Offered are an incredible group of 14 original photographs of Elvis Presley performing at his March 25, 1961, benefit concert at The Bloch Arena in Hawaii. To our knowledge, while other shots have surfaced, this group of photos has never been published. They emanate from the estate of an advanced photograph collector and were taken from the foot of the stage by what appears to be a professional photographer, likely a press photographer. The clarity and contrast indicate minimally a 35mm camera was used.
In December 1960 an editorial ran in an L.A. paper about the stalled efforts to complete the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. This article was spotted by the Colonel, and Elvis answered the call to duty. A benefit concert was organized to raise $50,000 towards the completion of the memorial. On January 11, 1961, a press conference was held, and it was announced that Elvis would perform this benefit concert on the condition that every penny from the concert must go to the fund. Having honorably served his country in the Armed Forces, Elvis held this memorial and the soldiers that perished near to his heart. The concert was set for March 25, 1961, and 4,000 screaming fans, 15 songs and $54,000 later, Elvis left the building. As a result of the concert and the huge amount of media attention it garnered, public and private donations flooded in from all over the country. On May 30, 1962 (Memorial Day) the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial was dedicated.
The offered photographs measure 3 x 4 inches and are each marked in pencil on the reverse. Each also presents with period adhesive staining on the reverse, perhaps from news service or newspaper editorial usage. Regardless, the staining does not affect the image quality on the fronts. Excellent condition overall with some just lesser.