Writer.
Adventurer.
Poet.
Tusitala.
All these words describe a man whose birthday we celebrate today- Robert Louis Stevenson (RLS). While he may have been born in Edinburgh on the 13th of November 1850, it's where he spent his last days that we find particularly fascinating. It's quite extraordinary that a man born into an accomplished family of Scottish lighthouse engineers would eventually move halfway across the world to Sāmoa.
The National Library of Scotland is celebrating Stevenson with their current exhibition, 'Tusitala: Pacific Perspectives on Robert Louis Stevenson'. Now some of you may be wondering how RLS ended up on an island in the Pacific. Well, unfortunately, Stevenson was plagued by chronic respiratory problems his whole life. Amazingly, despite his poor health, he was a bit of an adventurer and travelled around the world.
He visited locations around Europe and eventually made his way to the States where, by his second visit in 1887, he was hailed as a literary celebrity. He had published his book, ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ in 1886 and it was very popular in the United States. He visited various locations in the States for his health (e.g. Saranac Lake, NY’s Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium, aka the Trudeau Institute, that was an open air treatment centre for tuberculosis).
Stevenson eventually made his way to California and lived there for a time until his health took a turn for the worse. It was then that he and his American wife, Fanny, decided to move a place where the weather was better suited to his condition. So, in 1888, the family set sail on the Pacific on the yacht, the Casco. What an adventure they must have had- just like one of his characters in his famous novels (‘Treasure Island’ comes to mind)!
By 1889, the Stevenson party made it to the Hawai'ian Islands. In fact, RLS was so celebrated, he was presented to King Kalakaua at the Iolani Palace (pictured below).
Stevenson and his family reached Sāmoa in 1889 and moved into a house on the Vailima estate in 1891 (he would die there in December 1894).
In Sāmoa, he respected the locals, and, in return, they respected him. In fact, they gave him the name Tusitala which means ‘storyteller’. During this period, colonialism was alive and well, but RLS rejected that concept. In fact, some of his last works gave voice to the Sāmoans.
However, what's wonderful about the ‘Tusitala’ exhibition is that it expands on Stevenson's work by giving further voices to the people of the Pacific. The Library explains that “the display features new creative works, inspired by Stevenson and his Pacific stories, produced by Sāmoan, Hawaiian and British artists, poets, and filmmakers. These appear alongside original items from the Library's archives, conveying new perspectives on Stevenson and his work”. Here are some photos from our visit (keep in mind these are just some highlights):
We also found one section, ‘Stevenson Reimagined’, particularly illuminating as it showcased aspects of Stevenson that many not know (including us). For example, the exhibition points out that he “enjoyed working in media beyond writing” including arranging music and even drawing caricatures of people going back to his childhood. These are incredible artefacts that showcase just how talented RLS was, and visitors are privileged to be able to see them in person.
We value the National Library of Scotland and visit often (one of our favourite past exhibitions was ‘Petticoats & Pinnacles’). Therefore, we highly recommend that you check out their ‘Tusitala’ exhibition. Admission is free (we encourage people to donate if possible) and is currently on display until the 10th of May 2025 (see their website for the most up to date information). While you are there, be sure to explore more of their exhibitions, including their permanent one, ‘Treasures of the National Library of Scotland’. The Library is also a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle and enjoy a bite to eat and good coffee in their café.
Finally, Robert Louis Stevenson is a welcomed guest and friend on our blog. Therefore, if you would like to read more about him and his time spent in Edinburgh, be sure to check out our articles on Colinton and the Pentlands (they discuss his time spent in both locations as a child/young adult), as well as his later life as a celebrated Scottish writer in our post on The Writers’ Museum.
Until next time- Explore & Discover!
