Solomon Islands

Nearly a thousand islands, about 700,000 people and somewhere north of seventy living languages, which makes this one of the most linguistically dense places on earth. People reached the main chain roughly 30,000 years ago, but the eastern islands waited for the Lapita voyagers around 1200 BC and the Polynesian outliers later still, so the country holds three settlement horizons about 28,000 years apart. Spanish ships arrived in 1568 and the name that stuck, attached later by other people, borrowed King Solomon and his mines to advertise a colony. Then labour ships, missions, a British protectorate, and in 1942 the largest war on earth landing on Guadalcanal, where islanders carried the wounded and scouted for the Allies and were mostly written out of the telling afterwards. Independence came in 1978, followed by the Tensions, an Australian-led intervention, riots that burned the same Honiara street twice under opposite foreign alignments, and a parliament that has changed prime ministers twice in 2026 alone. This archive is built mostly from what Solomon Islanders themselves put on the internet: string bands and panpipes, weddings and gardens and markets, Pijin lessons, reef and rain, and a war that is only one chapter of it.

A chronological documentary of 1,400 moments on Loreline.

Curated by Olivier · last updated 2026-09-01

Eras

Ships and Missions, Outsiders arriving and what came with them. The Spanish voyages from 1568, whalers and traders, the missions, and the labour trade to Queensland and Fiji that took thousands of Solomon Islanders, on terms that ran from contract to outright kidnapping. Note the shape of that argument: it is the academic Pacific-history mainstream that stresses islander agency, and the descendant communities who insist on slavery. Then the 1893 protectorate, the plantations, and Maasina Rule, the brotherhood movement of 1944 to 1952 that the administration misheard as Marching Rule and smeared as Marxist.
Nature, The country is in the Coral Triangle, the most biodiverse marine region on earth. Reefs and the fish on them, mangrove and rainforest, the volcanoes Kavachi and Tinakula, and the other side of the same geography: the 2007 and 2013 tsunamis, cyclones, the Honiara floods, logging, and sea level. On the five islands widely reported as lost to the sea in 2016, the honest account is that they were uninhabited islets, that the study was really about wave energy, and that the same research documented eleven houses gone on Nuatambu and a provincial capital planning to move.
Honiara and the State, The capital that grew out of an American wartime base, and the politics run from it. Independence on 7 July 1978, the Tensions from 1998, the Australian-led RAMSI mission, and a Chinatown burned twice: in 2006 over Taiwanese money, and in 2021 after the switch to Beijing, which is why calling the second one simply anti-China does not survive the first. Then the 2023 Pacific Games, and a parliament that removed one prime minister in May 2026 and had filed against his successor by August.
Canoes, The tomako war canoe, plank-built and sewn without nails, carrying a nguzunguzu at the prow to guard against the spirits of the sea. Canoe houses, paddles, outriggers, and the boats people still build and race. These are among the few Solomon Islands objects that reached European museums early, which is why the deep past in this archive is so often a photograph of a canoe.
Kastom, What is inherited and still practised: chiefly and big-man authority, feasts and ceremony, shell money from Langalanga and the red-feather money of Santa Cruz, carving and the ancestor shrine, tattoo and initiation, weddings, and the dances of Malaita and the Western Province. Headhunting belongs here too, and belongs qualified: it was a Western Solomons practice, not a national one, and the archaeological consensus is that its 19th-century scale was substantially driven by steel tools and the trade economy rather than being a timeless custom.
Village Life, The ordinary day, filmed by the people living it. Gardens and taro, the fishing trip, cooking over a fire, the market, the school run, church on Sunday, family and children, and the interviews where islanders talk about their own lives rather than being talked about.
Music, The largest part of this archive, because it is what Solomon Islanders put online most. Bamboo bands played with rubber thongs on open pipes, the panpipe ensembles of Malaita and the Are Are, string bands, church choirs, and the contemporary scene: Solomon Islands reggae, hip hop and gospel, the Wantok Musik catalogue, Narasirato, and the artists filling venues in Honiara now.
The War, From August 1942 the Solomon Islands became the pivot of the Pacific war: Guadalcanal, Henderson Field, the sound so full of sunken ships it is called Ironbottom, Tulagi and New Georgia. This archive holds it to roughly a sixth of the whole, because the war is a chapter of this country and not its subject. What it looks for first is the islander side: the Solomon Islands Labour Corps, the scouts and Coastwatchers, Sergeant Major Jacob Vouza, and Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana, who found Kennedy and his crew. No free photograph of Gasa exists anywhere, which is itself the point.
Pijin and the Languages, More than seventy living languages for 700,000 people, held together by Solomon Islands Pijin, which is the real lingua franca and the language most of this archive is actually spoken in even when the titles are in English. Lessons, phrases, translation, and the vernaculars themselves: Kwara ae, Roviana, Marovo, Gela, and the Polynesian outliers of Tikopia, Rennell and Bellona.
Sport, Futsal above all, where the Kurukuru have been Oceania champions and the national obsession is genuine; plus football, rugby, canoe racing, and the 2023 Pacific Games, which Honiara hosted and built for.

1625 - Battle of Munda (M. Merian). Battle of Munda (engraving by Matthäus Merian, cca 1625).
1700 - Nieuve Afteekening van Salomons eylanden of isles de Salomon. Sujet : Mendaña de Neyra, Alvaro (1541-1595) -- Voyages Salomon, Îles Ancien possesseur : Muller, Frederik (1817-1881). Ancien possesseur Couverture : Salomon Langue : néerlandais Éditeur : bij G.
1749 - Nouvel atlas de marine - Carte marine de la Nouvelle Zelande, des Isles Salomon et de plusieurs autres Isles meridionales - par Isaac Brouckner. Sujet : Monde -- Côtes Appartient à l’ensemble documentaire : AnvilFr Appartient à l’ensemble documentaire : MAEDI008 Appartient à l’ensemble documentaire : MAEDIGen0 Couverture : Monde (parties) Langue : français Éditeur : I. Brouckner (Berlin).
