Saratoga News

Pete and Mary Perino celebrate in Hawaii.

Shipboard menus turn out to be very valuable

By Louise Webb

Mary Perino loves working at the Second Act in Saratoga. She says when she comes to work, it is like finding a treasure chest full of antiques, collectibles, and clothing. Whenever someone brings in clothing or other items that have a Polynesian flavor, she is reminded of her long love affair with Hawaii.

Perino vividly recalls the five-day trip she took from San Francisco to Hawaii on the luxury liner Lurline in l957. Returning home, Perino placed her Hawaiian mementos, including beautiful Matson Line menus, in a scrapbook and forgot about them.

Last year she was leafing through Aloha magazine, a Hawaiian publication, and an article on menu art caught her attention. It said that the beautifully reproduced Matson Line menu covers created by artists Frank MacIntosh, Eugene Savage and John Kelly are valuable. The original menu covers are among popular Hawaiian collectibles because they evoke both the islands' ancient history and the romantic era of luxury cruises.

The late '50s were the cruise line's grand finale because jets made Hawaii accessible at low cost and in much less time.

After reading the article, Perino recalled having menu covers by two of the artists, Savage and Kelly, saved neatly in her scrapbook. She realized they were worth something.

Reproductions of the menu covers were sold by the thousands as souvenirs, but Mary had the original menus used on the ship.

Last September she and her husband took a trip to Hawaii. Before leaving, Perino called several Hawaiian antique stores and told them about her menu covers. The owners assured her the covers were valuable and showed interest in buying them.

The Perinos stayed at the Maui Marriott. The hotel restaurant, Lokelani, was in the midst of being renovated. By coincidence, Lokelani is the same name given to Perino by her hula teacher on the ship 40 years ago on her cruise to Hawaii. She felt the menus were destined to be in the Lokelani Restaurant. Perino decided to show the hotel manager her menus. He was impressed and bought them to use as decor throughout the restaurant. Perino was thrilled.

Perino received a letter a few months ago from the food and beverage secretary at the Maui Marriott with photographs of the framed menus in koa wood. In the middle of the framed menus, there is a plaque that reads:

"Original Matson cruise liner menus acquired through Mary Malekos Perino, a passenger on the transpacific voyage from San Francisco to Honolulu, Hawaii, October-November, 1957."

Mary is pleased that through her menus there will always be a part of her in Hawaii, the place she's loved as long as she can remember.

Other News: The official wedding picture of John Kennedy and Carolyn Bessette with former Saratogan Kevin Ruf in the background continues to be ubiquitous. The photo appeared on the Oprah Winfry Show and in In Style magazine this month. Kevin also appeared in a photo with Maria Shriver in George magazine last November.

Thanks for the random acts of kindness anecdotes. Keep them coming.