Edithe Beutler

An inspiring chronicle of creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurship

It is impossible to replicate Hawaii’s beauty in grayscale. Which is why, before the invention of color film in 1942, fine artists were hired to colorize black and white photographs. Edithe Beutler was one of the best.

In 1934, after enjoying a career as an in-demand colorist for universities, corporations, and universities, Beutler partnered with Eastman Kodak in Hawaii. In Honolulu, she began teaching the public oil painting of black-and-white images of Hawaiian beaches and flowers, selling these colorized photos for Kodak, and painting geographical maps of the South Pacific for the US Government before WWII.

Beyond her professional acclaim, Beutler’s resilience and determination shines through. Despite personal hardships, including difficult marriages, job loss, and her Hollywood movie star daughter’s tumultuous career, she persisted as the cornerstone of her family’s success. Beutler’s legacy is not just inspiring; it embodies defiance, artistry, and an indomitable spirit that continues to captivate audiences today.

In beautiful, full-page color images and vibrant text, Edithe Beutler: Beautifying Hawaii with Color tells the story of this remarkable artist, entrepreneur, and matriarch, who earned the affectionate nickname “Lovey” for her grace and care in all aspects of life.

C.J. Cook is an award-winning author and historian with a long interest in the history of the South Pacific. His first book, Tyree: Artist of the South Pacific (2017), was an incredible success, winning two Gold Awards for Best Cover and Best Biography from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) in April 2018. His second book, Leeteg: Babes, Bars, Beaches, and Black Velvet Art, won a Gold Medal for Best Biography from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) in April 2022. In 2023, Cook released a sequel to his first biography, Beauty in the Beast: Flora, Fauna, and Endangered Species of Artist Ralph Burke Tyree. This work expanded on Ralph Burke Tyree's themes and legacy. Continuing his exploration of South Pacific artists' lives and works, in January 2025, Cook will release his fourth book, Edithe Beutler: Beautifying Hawaii with Color (2025). Beutler was the foremost colorist in Hawaii, painting black and white prints before color photography.

Cook has been a lifelong manuscript collector interested in art and the South Pacific. He is a board member of The Manuscript Society, dedicated to preserving manuscripts and historical documents. 

He also collects art from the South Pacific, including Ralph Burke Tyree, Edgar Leeteg, Edithe Beutler, Madge Tennent, Cece Rodriguez, Robert Lee Eskridge, and William Bloom. Some of these paintings appear in his books.

He has and continues to explore the South Pacific, including Guam, Pohnpei, Taiwan, Truk, Palau, Bali, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, its Great Barrier Reef, Tahiti and its surrounding islands, and the Hawaiian Islands. He visits the last two island paradises multiple times a year.

Robert L. Harned was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is a professional research librarian and has worked at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and in several universities and law firms in New York City. He is now retired and resides in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York, with his partner, food journalist, cookbook author, and broadcaster Arthur Schwartz. Robert’s interests are family history, film history, Greek and Roman archaeology, and singing. He has recorded four CD albums.