Antique & Vintage Postcards

Twin gilded thrones blazing in crimson velvet and gold, set beneath the sweeping red-white-and-blue stripes of the Hawaiian royal standard, make this one of the most visually arresting postcard subjects in Hawaiian history — the last thrones of a sovereign kingdom, still radiating imperial grandeur long after the monarchy was overthrown. This vivid chrome-era color postcard depicts the Throne of Hawaii as displayed at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, last used by Queen Liliuokalani in 1891–93 during the final years of the Hawaiian Kingdom before the January 1893 overthrow. The paired Gothic-revival gilt thrones — their crowns resting on footstools before them, flanked by kahili (feathered royal standards) — are photographed by Stewart Fern and published by Hawaiian Service (Louise and George T. Armitage), P.O. Box 2835, Honolulu. Printed as a Mirro-Krome card by H.S. Crocker Co. of San Francisco, this is a Nani Li'i Natural Color Card registered in 1951 in Hawaii. A pencilled dealer notation "EL 1-" appears upper right on the reverse. The image resonates deeply with Hawaiian sovereignty and cultural heritage discussions that remain alive today.