1762 - Plan of the Bay on the East side of the island Camorta - by James Rennell, 1762 ; publ. by A. Dalrymple. Sujet : Camorta, Île Trinkat, Île Appartient à l’ensemble documentaire : AnvilMF Couverture : Inde Langue : anglais Éditeur : A. Dalrymple.
1762 - Plan of Abai harbour on the NW coast of Borneo - by James Rennell, 1762 ; writing by T. Harmar. Sujet : Bornéo, Île de -- Nord-Ouest Appartient à l’ensemble documentaire : AnvilMF Couverture : Asie (parties) Langue : anglais Éditeur : A. Dalrymple.
1763 - Sambeelan islands in the strait of Malacca - by Mr. Rennell, 1763 ; publ. by A. Dalrymple ; engrav'd by Harmar. Sujet : Sambilan, Îles Appartient à l’ensemble documentaire : AnvilMF Couverture : Malaisie Langue : anglais Éditeur : A. Dalrymple.
1769 - Plan of port Praslin, discovered in the ship S. Jean-Baptiste commanded by Chevalier de Surville, 1769 - engrav'd by T. Harmar. Sujet : Nouvelle-Bretagne, Île de -- Côtes Port Praslin Appartient à l’ensemble documentaire : AnvilMF Couverture : Asie (parties) Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée Langue : anglais Éditeur : A. Dalrymple.
1771 - Historical Collection Dalrymple 1771 Ontong Java b30411543 0412. Ontong Java. Appeared thus when it bore S.
1776 - Les Îles Bourdé et du Salomon situées à l'O.S.O. du banc du Speaker. Sujet : Peros Banhos (atoll) Salomon, Îles Couverture : Territoire britannique de l'Océan Indien (Royaume-Uni) Langue : français.
1782 - Plan of the bay Choiseuil from Bougainvilles voyage ; Plan of Mackrel bay and water bay on the s. coast of New Guinea from Dampier ; Port Montague on New Britain from Dampier - W.H. (sculp.). Sujet : Dampierre (16..-17..? ; capitaine) -- Voyages -- Nouvelle-Guinée (île) Bougainville, Louis Antoine de (1729-1811) -- Voyages -- Nouvelle-Guinée (île) Nouvelle-Guinée (île) -- Côtes Nouvelle-Bretagne, Île de -- Côtes Louisiade, Archipel de la -- Côtes Appartient à l’ensemble documentaire : AnvilMF Couverture : Asie (parties) Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée Langue : anglais Éditeur : A.
1788 - Naufrage du navire l'Astrolabe en 1788. Naufrage de l’ Astrolabe en 1788 sur les récifs de l’île de Vanikoro lors d'une tempête. En arrière plan, la Boussole sur le point de s'échouer aussi.
1792 - Voyage de La Pérouse autour du monde (No. 44). Voyage de La Pérouse autour du monde /publié conformément au décret du 22 avril 1791, et rédigé par L.A. Milet-Mureau.
1797 - Sketch of the Duff group Islands 1797. Sketch of the Duff's Groupe, Discovered September 25, 1797 by Capt: James Wilson. Scale of two miles With views of the islands: Treasurers Island, Disappointment Island, Isle the Basse.
1799 - MemphisJamesRennell01. Map of Cairo and region in 1799 : Explaining the ( ancient siting ) position of Memphis and the changes in the course, islands, and ancient branches of the Nile. Created and published by James Rennell; September 2, 1799.
1800 - Canoe of the Arsacides. plate 44 from Voyage in Search of La Pérouse by Jacques Labillardière, 1800.
1830 - Grere'o shield, Solomon Islands. A basketry shield faced with parinarium-nut paste and inlaid with chambered-nautilus shell. Fewer than two dozen of these decorated Solomon Islands shields are known to survive.
1831 - Lettre de Jean-François Caplin au sujet de sa carte gravée des îles Vanikoro, Vaugirard, 15 septembre 1831 - (1 of 2). Sujet : Caplin, Jean-François (1779-1829?). Plan des Iles Vanikoro ou de La Pérouse, reconnues par le Capitaine de Frégate Dumont d'Urville Nouvelle-Zélande Société de géographie (France) Appartient à l’ensemble documentaire : MssSGE1 Archives Couverture : Nouvelle-Zélande Langue : français.
1833 - Durville-Vanikoro-Vanou. Village de Vanou à Vanikoro, 1833. Expédition de Jules Dumont d'Urville.
1833 - Durville-Vanikoro-Manevai-1. Approche du village de Manevai à Vanikoro, 1833. Expédition de Jules Dumont d'Urville.
1833 - Durville-Vanikoro-Nama. Village de Nama à Vanikoro en 1833, expédition de Jules Dumont d'Urville.
1833 - Vanikoro.- 1. Plan d'une grande pirogue du village de Manerai; 2. Elevation de cette pirogue (NYPL b13624459-1266934). Vanikoro.: 1. Plan d'une grande pirogue du village de Manerai; 2.
1833 - Vue du village de nama. (Vanikoro.) (NYPL b13624459-1266953). Vue du village de nama. (Vanikoro.).
1833 - Village de manévai. (Vanikoro.) (NYPL b13624459-1266952). Village de manévai. (Vanikoro.).
1833 - Village de vanou. (Vanikoro.) (NYPL b13624459-1266954). Photograph dated 1833. Part of the archive's coverage of the Australian brumby and the Kosciuszko cull.
1833 - Vanikoro.- 1. Ceinture; 2. 3. Ornamens d' oreilles; 4. 5. Ornamens de ne; 6. 7. Bracelets; 8. Plague de col; 9. Ornament du frent; 10. 11. Vase á raper le Tare; 13. Maniére de raper le Tare; (NYPL b13. Vanikoro.: 1. Ceinture; 2.
