[Portrait of a Polynesian warrior]

This is a photograph of Talolo, who was the son of a matai in Vaimoso, Upolu in Samoa. He worked as a cook, provost and occasional interpreter for the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson during his residence at Vailima in Samoa in the 1890s.

Talolo - Young Chief

Talolo is the written version of the spoken form Kalolo. Robert Louis Stevenson used Talolo in his texts. In this photograph he wears the ceremonial dress of a manaia or young chief, with an ‘ulalei (whale teeth necklace) and tuiga (headdress). He is holding a nifo'oti (cane knife). Talolo was described by a journalist as “ the handsome too handsome—Samoan chef, who would occasionally play the truant from his duties, and then Stevenson would scour the country in search of him.”

Thomas Andrew: Photographer of Samoa

This photograph is part of a large collection of images taken Thomas Andrew, a New Zealander who lived in Samoa from 1891 to 1939. Andrew is best known for his studio portraits, but he ventured well beyond that controlled environment. He photographed political events, recorded daily life, and shot idyllic scenes for the tourist market, as his diverse portfolio reveals.

References

Vailima Letters being correspondence addressed by Robert Louis Stevenson to Sidney Colvin November 1890 — October 1894 London Methuen and Co.36 Essex Street Seventh Edition. pages 306-313

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.NEW ZEALAND HERALD, VOLUME XLIX, ISSUE 15181, 21 DECEMBER 1912, PAGE 1 (SUPPLEMENT) https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19121221.2.176.9