Rusty Thomas Menu Collection

Harriet Thomas, dubbed "Rusty" for her flaming red hair, was the food editor at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin from 1949 to 1964, during which time she began collecting menus from her dining experiences. She donated what she estimated were her "40 pounds of menus" to the Kapi`olani Community College Food Service Program in April 1996. The Food Service Program turned the collection, composed of menus and related publications, over to the library to house and maintain in a secure, climate-controlled atmosphere. The three boxes of menus span the period from 1946 to around 1982. They have been loosely organised by restaurant location. Some of the menus, especially those in the Waikiki and Shipboard folders, are beautiful works of art, suitable for display or other graphic purposes. Others are simply prosaic photocopied menus, dog-eared and faded. These are still useful, however, for the information they convey about dining habits, prices, etc. The collection contains menus from Hawaii, U.S. mainland, Asia, and cruise ships.

After a lifetime of food experiences, travel, and being a "social butterfly", Harriet Thomas passed away in 2004. You can learn more about her in the Honolulu Star Bulletin's obituary, online or in this collection. This menu collection is dedicated to her memory.

A finding aid of the physical collection is included in this digital collection, along with a 1996 Preliminary Processing Overview.