1833 - Durville-Vanikoro-Astrolabe. La corvette L'Astrolabe en vue de Vanikoro, 1833, expédition Dumont d'Urville.
1833 - Durville-Vanikoro-Platyrhynque. Platyrhynque de Vanikoro mâle, expédition Dumont d'Urville, 1833.
1833 - Durville-Vanikoro-coiffures. Coiffures des indigènes de Vanikoro, 1833, Expédition Dumont d'Urville.
1833 - Tikopia et Vanikoro.- Costume des habitans de Vanikoro; Cstumes des habitans de Tikopia (NYPL b13624459-1266955). Tikopia et Vanikoro.: Costume des habitans de Vanikoro; Cstumes des habitans de Tikopia.
1833 - Vanikoro.- 1. Plan et coupe d'un radeau; 3. 4. 5. Plan élévation et coupe d'une patite pirogue; 6. 7. Grande et petite pagaies (NYPL b13624459-1266933). Vanikoro.: 1. Plan et coupe d'un radeau; 3.
1833 - Vanikoro.- Coiffures des habitans des deux séxes (NYPL b13624459-1266905). Vanikoro.: Coiffures des habitans des deux séxes.
1833 - Plan des Îles Vanikoro ou de La Pélouse, reconnues par le capne de Frégate Dumont D'urville. Levé et drefsé par Mr. Cressien, Enseigne de vaifseau. expedition de la corvette de la corvette (NYPL b1362. Photograph dated 1833. Part of the archive's coverage of the law and the political fight over wild horses.
1833 - Inauguration du monument, elevé par l' Astrolabe à Lapérouse (i.e., La Pérouse) à Vanikoro (NYPL b13624459-1266957). Photograph dated 1833. Part of the archive's coverage of the law and the political fight over wild horses.
1833 - La corvette l'Astrolabe. envue de l'île Vanikoro (NYPL b13624459-1266946). Photograph dated 1833. Part of the archive's coverage of the law and the political fight over wild horses.
1833 - Les Chefs de Tikopia. recevant les officiers de l' Astrolabe (NYPL b13624459-1266945). Photograph dated 1833. Part of the archive's coverage of the law and the political fight over wild horses.
1833 - Vue du l'ile Manévai. (Vanikoro.) (NYPL b13624459-1266951). Vue du l'ile Manévai. (Vanikoro.).
1833 - Tikopia.- 1. 2. Naturels de Tikopia; 3. Tafoua chef de Tikopia; 4. Bréatafou, son fils; 5. Martin Buchert, matelot, né à Stettin en Prusse (NYPL b13624459-1266948). Photograph dated 1833. Part of the archive's coverage of the law and the political fight over wild horses.
1833 - Vanikoro.- 1. Tangaroa de manévé; 2. Mériko chef à manévé; 3. Oumou chef à nama; 4. Maingho de Manévé; 5. Naturel de Manévé (NYPL b13624459-1266947). Vanikoro.: 1. Tangaroa de manévé; 2.
1833 - Vanikoro.- 1. Monbai; 2. Naturel de vanou; 3. Naturel de vanou; 4. Femme de Pako Chef de Manéva; 5. Valie chef de Vanou; 6. Chef de l' the vanikoro (NYPL b13624459-1266939). Vanikoro.: 1. Monbai; 2.
1833 - Oiseaux- 1. Tangara Grive. mâle. (Nouv.-Zelande.); 2. Merle de vanikoro, femelle. (Vanikoro.) (NYPL b13624459-1267043). Oiseaux: 1. Tangara Grive.
1833 - Poissons- 1. Girelle de vanikoro. (Vanikoro.); 2. Girelle trimaculée. (Vanikoro.); 3. Labre Large-raie. (Hâbre Dorey.); 4. Labre perditions. (Tongatabou.); 5. Girelle de l'Ascension. (NYPL b13624459-1. Poissons: 1. Girelle de vanikoro.
1833 - Tikopia.- 1. 2. 3. 4. Portraits d' habitans de Tikopia; 5. Tatouage de la poitune (NYPL b13624459-1266959). Photograph dated 1833. Part of the archive's coverage of the law and the political fight over wild horses.
1850 - Solomon Ceremonial Shield LACMA M.2008.66.14 (1 of 2). Solomon Islands, Santa Isabel Island, circa 1800 Sculpture Basketry, parinarium nut paste, shell inlay, and pigment 36 1/4 x 11 x 2 1/2 in. (92.08 x 27.94 x 6.35 cm) Purchased with funds provided by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation with additional funding by Jane and Terry Semel, the David Bohnett Foundation, Camilla Chandler Frost, Gayle and Edward P.
1850 - Solomon Ceremonial Shield LACMA M.2008.66.14 (2 of 2). Solomon Islands, Santa Isabel Island, circa 1800 Sculpture Basketry, parinarium nut paste, shell inlay, and pigment 36 1/4 x 11 x 2 1/2 in. (92.08 x 27.94 x 6.35 cm) Purchased with funds provided by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation with additional funding by Jane and Terry Semel, the David Bohnett Foundation, Camilla Chandler Frost, Gayle and Edward P.
1850 - The whale boat returning to the Wanderer in the hurricane off Guadalcanal. 1851. 1822-1886, artist Date : ca.
1850 - Wanderer's Bay, Guadalcanal. 1851. 1822-1886, artist Date : ca.
1856 - A dorsal image of Victoria's Birdwing Butterfly, Ornithoptera victoriae, Gray, 1856. Photograph dated 1856. Part of the archive's coverage of the free-roaming herds of the world.
1856 - A ventral image of Victoria's Birdwing Butterfly, Ornithoptera victoriae, Gray, 1856. Photograph dated 1856. Part of the archive's coverage of the free-roaming herds of the world.
1856 - Queen Victoria's birdwing butterfly, female, Guadalcanal. Solomon Islands bird, wildlife subject recorded on Wikimedia Commons.
