Tahiti: The First Press of the Pacific

On June 30, 1817, in ‘Āfareaitu on the island of Eimeo (today known as Mo'orea) in the Kingdom of Tahiti, King Pomare II of Tahiti pulled the handle of a printing press to print the first page of a Tahitian language spelling book (Ellis 393). In doing so, he made history as the first person to print a page anywhere in the Pacific Islands (Lingenfelter).

The press with which Pomare II made history was brought to Polynesia by William Ellis in his capacity as a missionary with the London Missionary Society (Lingenfelter 3). The press remained operational for 11 months, until May 28, 1818 (Lingenfelter 117). In that time, it printed over 9,000 books totaling over 500,000 pages (Lingenfelter 19).

This exhibit will share the history of this press, including the life of William Ellis and the voyage he undertook to physically bring the press to Eimeo, as well as the first use of the press.

Begin the exhibit by familiarizing yourself with the life of William Ellis via the first link in the menu. Then, proceed to the next link, which features a map of the Kingdom of Tahiti as well as a detailed timeline of Ellis's voyage to Eimeo. Finish up the exhibit using the next two pages to read about the first page ever printed using the press, and the eventual dismantling of the press.