Post #766548 by bigbrotiki on Sat, Jul 23, 2016 2:02 AM

Yep! I took those in 2002 for my book Tiki Modern https://www.amazon.com/Tiki-Modern-Sven-Kirsten/dp/3822847178

I stayed at Mark Axtons place, and through his job at Will Vinton's Claymation Studios borrowed some lamps to properly light the photos. It was then that i found out that the Tikis and wall art were Witco "fakes":"...When entering The Alibi in Portland through its traditional entrance hut, one might feel like having arrived in another Witco land. Yet on closer examination, the observant urban archeologist finds evidence to the contrary: The wall Tikis holding the fake torches are stamped “Gordon”, and the Witco-style “Conversation” carving is labeled “Artistry in Wood by Frank Hart”.
But this is in no way a drawback to this wonderfully authentic Tiki bar, rather a fascinating example of how Witco was influential in its heyday, and demonstrating that imitation is often the sincerest form of flattery..."

I must have sent some duplicates to the Alibi for their use. I like the last one that shows the entrance "Tepe", which I still believe came from the Portland Kon Tiki:

Stephen Crane first used that design at his Luau restaurant in Beverly Hills:

Upon the closure of The Luau, it migrated to the courtyard of the Hanalei Hotel, together with the often copied Demetrio Chavez Tiki and all the other Luau artifacts:

It has since rotted away, so I am glad one of these still stands at the Alibi.