1860 - Manevai Bay, in the Vanikoro Island, a coral island. Manevai Bay, in the Vanikoro Island (islands with corals).
1869 - Seizure of the blackbirding schooner Daphne and its cargo by the HMS Rosario in 1869. See 1868: At 9 pounds a person; Thomas Pritchard, Ross Lewin’s trade - was it slavery, recruiting or indentured labour?.
1873 - Canoe, Solomon Islands. Natives and Canoe, Ysabel Island.
1875 - San Cristobal Lake. Hinsdale County, Colorado. 1875. Photograph dated 1875. Part of the archive's coverage of the law and the political fight over wild horses.
1886 - Female swallowtail butterfly from Ugi (Uki), Solomon Islands
1886 - "New butterflies from the Solomon Islands". ".
1887 - St. Christobal canoe. Model canoe made by a St. Christobal native.
1887 - Pile dwellings in Fauro Island. Photograph dated 1887. Part of the archive's coverage of the law and the political fight over wild horses.
1888 - Queen Victoria's birdwing butterfly, Guadalcanal. Adult male (upperwing and underwing), egg with structure of surface, half-grown caterpillar.
1889 - PSM V35 D501 Head hunting canoe and canoe house at rubiana. Head hunting canoe and canoe house at Rubiana.
1889 - PSM V35 D503 Sago palms and nuts on the bokorimbo river guadalcanar. Sago palms and nuts on the Bokorimbo River Guadalcanar.
1889 - PSM V35 D505 Natives of aola guadalcanar. Photograph dated 1889. Part of the archive's coverage of the law and the political fight over wild horses.
1890 - Isole salomone, ndende, bobina di denaro tevau, dalle isole di santa cruz, 1890-1910 ca. Temporary exhibitions in the National Museum of Qatar.
1890 - Isole salomone, ndende, pettorale tema o tambe o tepatu, isola di santa cruz, 1890-1910 ca. Temporary exhibitions in the National Museum of Qatar.
1890 - Isole salomone, testa di canoa nguzu nguzu (o musu musu o toto isu) forse dall'isola della nuova georgia, 1890-1910 ca. 02. Temporary exhibitions in the National Museum of Qatar.
1890 - South Sea Islanders on a sailing ship at Bundaberg
1891 - Mission en Océanie - A. P. Godey - (57 of 68). Sujet : Kanak (peuple de Nouvelle-Calédonie) Maoris (peuple de Nouvelle-Zélande) Moeurs et coutumes -- Samoa (îles) Moeurs et coutumes -- Tahiti (Polynésie française ; île) Moeurs et coutumes -- Wallis et Futuna Moeurs et coutumes -- Tonga Moeurs et coutumes -- Salomon Moeurs et coutumes -- Fidji Polynésie française Tahiti (Polynésie française ; île) Portraits -- 1870-1913 Paysages -- 1870-1913 Sc.
1892 - WT-Wawn Arbeiterrekrutierung-Südsee 1892. Rekrutierung von Südsee-Insulanern durch eine europäische Schiffsmannschaft für Arbeitsdienste, Zeichnung von William T. Wawn, Juli 1892.
1893 - Vanikoro. 11 actes de cession de terres par des chefs coutumiers de Vanikoro (Nouvelles-Hébrides) à Philippe Henry François, novembre 1893-novembre 1894 ; rapport de Philippe Herni François sur sa... . Sujet : Vanuatu, Archipel du Appartient à l’ensemble documentaire : MssSGE1 Couverture : Vanuatu Langue : français.
1894 - White-eye, illustrated by Keulemans, New Georgia. Zosterops metcalfii Zosterops rendovae = Zosterops kulambangrae rendovae (According to the text describing the plate, the bird was found at Solomon Islands, Ibis S.30, therefore it is the New Georgia White-eye or Solomon Islands White-eye).
1894 - White-eye, ZosteropsRendovaeKeulemans. Zosterops rendovae = Zosterops kulambangrae rendovae (According to the text describing the plate, the bird was found at Solomon Islands on Rendova, Ibis S.30, therefore it is the New Georgia White-eye or Solomon Islands White-eye).
1894 - White-eye, Zosterops kulambangrae, Rendova. Zosterops rendovae = Zosterops kulambangrae rendovae (According to the text describing the plate, the bird was found at Solomon Islands on Rendova, Ibis S.30, therefore it is the New Georgia White-eye or Solomon Islands White-eye).
1894 - Para (ship). ) South Sea Islanders, recruited for the Queensland cane fields, being carried in boats to the Para . (Descriptions supplied with photograph).
1894 - Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land-Brockhaus b10 nr0030a hfid 5181872. Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land, Marshall-Inseln, Salomonen (heute Papua-Neuguinea, Marshall-Inseln, Salomonen).
1898 - Solomon Island House (1898). Photograph dated 1898. Part of the archive's coverage of the Australian brumby and the Kosciuszko cull.
1899 - Vanikoro species 2. Vanikoro sigaretiformis (left) and Vanikoro cancellata (right) from the Solitary Islands Marine Park headlands on the north coast of NSW Australia.
1899 - Solomon Islands House, Memoirs Bishop Museum, Vol. II, Fig. 61. Photograph dated 1899. Part of the archive's coverage of the Australian brumby and the Kosciuszko cull.
1900 - Isole salomone orientali, reliquiario di squalo, 1900 ca. Temporary exhibitions in the National Museum of Qatar.
1900 - Disk necklace, Langu Langu Lagoon, Lau Lassi Village, Malaita Isle, Solomon Islands, 1900-1945, shell, coral, seed pod - Spurlock Museum, UIUC - DDSC06000. Exhibit in the Spurlock Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA. This work is old enough so that it is in the public domain.
1900 - Natives of Savo Island, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Original photograph by JW Beattie, c 1900 (unmounted). ).
1903 - Slave girls being fattened. Black-and-white photograph of five nearly naked young women and girls standing in front of a hut; a sixth is visible in the background. The caption below the image says: "Filles esclaves qu'on engraisse pour la fête cannibale.
