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FOX TALES ON STAMPS Edition #537 Friday, February 3, 2012
Doris Duke's Shangri La
	Doris Duke (1912-1993) was the only child of James Buchanan Duke, tobacco and electric power tycoon. When he died in 1925 he left her an estate valued at between $60 million and $100 million (1925) dollars! Doris Duke lived an interesting and active life. If you look online you will find numerous sites devoted to her interests, adventures and accomplishments. Beginning in the late 1930s she and her then husband, James Cromwell, began building the five acre waterfront Shangri La estate near Diamond Head on O'ahu in the Hawai'ian Islands. Doris Duke developed a great passion for Islamic art and architecture, incorporating it into the design of Shangri La as well as accumulating a large number of rare and beautiful pieces of art. When she died at the age of eighty she had made special provisions in her will to turn the Shangri La estate into a centre for Islamic art operated by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. The foundation runs small group tours of the property through the auspices of the Honolulu Academy of Art. The tours need to be booked in advance. The entrance door to Doris Duke's Shangri La is, to say the least, understated and simple. At the end of a long winding drive the house is hidden from the road. The simplicity of this exterior architecture gives no clue as to the richness and grandeur of what lies within. Unfortunately photography inside the house is forbidden. You'll have to visit the estate yourself or go on an online tour at http://www.shangrilahawaii.org/Tour-The-Property/. You can also purchase a full colour book for $15.00 at the Honolulu Academy of Art - go to http://shop.honoluluacademy.org/browse.cfm/4,25.html. After our tour of the interior of the house we ended up on the dining room lanai, a beautiful tiled and collonaded deck overlooking the ocean. The design of Shangri La embraces the idea of interior and exterior spaces flowing together. The glass curtain walls that enclose the dining room can be retracted to make it a more open space. Doris Duke was an active outdoors type. In Hawai'i she became a very proficient surfer, diver and paddler and spent a lot of the time with the famous Kahanamoku brothers. These brothers were world famous athletes and local celebrities in their own right. The waters directly in front of the Shangri La estate offer some of the best surfing on the south coast of O'ahu. The touristy part of Honolulu begins just on the other side of the Diamond Head crater which you see in the distance. On this side of Diamond Head multi-million dollar homes are the norm. Doris Duke had the low lying property built up with a significant seawall and backfill. This wall also lends a good amount of privacy to the property especially considering that the shoreline is public domain. Anyone can walk along the seaside pathway below the estate. The architecture and landscaping of Shangri La is striking from any perspective. Our tour group consisted of a dozen people. This view of the house in the background exemplifies the Islamic influences as well as the flowing indoor/outdoor ideal behind the design of the estate. This huge canary yellow sofa would be a lovely place to spend an afternoon with a good book. Unfortunately the tours don't allow for that. The three arched windows you see in this photo open on to Doris Duke's bedroom which is itself inspired by the design of the Taj Mahal. Note that the window screens and the glass window panes are both independently retractable. The lattice work ceiling above the second story balcony would be a cool place to enjoy a cup of morning tea. Every architectural detail in Shangri La has been carefully worked out. This set of stairs leading to the roof of Doris Duke's bedroom is quite beautiful. The stepped fountain and small patios leading down to the pool really tie the property together visually. Note that the swimming pool is a full seventeen feet deep and at one point in time there was a hydraulically raised high diving board which rose to over 25 feet. Doris Duke's affection for Persian art forms and architecture is noticeable in the design of the structure known as the Playhouse. This poolside building is inspired by a 17th century palace in Isfahan, Iran, the red columns and their reflection in the pool being a key visual component. This long and contemplative walkway is built around the central water feature as are many in Islamic countries. We very much enjoyed our visit to Shangri La which is one of the hidden gems of Honolulu culture and history.
Answer to Last Week's Salvation Army Quiz
	We received nine correct answers to last week's stamp identification quiz. That means a $9.00 donation to Salvation Army. Here's the portion of the stamp we asked you to identify Here's the answer - Canada #277, the 1948 issue 4c Parliament Buildings.
The Salvation Army Quiz
	We show you a minute portion of the design of a postage stamp. You have to determine which stamp it is. Send us an email with your answer. We hold a contest almost every newsletter. For every correct answer we will donate $1.00 to our favourite charity, the Salvation Army. Click here to go to the The Salvation Army International Home Page to see what services they offer to communities around the world.