Collection: Historic Kauai

I made these photos in 1975-1976 for "The Kauai Album," a book of historic architecture published by the Kauai Historical Society. I asked the Historical Society Board if I could include a photo or two of Taylor Camp's treehouses in the book. While I saw Taylor Camp as a unique and significant example of whimsical 60's counterculture architecture—the ultimate hippie fantasy—the board members were horrified at the idea. So I decided to make an in-depth architectural survey of the treehouses and environmental portraits of many community members—images that decades later would gain international recognition for both their artistic and historical value--becoming the foundation of my book "Taylor Camp" and our award-winning film, The Edge of Paradise. The Society published "The Kauai Album" in 1981—a year before hurricane Iwa damaged or destroyed many of the buildings in our survey.

—John Wehrheim

Images printed on Hahnemuhle heavyweight (315 gsm) 100% archival cotton "Photo Rag Baryta," with archival inks and archival spray coating. When stored, handled, and displayed under archival conditions, the prints will last over 200-years before any deterioration begins.