Figure002

Citation

Hugo Stangenwald. “Princess Victoria Kamamalu.” circa 1855. Greg French Collection. Mirror of Race, 11 Feb. 2021, mirrorofrace.bc.edu/items/show/236. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.

Title

Princess Victoria Kamamalu

Subject

Princess Victoria Kamamalu

Creator

Hugo Stangenwald

Date

circa 1855

Type

Studio Portrait

Identifier

Figure002

Rights Holder

Greg French Collection

Original Format

Daguerreotype

Physical Dimensions

Sixth Plate (2.75 x 3.25 inches)

Factual Commentary

Princess Victoria Kamamalu Ka’ahumanu, 1838-1866, was the sister of King Kamehameha IV, who reigned in Hawai’i from 1854 to 1863. She was the granddaughter of Kamehameha the Great, who founded the kingdom by uniting Hawai’i, and she was presumptive heir to the throne when she died. When her brother the king died in 1863, she was serving the kingdom as Premier (Kuhina Nui), as she had since 1855, and in this role, she had the power to appoint his successor. She named another brother, Lot Kapuaiwa, as king (Kamehameha V), but she herself had in fact been queen regent for the one day (Nov. 30) during which she made this appointment. In this photograph, taken around 1855, she would have been about 17 years old, and probably already serving as Premier.

Interpretive Commentary

Hawai'i occupies a distinct place in the history of race and identity in American history. In part because the Hawaiians continued under their own rule until the 1890s, with a royal family granted respect by the resident Americans and Europeans, the color prejudice that afflicted the distant mainland did not have the same effect on these islands ― despite the fact that the Hawaiians suffered the effects of colonization. This image in particular illustrates the determination of the Hawaiians to maintain their dignity and autonomy, despite the cultural, economic, and political power of the United States.

Alternative Title

Collection

Mirror of Race