Hawaii, United States
May 24, 1966
Photograph, signed
Height: 10½ in (26.7 cm), Width: 13½ in (34.3 cm)
Provenance: Kimo McVay, Honolulu, Hawaii
Duke Kahanamoku (1890–1968) was the most celebrated Hawaiian athlete of the twentieth century, a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming who is credited with introducing surfing to Australia, California, and the wider world, and who served as Sheriff of Honolulu for twenty-six years. His personal signed photographs are among the most sought-after documents in Hawaiian sports and cultural history, and examples with specific subject matter and direct personal provenance are uncommon in the market. This photograph, depicting Duke dancing with the Queen Mother and dated May 24, 1966, was presented by Duke personally to his manager Kimo Wilder McVay, one of the key figures in Hawaiian entertainment and sports management of the period.
The image captures Duke Kahanamoku in a formal social setting with the Queen Mother, the print signed in Duke's hand and passed directly to McVay as a personal gift. The combination of the subject, the occasion, the signature, and the direct manager provenance makes this one of the more personally documented Duke Kahanamoku photographs to appear on the market.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Hawaii, United States
May 24, 1966
Photograph, signed
Height: 10½ in (26.7 cm), Width: 13½ in (34.3 cm)
Provenance: Kimo McVay, Honolulu, Hawaii
Duke Kahanamoku (1890–1968) was the most celebrated Hawaiian athlete of the twentieth century, a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming who is credited with introducing surfing to Australia, California, and the wider world, and who served as Sheriff of Honolulu for twenty-six years. His personal signed photographs are among the most sought-after documents in Hawaiian sports and cultural history, and examples with specific subject matter and direct personal provenance are uncommon in the market. This photograph, depicting Duke dancing with the Queen Mother and dated May 24, 1966, was presented by Duke personally to his manager Kimo Wilder McVay, one of the key figures in Hawaiian entertainment and sports management of the period.
The image captures Duke Kahanamoku in a formal social setting with the Queen Mother, the print signed in Duke's hand and passed directly to McVay as a personal gift. The combination of the subject, the occasion, the signature, and the direct manager provenance makes this one of the more personally documented Duke Kahanamoku photographs to appear on the market.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
