King Kamehameha I

Hawai‘i artist Mark Martel has infused classic black and white photos with vivid, royal color to show the Hawaiian Royalty in a fresh, Pop-Art style.

King Kamehameha I
1758-1819, reigned 1782-1819
Like Moses, the infant Kamehameha barely survived a prophecy that he would overturn society, only to be later raised in the royal court. Like King Arthur, he fulfilled a second prophecy: he who moved the massive Naha Stone would unite the islands.

With a thousand war canoes and western arms Kamehameha became the first king of all the Hawaiian Islands. Powerful but wise, he ended human sacrifice and unified the laws of the islands. The monarchy he began kept Hawai‘i independent for nearly a century.