Post #359527 by bigbrotiki on Wed, Feb 6, 2008 10:02 AM

But I am getting off the subject here again....

On 2008-02-03 22:36, 8FT Tiki wrote:
....The building and grounds were all designed and built by Mr. William Parkhurst.....He had traveled to Hawaii on several occasions and sent back lots of souvenirs and art...

When I hear relatives telling that "Hawaii" story, I am often hesitant to accept that as the whole truth. For people who have no idea of American Tiki culture, the original sources of objects are often forgotten over time, and ...where else would this stuff come from, right?
That's why I have encountered things like Witco fountains that the 2nd or 3rd generation owners in all earnest claimed to be from Hawaii.

In this case though, I am entirely convinced that the above genealogy of the inspiration that led to this Tiki temple is truthful. The absence of any restaurant industry lamps and decor, and the use of King Kamehameha as the principal logo suggest that Mr. Parkhurst indeed was gleaning his ideas straight from Hawaii.

One curious fact that supports that is that Kamehameha almost NEVER was used as an icon of Tiki culture on the mainland, while he was often rendered in HAWAIIAN Polynesian Pop:

And looking at the A-frame, it reminds me most of Don The Beachcomber's at the International Marketplace:

(even if the 4-pointed star lay out is considerably different)

And there is one more precedent that happened in Waikiki: Henry Kaiser dredging out a lagoon for his Hawaiian Village Hotel.
And so it appears that (since it was never a restaurant to begin with) we have a completely independently created Tiki temple here.