It was in December, 1934, a photographer took a snap shot of Amelia Earhart on a Matson cruise ship headed from Los Angeles to Honolulu.

Earhart and her plane, she nicknamed "Old Bessie" made a pit stop in the islands before the young woman became the first person to fly solo from Honolulu to Oakland, Calif.

The black and white photographs capture Earhart with her husband vacationing in Waikiki and enjoying a little R&R at The Royal Hawaiian.

“She had her meals here, she was out at the beach she had part of her world was here in Waikiki and here at the Royal Hawaiian,” said Kelly Hoen, general manager of The Royal Hawaiian.

Wednesday evening, invited guests were treated to a first look at the Earhart exhibit on display in the hotel lounge.

Matson Navigation recently discovered the collection of photos in its archives.

“When I saw these and associated her with Hawaii I was blown away and I thought other people would be too. Not use to seeing her eating a pineapple with Duke Kahanamoku or wearing the kimono robe,” said Lynn Krantz, a Matson Historian.

On a short stopover in 1937, Earhart stayed a second time at the hotel before setting off on her first attempt to fly around the world.

“It was really neat to see the photos and it actually opened some questions for myself like what time it was during her flight and everything when she came here,” said visitor Neil Gowan.

Matson built the Royal Hawaiian in the 1920s, which to this day attracts famous faces from around the world.

Thanks to this collection, Earhart's ties to the Pink Palace and the islands will not be forgotten.

“She was a natural. She was beautiful. She looked elegant even when she was in her jacket and her aviation pants,” said Krantz.

The display is open to the public starting Saturday July 24, which is Earhart’s birthday.