1904 - Choiseul crested pigeon, Microgoura meeki. Microgoura meeki = Microgoura meeki ( Choiseul pigeon ).
1904 - Jpg of image on page 29 of File:Hawaiki The Original Home of the Maori.djvu. Caption: "A Soloman Islander, Melanesian type.".
1905 - Solomon Islands Balfour 1905. Designs from the Solomon Islands. Plate F from: Balfour, Henry (1905).
1906 - Kleding van de inwoners van Tikopia Costumes de habitans de Tikopia (titel op object) Ontdekkingsreis van de Astrolabe (serietitel) Voyage de Découvertes de l'Astrolabe (serietitel), RP-P-1906-509. Kleding van de inwoners van Tikopia. Costumes de habitans de Tikopia (titel op object).
1908 - NATIVE CANOE, MARAU SOUND, SOLOMON ISLANDS. Photograph dated 1908. Part of the archive's coverage of Indigenous horse cultures.
1908 - Canoe house, Ruviana, Solomon Islands. Note the cut for the stems.
1909 - Binabina canoe (Santa Isabel Island, 1909) 2. Diagram of a Binabina canoe (Santa Isabel Island, 1909).
1909 - Binabina canoe (Santa Isabel Island, 1909). Photograph dated 1909. Part of the archive's coverage of Indigenous horse cultures.
1909 - Head-hunting canoe from Ysabel. Detail of bow. (Canoes of the British Solomon Islands, 1909). Photograph dated 1909. Part of the archive's coverage of Indigenous horse cultures.
1909 - Head-hunting canoe from Ysabel. Detail of Stern (Canoes of the British Solomon Islands, 1909). Photograph dated 1909. Part of the archive's coverage of Indigenous horse cultures.
1909 - Head-hunting canoe from Ysabel (Canoes of the British Solomon Islands, 1909). Photograph dated 1909. Part of the archive's coverage of Indigenous horse cultures.
1909 - Diagram of a Malaita canoe (c. 1909). Photograph dated 1909. Part of the archive's coverage of Indigenous horse cultures.
1910 - Isole salomone, pendente in conchiglia di conus, 1910-50 ca., dall'isola della nuova georgia. Temporary exhibitions in the National Museum of Qatar.
1918 - Tomako (Solomon Islands, 1918). A Tomako war canoe (Solomon Islands, 1918).
1918 - Lisi (Solomon Islands, 1918). A Lisi canoe (Solomon Islands, 1918).
1920 - Waterfall on Vella Lavella Island, New Georgia Group, Solomon Islands
1922 - St Mark's Gospel in Vella Lavella. page 1 Jisu Karisito Ko Gosipeli Maka O Rikiekema [St Mark's Gospel in Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands. Translated by Rev.
1922 - War canoe, Vella Lavella
1922 - Edward A. Salisbury and his motion picture cameraman "shooting" a group of war-painted Choiseul Island (Solomon Islands) natives holding spears and knives. Photograph dated 1922. Part of the archive's coverage of the law and the political fight over wild horses.
1937 - Yamazuki Maru (Japanese cargo ship, 1937) beached at Guadalcanal, 10 February 1943 (SC 166449). The Japanese cargo ship Yamazuki Maru beached and burned out at Guadalcanal, 10 February 1943.
1942 - U.S. Marine Officers and Tulagi Policemen, circa 1942. “OFFICERS POSE WITH NATIVES---- Brig. Ge.
1942 - Guadalcanal Boat House, circa 1942. “NATIVE BOAT HOUSE ON GUADALCANAL----A typical native boat house on Guadalcanal was photographed by a U.S. Marine combat photographer.
1942 - Lot-801-33, Guadalcanal. 7 August 1942 - February 9 1943. Backwash of War. Strewn along the shore of Guadalcanal island, the wreckage of these ships of the Son of Heaven’s proud fleet lie sodden and sagging, as though cast up by a titanic storm. No surge of primeval wave or bolt of lightning could be more effective than the man-made thunderbolt that wreaked this havoc - the bombs and guns.
1942 - Evacuating a Wounded Marine, Guadalcanal, circa 1942. “JAP SNIPER VICTIM BROUGHT SAFELY IN----These four Marines are pictured carrying in their wounded comrade while under heavy sniper fire. As calmly as they would walk on their village green, these Marine Devildogs carry their buddy to safety somewhere on Guadalcanal.” "Bringing in the wounded.
1942 - Sergeant Major Vouza of Guadalcanal, circa 1942. “SOLOMON ISLAND HERO---Sergeant Major Vouza of the native police, captured recently by the Japs at Guadalcanal, was tortured with a bayonet when he refused to give any information about American forces there. Left for dead, Vouza escaped and returned to a U.S.
1942 - Marine Photographer and Native, Guadalcanal, circa 1942. “MARINE PHOTOGRAPHER AND NATIVE----This official U.S. Marine Corps Photographer, Private Robert Howard Orlando, Florida, poses with a native on Guadalcanal.
1942 - Marine and Guadalcanal Water Boy, circa 1942. “THE NEW GUNGA DIN---A potential Gunga Din is this young native boy shown with a U.S. Marine.
1942 - Marine Raider Patrol, Guadalcanal, circa 1942. “THE SUPPLY LINE TAKES TO THE HILLS---A Raider battalion, specially-trained group of Marines, hikes over rugged terrain during recent operations on Guadalcanal. Note the native guides.” "A patrol.

…1,220 further moments continue the chronology here. Full text archive: /loreline-text/solomon-islands.md

1942 - Marines, Guadalcanal Policemen, and Guadalcanal Women, circa 1942. “MARINE AND FRIENDLY NATIVES---Private First Class Ralph Wendling, a fighting U.S. Marine on Guadalcanal, poses with a group of friendly natives.
