Aside from Witco, who made Witco-like tiki stuff? - Collecting Tiki

B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Tue, May 17, 2011 1:52 PM Whoaaaaa, this is HUGE! That would make Gale Haner not a mere copycat, but an equal to William Westenhaver - at least locally, in Washington state. AND it would explain why, as Kirby noted, his Witco-esque carvings showed so much craftsmanship. And you actually lived IN the Polynesia Apartments in Tacoma? Wow, those were STUDDED with Tikis! What is their address again? I photographed a bunch of their Tikis in 1994 when I was up there shooting some Yamaha commercials. I have to confess that I have treated Washington Tiki apartments kind of step-fatherly in my publications, because they were lacking the architectural flourish of the Southern California A-frames as well as the tropical landscaping. But I was always curious WHO had carved all those pine logs! Because yes, it was apparent to me that ONE artiste had also done the Tiki at the Tiki Apts... (no trace of other Tikis there in '94!) ...and the Tikis at the Kona Village Apts in Bremerton!: The Kona Village had these simple masks plastered along the buildings... ...which were impressive because of their sheer numbers: The best thing there was the front (see also BOT page 226): ...where on the left we can see the SAME wooden cut out Tiki than the ones you found at the Tiki Apts!: I wonder what the panel one on the right looked like painted! If Gale Haner did indeed do all this, he is up there with the rest of them like Guanko, Bumatay, Ellis, Schmaltz, Crissman, Westenhaver and West! Please try to unearth photographic evidence from the son, memory gets hazy over time, even among direct family members. Ask if he has any paperwork of his dad's jobs left, too. I now even would say that maybe he also did the strange cut out gods at the Tongaroa Apts in Bremerton: Though they are a little different in style... And why not the big mask at the Islander Apts in Seattle?: I think YOUR Tiki looks very much like a cross between one of his apartment Tikis and his faux Witco Tikis. Is that two-faced Tiki and those others sitting out at the Tiki Apts? If you can find more proof from the son, this will be an important advance in American Tiki history! :)

Whoaaaaa, this is HUGE! That would make Gale Haner not a mere copycat, but an equal to William Westenhaver - at least locally, in Washington state. AND it would explain why, as Kirby noted, his Witco-esque carvings showed so much craftsmanship.

And you actually lived IN the Polynesia Apartments in Tacoma? Wow, those were STUDDED with Tikis! What is their address again?
I photographed a bunch of their Tikis in 1994 when I was up there shooting some Yamaha commercials.

I have to confess that I have treated Washington Tiki apartments kind of step-fatherly in my publications, because they were lacking the architectural flourish of the Southern California A-frames as well as the tropical landscaping. But I was always curious WHO had carved all those pine logs!

Because yes, it was apparent to me that ONE artiste had also done the Tiki at the Tiki Apts...

(no trace of other Tikis there in '94!)

...and the Tikis at the Kona Village Apts in Bremerton!:

The Kona Village had these simple masks plastered along the buildings...

...which were impressive because of their sheer numbers:

The best thing there was the front (see also BOT page 226):

...where on the left we can see the SAME wooden cut out Tiki than the ones you found at the Tiki Apts!:

I wonder what the panel one on the right looked like painted!

If Gale Haner did indeed do all this, he is up there with the rest of them like Guanko, Bumatay, Ellis, Schmaltz, Crissman, Westenhaver and West! Please try to unearth photographic evidence from the son, memory gets hazy over time, even among direct family members. Ask if he has any paperwork of his dad's jobs left, too.

I now even would say that maybe he also did the strange cut out gods at the Tongaroa Apts in Bremerton:

Though they are a little different in style...

And why not the big mask at the Islander Apts in Seattle?:

I think YOUR Tiki looks very much like a cross between one of his apartment Tikis and his faux Witco Tikis.
Is that two-faced Tiki and those others sitting out at the Tiki Apts?

If you can find more proof from the son, this will be an important advance in American Tiki history! :)

Post #589567 by bigbrotiki on Tue, May 17, 2011 1:52 PM