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Alexander Samuel MacLeod (1888–1956)
Also known as Sam MacLeod, Alexander Samuel MacLeod was a Canadian-born American painter and printmaker celebrated for his evocative depictions of Hawai‘i’s landscapes and his sensitive portrayals of Native Hawaiians.
Born on Prince Edward Island, Canada, MacLeod studied at McGill University and later at the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art in San Francisco under Frank Van Sloun. After establishing his studio in San Francisco’s historic Montgomery Block, he first arrived in Hawai‘i in 1921, working as an artist for Paradise of the Pacific, The Honolulu Advertiser, and The Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
After a decade back in Canada, MacLeod returned to Hawai‘i and became director of the U.S. Army’s graphic art department in the Pacific. In 1943, he published The Spirit of Hawaii, Before and After Pearl Harbor, a collection of his prints that captured both the beauty and transformation of the islands. His work, including noted pieces such as Fishpond, Kahaluu and Surfing Waikiki, continues to embody the spirit and humanity of Hawai‘i.