1942 - British Officer and Guadalcanal Native, Guadalcanal, circa 1942. “BRITISH OFFICER SPEAKS WITH GUADALCANAL NATIVE----Captain Clement, of the Royal British Army, speaks to a young native of the group befriended by the U.S. Marines on Guadalcanal Island.
1942 - Native Guadalcanal Men Carrying U.S. Marine Supplies, Guadalcanal, circa 1942. “Through fields to yonder jungle these native boys of Guadalcanal make their way. [TOTING] THAT BALE--- Native boys carry U.S.
1942 - Higgins Ships, Tulagi, circa 1942. “This Higgins made ship, far from its birthplace in New Orleans, La., is one of the reasons why Marine Corps troops have Jap forces on the run in the Solomon Islands. The Higgins craft, pictured between two native boats, is used not only for transportation of men and weapons in the attack by also for the removal of the wounded.
1942 - Marines on Guadalcanal Roads, circa 1942. “JEEP RIDER---Cross-legged and comfortable (7), a South Sea Islander hitches a ride on a U.S. Marine jeep.
1942 - Tulagi Policemen, Guadalcanal Campaign, circa 1942. “FRIENDLY NATIVES---- These friendly natives of Tulagi, Solomon Islands, have been useful as guides to U.S. Marines, now holding the vital islands in the few of repeated Japanese attempts to recapture them.” "More police." From the Thayer Soule Collection (COLL/2266) at the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH.
1942 - Coastwatcher with USMC officers on Guadalcanal 1942. Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. 18 August 1942: Captain W.F.
1942 - GuadCoastwatcher.gif. Original description: "A BOON TO AMERICANS - Natives such as these have been instrumental in the progress made by the Marines. These native policemen helped Captain Martin Clemens , Solomon Islands Defense Forces.
1942 - Arming of a SBD-3 Dauntless of VS-6 on USS Enterprise (CV-6) on 7 August 1942 ( ). Guadalcanal Invasion, August 1942: U.S. Navy ordnancemen of Scouting Squadron 6 (VS-6) load a 500 pound (227 kg) demolition bomb on a Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6), during the first day of strikes on Guadalcanal and Tulagi, 7 August 1942.
1942 - SBDs VS-6 en route Santa Isabel 1942. U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers of scouting squadron VS-6 en route to attack the Japanese seaplane base at Rekata Bay, Santa Isabel Island, August-September 1942.
1942 - SBD-3 from USS Wasp (CV-7) in flight near Guadalcanal 1942. A U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless assigned to either Scouting Squadron 71 or 72 (VS-71/VS-72) off USS Wasp (CV-7) in flight in the vicinity of Guadalcanal.
1942 - USS Saratoga (CV-3) with Atlanta (CL-51) off Guadalcanal Aug 1942. Landing operations continue on the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3), at left, in the late afternoon of 21 August 1942, while ships of the task force which escorted troops into the Solomons patrol off Guadalcanal.
1942 - Dead Japanese from failed assault on Henderson Field 19421025. Dead soldiers from the Japanese 2nd Division litter the Guadalcanal battlefield after the failed assaults on October 25, 1942 against positions held by the 7th Marine Regiment and the 164th Infantry Regiment of the North Dakota National Guard now part of the Americal Division.
1942 - Japanes air attack on shipping off Guadalcanal, 12 November 1942. Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 12-15 November 1942: the U.S. Navy troop transport USS President Jackson (AP-37) is maneuvering under Japanese air attack off Guadalcanal, 12 November 1942.
1942 - Crewmen working on the damaged bow of USS Chicago (CA-29) after the Battle of Savo Island on 9 August 1942. The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Chicago (CA-29) off Guadalcanal the day after the Battle of Savo Island, showing crewmen cutting away damaged plating to enable the ship to get underway.
1942 - USS Quincy (CA-39) under fire during the Battle of Savo Island on 9 August 1942 (NH 50346). The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Quincy (CA-39) photographed from the Japanese heavy cruiser Chōkai during the Battle of Savo Island, off Guadalcanal, 9 August 1942.
1942 - Japanese Aerial Raid in World War II. Japanese Navy Type 1 land attack planes (Mitsubishi G4M1 "Betty") fly low through anti-aircraft gunfire during a torpedo attack on U.S. Navy ships maneuvering between Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the morning of 8 August 1942.
1942 - B-17F over Bougainville Nov 1942. A USAAF Boeing B-17F-20-BO Flying Fortress (s/n 41-24528) over Mount Bagana on Bougainville after participating in a raid on the Japanese airfield at Buka and then heading for Shortland harbour to attack Japanese shipping, 11 November 1942.
1942 - Iron Bottom Sound, Savo Island. A U.S. destroyer steams up what later became known as Ironbottom Sound, the body of water between Guadalcanal and Tulagi, during landings on both islands, 7 August 1942. Savo Island is in the center distance and Cape Esperance, on Guadalcanal, is at the left. Photographed from USS San Juan (CL-54) from a location approximately due east from the northern tip of Savo Island.
1942 - Mitsubishi G4M1 bombers attack the invasion force between Guadalcanal and Tulagi on 8 August 1942 ( ). Japanese Navy Type 1 land attack planes (Mitsubishi G4M1 "Betty") fly low through anti-aircraft gunfire during a torpedo attack on U.S. Navy ships maneuvering between Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the morning of 8 August 1942.
1942 - Lloyd Fuller Diary, October 14-15, 1942. "October 14, 1942 Our Grummans went out to sea to strafe a Jap convoy. Many Japs were blown to bits by our .50 cal's.
1942 - USS San Francisco (CA-38) under air attack on 12 November 1942. Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 12-15 November 1942: the U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS San Francisco (CA-38) maneuvering under Japanese air attack off Guadalcanal, 12 November 1942.
