Crypto-Mugs. Do these legends exist and who has them? - Collecting Tiki

AS Aquatic Safarinaut Grand Member (1 year) Valley of The Joe Joined: Sep 06, 2008 Posts: 174	AS Aquatic Safarinaut Posted posted on Wed, Mar 14, 2012 3:14 PM On 2011-03-08 12:35, Aquatic Safarinaut wrote: Got this mug a few weeks ago at an antique fair in Oakland. The seller said that he thought it was a hobbyist mug. I wasn't sure but I really like the mug, great colors and seemed like an early version of or inspiration for the Tepco or Harvey's Hula Girl mug. Then the other day, in a posting discussing a photo of the original Trader Vic Kava Bowl, DustyCajun Posted This picture from a 1944 Life Magazine article on Trader Vic... The Fog Cutter Mug in the 1944 image struck me as very familiar... Sure looks like it could be the same mug to me but I'd appreciate peer review... I originally posted this in Tiki Finds but I think the scrutiny in the Crypto Thread might be a little more rigorous... What does everyone think? Cheers, John Update: 1/14/12............................................. When I previously posted this, there were varying opinions as to it's origin...I hated not knowing for sure so I decided to go directly to "mecca" and get a ruling on the provenance of the mug. So yesterday I stopped by the Trader Vic Warehouse in Richmond to show it to Keir and see if she had seen the mug in the TV archives. Her initial opinion was that it was not a Trader Vic Fogcutter but she decided to send some pictures to Peter Seely, the CEO and who happens to be The Trader's grandson. I got this email this morning... Hi John, I spoke to Peter last night and the mug IS a Trader Vic's mug!!!! He said they were made by someone local and each one was unique- there weren't that many made. That explains the variance on the pictured one as you and I thought it could. This was before Tepco was making our ceramics. I guess it is possible that the one you have is a copy, but I really doubt it. They were used in the original Oakland Restaurant. Pretty exciting and very cool find!!! Have a great day. Kier Kier Fullmer Director of Operations Trader Vic's Inc. I woke up this morning to a roof leak...but this news certainly brightened up my day!

On 2011-03-08 12:35, Aquatic Safarinaut wrote:
Got this mug a few weeks ago at an antique fair in Oakland. The seller said that he thought it was a hobbyist mug. I wasn't sure but I really like the mug, great colors and seemed like an early version of or inspiration for the Tepco or Harvey's Hula Girl mug.

Then the other day, in a posting discussing a photo of the original Trader Vic Kava Bowl, DustyCajun Posted This picture from a 1944 Life Magazine article on Trader Vic...

The Fog Cutter Mug in the 1944 image struck me as very familiar...

Sure looks like it could be the same mug to me but I'd appreciate peer review...

I originally posted this in Tiki Finds but I think the scrutiny in the Crypto Thread might be a little more rigorous...
What does everyone think?

Cheers,
John

Update: 1/14/12.............................................

When I previously posted this, there were varying opinions as to it's origin...I hated not knowing for sure so I decided to go directly to "mecca" and get a ruling on the provenance of the mug. So yesterday I stopped by the Trader Vic Warehouse in Richmond to show it to Keir and see if she had seen the mug in the TV archives. Her initial opinion was that it was not a Trader Vic Fogcutter but she decided to send some pictures to Peter Seely, the CEO and who happens to be The Trader's grandson.

I got this email this morning...

Hi John,
I spoke to Peter last night and the mug IS a Trader Vic's mug!!!!
He said they were made by someone local and each one was unique- there weren't that many made. That explains the variance on the pictured one as you and I thought it could. This was before Tepco was making our ceramics.
I guess it is possible that the one you have is a copy, but I really doubt it.
They were used in the original Oakland Restaurant.
Pretty exciting and very cool find!!!
Have a great day.

Kier

Kier Fullmer
Director of Operations
Trader Vic's Inc.

I woke up this morning to a roof leak...but this news certainly brightened up my day!

Post #628750 by Aquatic Safarinaut on Wed, Mar 14, 2012 3:14 PM