By the time she was in her teens, Zita Cup Choy had visited historic icons such as the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Alamo and Independence Hall, thanks to her dad’s career as an Air Force mechanic, which stationed him in France and all over the U.S. continent. But ‘Iolani Palace’s longtime historian didn’t know much about Hawai‘i as a child, even though her Island roots trace back centuries.
Her Hawaiian Chinese paternal great-grandmother was married to Cup Choy Chun, who immigrated to Maui in 1880 from Sanzao Dao island, off the southern coast of Guangdong Province, to cut cane for Huelo Plantation. Everyone knew him as Cup Choy, so he adopted that as his family name. While fulfilling his seven-year plantation contract, he apprenticed at a butcher shop in Wailuku, where he became proficient in English.
That job ended in 1888, and he returned to China. Two years later, he was back on Maui, working as a butcher, store clerk and interpreter for Haʻikū Sugar Company’s plantation in Hāmākuapoko. By 1894, he had earned enough money to own and operate his first business, a restaurant and coffee shop in Hāmākuapoko, and in 1909, he was able to buy land and open a butcher shop in Kokomo, a community in Haʻikū.
One of 13 children, Zita Cup Choy’s paternal grandfather landed a job with Libby, McNeil & Libby’s sugar plantation on Molokai. Her dad was raised there before joining the Air Force.
In 1970, he was assigned to Hickam Air Force Base. “That was before my senior year in high school; I’m a Kaimukī Bulldog,” Cup Choy said. “My mom, younger sister and brother, and I spent our first summer in Hawai‘i with our ‘ohana on Molokai. My grandparents knew just about everyone, so it was always talk-story time when we were out and about. My grandfather taught me how to drive in the pineapple fields with a surplus World War II jeep.”
Cup Choy went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Church College of Hawai‘i, now Brigham Young University–Hawai‘i. She taught on Guam for two years before returning to O‘ahu in 1976, where she held a variety of jobs, including short stints as a preschool and elementary school teacher. Joining the Ko‘olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club at the urging of one of her mom’s friends set her on a new career path.
The Friends of ‘Iolani Palace had been founded on June 7, 1966, as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to oversee the restoration and preservation of what had been the official home of King Kalākaua and Queen Lili‘uokalani, his sister and successor, who were Hawai‘i’s last reigning ali‘i. Following the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, the palace served as the headquarters for the provisional, republic, territory and state of Hawai‘i governments until the present Capitol opened on March 15, 1969.
Over the decades, the stately building had fallen into a sad state of disrepair, and the Friends immediately began work on what turned out to be a nine-year project. By 1977, the major renovations had been completed, and the group was negotiating a contract with the state to operate the palace as a museum. They reached out to the community, including the Ko‘olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club, asking for volunteers to train as docents. Cup Choy signed up, and when the palace, a National Historic Landmark, opened to the public on May 3, 1978, she was among its first docents.
“There are many fascinating stories about people who visited the palace,” Cup Choy said. “The more reading I’ve done over the years, the more I’m convinced that the chamberlain was keeping an eye on the lists of passengers who were arriving on steamers. If there was someone Kalākaua wanted to meet, he or she would get an invitation. They weren’t necessarily dignitaries. For example, because the king was interested in yacht racing, he hosted a man who was associated with the 1876 America’s Cup.”
If she’s not doing tours, escorting VIP guests or helping to plan special events, Cup Choy is usually in her office, deep in research. (The Friends of ‘Iolani Palace) 
Among the original artifacts in the Gold Room is the table with the calabash by the window on the left side of this photo. It was found in the Iowa governor’s residence in 1973 and returned to the palace. (The Friends of ‘Iolani Palace) 
‘Iolani Palace was the official residence of King Kalākaua and Queen Lili‘uokalani, his sister and successor, who were Hawai‘i’s last reigning monarchs. (The Friends of ‘Iolani Palace)
Recovering original palace furnishings is a key part of the Friends’ mission — difficult largely because many items deemed inappropriate for government use were sold, and no records were kept about the buyers.
Serendipity has come into play. Cup Choy recalled a visitor from Oklahoma City who saw a photo of a small wooden table in the king’s bedroom when she was on a tour in 1980. The table looked exactly like one she had purchased from her florist to use as a flower stand. The florist had bought it from a Christian Science Reading Room in Oklahoma City to use in a display at her shop. Someone from Illinois had donated the table to the Reading Room; how it got to Illinois is unknown.
“After the tour, the woman said, ‘I think we have a table that should come home to ‘Iolani Palace,’” Cup Choy said. “As it turned out, it was indeed one of 200-plus pieces that Kalākaua had commissioned A.H. Davenport and Company, a highly regarded furniture manufacturer in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to make for the palace.”
In 1996, the Friends’ management contract with the state transitioned to a lease agreement, giving it more autonomy, although it is still governed by state park rules and those specific to ‘Iolani Palace. Cup Choy has been the palace’s full-time historian since 2016.
“I love digging deep for information,” she said. “I’ll get questions like ‘Who are the people in this picture?’ or ‘What was the menu for such-and-such banquet?’ I’ll go to every resource I can think of — including microfilm at the library, the palace’s archives and the state archives, and the Ulukau and Papakilo databases — hoping to solve another mystery.”
Upcoming events and features
Admission to ‘Iolani Palace is free for Hawai‘i residents on the second Sunday of every month. A valid form of state ID is required for one complimentary ticket per adult 18 and older. Younger keiki are admitted free. The next Kamaʻāina Sundays will be Nov. 8 and Dec. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Catch Cup Choy featured giving a tour of ‘Iolani Palace with chef Ed Kenney and multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano award winner Amy Hanaiali’i on an episode of “Family Ingredients,” which will air on PBS at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 14.
The palace will host King Kalākaua Birthday Celebration on Nov. 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The first 500 kamaʻāina will receive tickets for a free self-guided audio tour. Queen Kapiʻolani Evening Tours, honoring Kalākaua’s wife, will be Dec. 26-27 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Renovations of the exhibit areas in the palace’s basement will be completed early next year. Highlights will include artifacts, photos and narratives about Kalākaua’s 1881 trip around the world. Details.
In addition, the Royal Hawaiian Band presents free concerts on the palace grounds most Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. The most up-to-date schedule can be found at rhb-music.com.
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