1942 - Lloyd Fuller Diary, November 1-2, 1942. "November I, 1942 Early this morning our Grummans strafed the Jap seaplane base at Regatta Bay. Our Grummans destroyed approximately 35 Zeros and bombers. One Grumman, #74 (Lt. Young), did not return. We expected Tojo's bombers but they didn't come. Army P-39's strafed and bombed Jap lines. Our boys, 7th & 5th Marines, advanced 10 miles. The Jap Imperial Guards retreated rapidly but we do not have.
1942 - USS Saratoga (CV-3) underway with escorts in August 1942 (80-G-K-557). The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) underway during the Guadalcanal Campaign, in August 1942.
1942 - Flight deck view on USS Enterprise (CV-6) on 7 August 1942 ( ). Scene on the flight deck of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) on 7 August 1942, as she was supporting the first day of the Guadalcanal and Tulagi landings.
1942 - Douglas SBD bombers on USS Enterprise (CV-6) on 24 July 1942 ( ). Guadalcanal-Tulagi Operation, 1942: U.S. Navy LCP(L) and other landing craft maneuver near the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) on 24 July 1942, during preparations for the invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi.
1942 - USS Saratoga (CV-3) operating near a rain squall in the Solomons Islands area on 11 August 1942. The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3), USS Enterprise (CV-6) in the left distance, operating near a rain squall in the Solomons Islands area, 11 August 1942.
1942 - F4F Wildcats launch from USS Wasp (CV-7) in August 1942. U.S. Navy Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat s of Fighting Squadron 71 (VF-71) prepare to take off from the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7) on 7 August 1942, the first day of landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi.
1942 - Four pilots of VF-6 aboard USS Enterprise (CV-6) on 10 August 1942 ( ). Four U.S. Navy pilots of Fighting Squadron 6 (VF-6) pose beside a Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat (BuNo 5126) on board the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6), 10 August 1942.
1942 - Flight deck crews resting aboard USS Enterprise (CV-6), in November 1942 ( ). Flight deck crews aboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) rest en route to Guadalcanal Island, in mid-November 1942.
1942 - Douglas SBD flies over USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Saratoga (CV-3) on 19 December 1942. A U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless flies over the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise (CV-6), foreground, and USS Saratoga (CV-3) near Guadalcanal on 19 December 1942.
1942 - TBF VT-8 landing on USS Saratoga (CV-8) off Solomons 1942. A damaged U.S. Navy Grumman TBF-1 Avenger assigned to Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) makes a landing on board the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) without the benefit of a tailhook while the carrier operates off the Solomons.
1942 - Tulagi seaplane base aerial August 1942. View of the seaplane base on Tulagi taken by a U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless from the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) flown by Commander Harry Don Felt, August 1942.
1942 - USS Saratoga (CV-3) USS Enterprise (CV-6) 1942. The U.S. aircraft carriers USS Saratoga (CV-3) (foreground) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) are underway with aircraft spotted for launch, circa August 1942.
1942 - Aerial reconnaissance photo of Lunga Point, Guadalcanal on 31 July 1942. Vertical aerial photographic mosaic of the Lunga Point area, Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands, prepared for planning purposes shortly before the island was captured by U.S. Marines on 7-8 August 1942.
1942 - Camouflaged bridge of USS New Orleans (CA-32) at Tulagi, in December 1942. The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS New Orleans (CA-32) camouflaged at Tulagi, in December 1942.
1942 - Aerial view of the Fighter 1 airstrip and Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, in early November 1942. Aerial view of the Fighter 1 airstrip (foreground) and Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, in early November 1942.
1942 - U.S. Marine Corps Douglas SBD Dauntless at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, circa in 1942. A U.S. Marine Corps Douglas SBD Dauntless at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, circa in 1942.
1942 - LVT amphibian tractors move toward the beach on Guadalcanal in August 1942. U.S. Marine Corps LVT(1) amphibian tractors move toward the beach on Guadalcanal Island.
1942 - In a South Pacific harbor, December 1942. Taken by a USS Saratoga (CV-3) photographer.
1942 - USS Indiana (BB-58) In a South Pacific harbor. The U.S. Navy battleship USS Indiana (BB-58) in a South Pacific harbor, December 1942.
1942 - HMAS Canberra (D33) underway off Tulagi, circa 7 August 1942. The Royal Australian Navy heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra (D33) underway off Tulagi, during the landings there, 7-8 August 1942. Three transports are among the ships visible in the distance, with Tulagi and Florida Islands beyond.
1942 - A shot down Japanese aircraft burns on the water off Guadalcanal, circa 8 August 1942 (NH 69116). A Japanese Mitsubushi G4M "Betty" aircraft burns on the water after it was shot down by anti-aircraft fire during an attack on U.S. transports between Guadalcanal and Tulagi, 7-8 August 1942.
1942 - USS Ellet (DD-398) passes a crashed Mitsubishi G4M floating off Tulagi on 8 August 1942 ( ). Crewmen of the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Ellet (DD-398) look at the floating wreckage of a Japanese Navy Mitsubishi G4M Type 1 land attack plane (Allied code name "Betty"), which crashed during the aerial torpedo attack on the Allied invasion force off Tulagi Island on 8 August 1942.
1942 - Douglas SBD Dauntless flies past beached and burning Japanese transports at Guadalcanal, 16 November 1942 ( ). Beached Japanese transports burn at Guadalcanal, as a U.S. Navy or U.S.
1942 - Aerial view of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, in late August 1942. Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, photographed from a USS Saratoga (CV-3) plane in the latter part of August 1942, after U.S. aircraft had begun to use the airfield.
1942 - U.S. Navy transports at anchor off Guadalcanal, 4 November 1942 ( ). Two U.S. Navy Heywood -class transports at anchor off Guadalcanal, 4 November 1942.
1942 - USS Ralph Talbot (DD-390) off Guadalcanal in August 1942. The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Ralph Talbot (DD-390) escorting the Guadalcanal-Tulagi invasion convoy, circa 7-8 August 1942.
