Mauna Ala: Hawaii's Royal Mausoleum

by Don Chapman

Based on an interview with curator Bill Mai'oho—the first time either he or his family has ever spoken publicly about the subject—Mauna 'Ala tells the story of Hawai'i's Royal Mausoleum. In its initial abridged appearance in Midweek, the story received an overwhelming response from readers and teachers requesting permission to make copies for required reading for their students. This longer version covers the architecture of the mausoleum, the art in the stained glass windows, Queen Emma's mourning at the site for her husband and child, a map of the grounds, a list of all entombed, and a brief history of the caretakers of Mauna Ala going back to the 1860s. Lavishly illustrated with modern and historic photos.

96 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2004

About the author

Don Chapman was educated at the City of Oxford High School for Boys and trained as a journalist and worked for thirty-five years as the theatre critic at the Oxford Mail, in addition to acting as the paper's columnist. Whilst working as its arts editor, he embarked upon reconstructing the archives for the Oxford Playhouse, which became his first full-length book, Oxford Playhouse: High and Low Drama in a University City. A graduate of the university, Don has had a long-standing interest in the women's dress movement ever since encountering stories of the Rational Dress Club in the newspaper archives.