 12 stops · 43 days

H.J. Fortner

3 islands of the United States · Jun – Jul 1983

H.J. Fortner in Midway Atoll, Sand Island and Oʻahu, June – July 1983

89 specimens · 4 stops · 24 days

Derral R. Herbst

3 islands of the United States · Nov – Dec 1975

Derral R. Herbst in Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi and Oʻahu, November – December 1975

63 specimens · 8 stops · 31 days · 484 km

M.G. Iltis

3 islands of the United States · Jul – Aug 1967

M.G. Iltis in Maui, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, July – August 1967

86 specimens · 5 stops · 12 days · 141 km

W.P. Char

Kahoʻolawe · 21–25 Apr 1980

W.P. Char in Kahoʻolawe, 21–25 April 1980

128 specimens · 3 stops · 5 days · 54 km

How a journey is found

Every specimen with a full date and a known collector is a diary entry. The days are read in order; a gap of more than three weeks ends one journey and starts the next. Days spent where a collector lived most of their life are home, not travel, and are left out.

A journey needs at least five days, forty specimens and two places. Within it, a run of days spent within about ten kilometres is one stop; the stop’s point is the middle of the labels that carry coordinates, or the island’s centre when none do.

Companions are the people whose own labels put them in the same place on the same days. Staff can name a journey, write about it and feature it; everything else here is read straight off the specimens, and is rebuilt as the records improve.