Skip to main content

Primary sourcePhotograph1895

Liliuokalani entering palace for trial of 1895

James J. Williams · 1895

A photograph of the deposed Queen Liliʻuokalani being escorted up the steps of ʻIolani Palace for her 1895 trial.

Shows her, deposed and under guard, being brought to the palace for her 1895 trial and imprisonment.

Ask Queen Liliʻuokalani about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Black-and-white photograph of people climbing stone steps toward a palace. A woman in a dark dress is at the center, flanked by men in dark suits and hats. Horse-drawn carriages with canopies stand on a dirt road, a mounted rider is in the background, and a tall street lamp stands by the steps. Trees and a white colonial building are behind. The number 53 is written in the lower right corner.
Lili‘uokalani being escorted up the steps of ʻIolani Palace, 1895. First published in an 1895 newspaper.

About this source

What it is

A black-and-white photograph showing Liliʻuokalani, flanked by men including R. P. Waipa, A. M. Brown and Col. Fisher, being escorted up the steps of ʻIolani Palace. It was first published in an 1895 newspaper, taken by photographer James J. Williams.

Why it matters

This image documents the aftermath of the 1895 counterrevolution, when a cache of arms was found in Liliʻuokalani's garden and she was imprisoned at the palace where she had once reigned as queen. It shows the dramatic reversal in her fortunes, from monarch to prisoner, and was circulated publicly in the press at the time.

Look closer

  • What does the formal escort of men around her suggest about how this moment was staged or controlled?
  • Why would a newspaper in 1895 want to publish this image?
  • What does the setting, the very palace she once ruled from, add to the meaning of this photograph?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Queen Liliʻuokalani on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Queen Liliʻuokalani sources

Meet the AI Queen Liliʻuokalani →
Black-and-white studio portrait of a woman standing full length beside an upholstered chair with a fur-like back, wearing a light pale gown with ruffled trim, a long train pooling on the floor, a dark sash across her chest with a decorative badge, and a necklace. Painted backdrop of foliage behind her.Book

Primary source

Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen

Liliʻuokalani · 1898

Page of the 1898 Joint Resolution to Provide for Annexing the Hawaiian Islands to the United States, handwritten annotation 'Public Resolution No. 51' at top, with printed text of the resolution's preamble and sections below.Document

Primary source

Joint Resolution to Provide for Annexing the Hawaiian Islands to the United States

United States Congress · 7 July 1898

Sheet music cover for 'Aloha Oe', reading 'Aloha Oe. Song and Chorus', with an ornate border, a crown and 'Oniipaa' monogram emblem, and text 'Composed by Her Royal Highness Princess Liliuokalani, of Honolulu, Oahu, H.I.' Published by The Pacific Music Co., 208 Post St., San Francisco, Cal.Artifact

Primary source

Aloha ʻOe

Liliʻuokalani · c. 1877-1878

Black-and-white studio portrait of a seated woman in a dark dress with lace trim at the bodice, hands folded in her lap, wearing rings. She sits in an ornate carved wooden armchair with upholstered back and arms against a pale paneled backdrop.Photograph

Primary source

Liliuokalani in 1891

James J. Williams · 1891

Photograph of a large patchwork quilt with nine square blocks in a three by three grid, bordered in dark brown. Blocks feature crazy-quilt piecing in varied fabrics, embroidery, and embroidered text, with a central block of blue and red fabric bearing printed script.Artifact

Primary source

Imprisonment Quilt

Liliʻuokalani · 1895

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Queen Liliʻuokalani now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions