Post #413170 by bigbrotiki on Mon, Oct 13, 2008 8:11 PM

Can't leave such a post by a valiant urban archeologist standing empty! It is indeed sad that, while the San Francisco Trader Vic's only closed as recently as 1994, it is hard to find exterior shots of it...considering it was an S.F. institution for over 40 years (it opened in 1951).

Here is my bad shot of the entrance, from '94:

Now THOSE were Tiki doors! Wonder what happened to this amazing example of logo Tiki use:

Here is a B&W shot of the exterior in the early 50s, I haven't made a print of the neg yet, but we can see it did not change much in 40 years:

I only know one postcard of the interior, showing the Tiki (!) room:

and here two shots from the 70s, the first with the Tiki room Tapa in the foreground...

the second depicting another room

I really like the indirect lighting they used to have under the shelves with objects lining the walls, the Munich Trader Vic's still has that.