Post #323344 by pappythesailor on Sun, Aug 5, 2007 9:09 AM

I admit, Willis Harman may not be a tiki hero of yore but he sold cool tikis.

(from the Long Beach Indepndent Press Telegram 5 May 1963)

TIKIS ARE IN TOWN

VISITORS to 3636 E. Ana-
heim St. often stop and
rub their eyes. They think for
a minute they have been
transported to Samoa, Easter
Island or Hawaii.
In a tropical setting stand
tiki gods, the same in appear-
ance as those seen in the
South Pacific. The tikis range
from 3 to 15 feet high, carved
with chisel, wood mallet and
hatchet by native Hawaiian
artists.
"Tikis date back to ancient
days in the islands." explains
Willis Harman of the East
Anaheim St reel address.
"Each has an important meaning
to the Polynesian people.
For instance, before South
Seas pearl divers proceed to
the oyster beds, they pray to
the shark god for protection
against sharks."
THE TIKIS exhibited here
were carved from Southern
California logs, many of them
upwards of 125 years old.The
palm log can not be carved
until it has seasoned at least
a quarter of a century, according
to Harman otherwise
it would crack and distort
the design.
The tikis are made without
a sketch or a mark on the
log.
Because of increased travel
in the South Pacific since the
war, and the rapidly increasing
number of swimming
pools, Polynesian symbols
such as tikis are in great demand,
according to Harman.
He his received orders from
the Ea$t Coast from persons
who returned from South Seas
tours and decided they would
like tikis to bring back memories
of their trip.