“The Samoans Are Here!”: Samoan Ethnic Shows, 1895–1911

Abstract

Between 1895 and 1911, three groups of Samoans traveled to Germany to take part in ethnic shows. There were titled and high-ranking persons in each of the groups. This article explores the recruiting, organizing, and reception of the shows, contextualizing the European and Samoan perspectives, which differed significantly. In addition to written, visual, and material sources in Samoan, New Zealand, and European archives and museums, the research is based on interviews with descendants of the Samoan travelers who could still be traced.