1942 - USS Blue (DD-387) transferring survivors off Guadalcanal on 9 August 1942. "Men wounded in the Battle of Tulagi Island being removed from the USS Blue (DD-387) to the USS Neville (AP-16), 7-8-9 August 1942." (quoted from the original caption). This photograph was probably taken on 9 August, as Blue was transferring survivors of the Battle of Savo Island, which had taken place during the previous night.
1942 - Damaged USS Minneapolis (CA-36) at Tulagi on 1 December 1942, after the Battle of Tassafaronga ( ). The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Minneapolis (CA-36) at Tulagi with torpedo damage received in the Battle of Tassafaronga, the night before.
1942 - USS New Orleans (CA-32) damaged and camouflaged at Tulagi, in early December 1942 ( ).gif. The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS New Orleans (CA-32) camouflaged at Tulagi, Solomon Islands, some days after she was torpedoed during the Battle of Tassafaronga on 30 November 1942.
1942 - Allied ships maneuvering during the Japanese torpedo plane attack on the Tulagi invasion force, 8 August 1942 (NH 97751). Guadalcanal-Tulagi Operation, August 1942: Allied ships maneuvering during the Japanese torpedo plane attack on the Tulagi invasion force, 8 August 1942. Several Japanese Navy Type 1 land attack planes (Mitsubishi G4M "Betty") are faintly visible at left, center and right, among the anti-aircraft shell bursts.
1942 - Aerial view of Pagoda Hill at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, in August 1942 ( -413c). Aerial view of "Pagoda Hill" at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. Savo Island is visible in the distance.
1942 - Japanese ships in Tonolei Harbour, Bougainville, 13 October 1942 ( ). d from a U.S. reconnaissance plane, with the film processed by the seaplane tender USS Curtiss (AV-4).
1942 - HMAS Canberra (D33) leaving Wellington, New Zealand, on 22 July 1942 ( -A). The Royal Australian Navy heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra (D33) leaving Wellington, New Zealand, on 22 July 1942. She was en route to participate in the invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi.
1942 - USS McKean (APD-5) en route to Guadalcanal in August 1942. The U.S. Navy high speed transport USS McKean (APD-5) photographed from the heavy cruiser USS San Francisco (CA-38) on 7 August 1942, the first day of landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi.
1942 - HMAS Hobart (D63) leaves Wellington, New Zealand, on 22 July 1942 ( ). The Royal Australian Navy light cruiser HMAS Hobart (D63) leaves Wellington, New Zealand, on 22 July 1942, en route to participate in the invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi.
1942 - Landing craft off Beach Red on Guadalcanal Island, circa 7-9 August 1942 (NH 97760). U.S. landing craft off Beach Red on Guadalcanal Island, circa 7-9 August 1942, when U.S.
1942 - Benham-class destroyer in Ironbottom Sound on 7 August 1942 (NH 97761). Florida Island, Solomon Islands: photograph taken on 7 August 1942, the day U.S. Marines landed to capture nearby Tulagi Island.
1942 - Guadalcanal. Photograph dated 1942. Part of the archive's coverage of roundups, culling and the holding system.
1942 - USS South Dakota (BB-57) and two destroyers alongside of USS Prometheus (AR-3), in November 1942 ( ). The U.S. Navy battleship USS South Dakota (BB-57) and two destroyers alongside the repair ship USS Prometheus (AR-3) for repairs, probably at Noumea, New Caledonia, in November 1942.
1942 - File-Henderson Field, December 1942. Birds Nest photograph of pagoda that served as the headquarters for the US Marine and Navy fliers at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. Photograph taken December 1942.
1942 - M2A4 Stuart tank is hoisted from USS Alchiba (AK-23) into a landing craft off the Guadalcanal, 7 August 1942 ( ). A U.S. Marine Corps M2A4 Stuart light tank is hoisted from the U.S.
1942 - B-17Fs 26BS 11BG 1942. USAAF Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress bombers of the 26th Bomb Squadron, 11th Bomb Group over the Southwest Pacific in 1942. The B-17F-20-BO (s/n 41-24531) visible on the right was shot down by a Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter over Tonolei harbour, Buna Island, Solomon Islands, on 18 November 1942.
1942 - HMAS Australia (D84) underway off the north shore of Guadalcanal on August 1942. The Royal Australian Navy heavy cruiser HMAS Australia (D84) underway off the north shore of Guadalcanal as the invasion task force leaves the area on 9 August 1942, following the Battle of Savo Island. Savo Island is in the distance.
1942 - Newsboard on Guadalcanal in 1942. Newsboard on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Due to the baseball results, the photo was probably taken in August 1942.
1942 - U.S. Marines storm ashore on Guadalcanal. U.S. Marines splash ashore on Guadalcanal.
1943 - Stern of the beached Japanese cargo ship Yamazuki Maru on Guadalcanal, circa March 1943. Stern of the beached Japanese cargo ship Yamazuki Maru on Guadalcanal, circa in March 1943.
1943 - Wreck of Japanese submarine I-1 off Guadalcanal 1943. Wreck of the Japanese submarine I-1 off Guadalcanal, in February 1943. During a supply mission on 29 January 1943 I-1 encountered the much smaller 607 ton New Zealand minesweepers, HMNZS Kiwi (T102) and NMNZS Moa (T233). Unable to penetrate the submarine' armour with their deck guns, the minesweepers rammed and wrecked her in shallow water at Kamimbo Bay, Guadalcanal.
1943 - An undated, group photo of Coastwatchers somewhere in the Solomon Islands, probably in 1943 or 1944. Eric Feldt is in the middle row, fourth from the left.
1943 - US pilot rescued by coastwatcher from Choiseul 1943. Local men carry an injured U.S. airman to two native canoes at the water's edge at the part of Choiseul (Lauru) Island, Solomon Islands, known as Boe Boe.
1943 - A warbird takes off for battle. Guadalcanal. February, 1943. Photographer not credited. Photo Source: U.S.

Full text archive: /loreline-text/solomon-islands.md