Tiki Heroes & Carvers of Yore

I've been doing some Internet research lately. I never find what I want but I often find stuff worth keeping. I found enough articles on past tiki heroes to flesh out a new topic. I hope you see where I'm going with this. Let's start with everyone's favorite relative of Bamboo Ben (right after the lovely Auntie Bungy) Eli Hedley! (From the Nevada State Journal 18 February 1973)

Around the Town

Many who have paid a visit to Trader Dick's new home an the casino addition to John Ascuaga's NUGGET have
been overwhelmed by the color and authenticity of the interior design and decor. The man responsible for
that design is ELI HEDLEY owner and operator of the Island Trade Store, of Midway City, California.
Eli is the man who did the original interior design of the "first" Traders of the NUGGET 13 years ago.
Stories of his work and way of life have appeared in many national publications, including the Wall Street
Journal, and a color picture story in LIFE magazine. Eli is not just an interior decorator and designer.
He is a fascinating man who has devoted his entire life to the collection of beautiful natural artifacts
for the purpose of enhancing man-made structures. Besides his work at the Nugget, he is responsible for the
interior design of Harvey's Top of the Wheel, the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, and bars for Don the
Beachcomber. ELI can be called a beachcomber's beachcomber. He has traveled into some of the remote
corners of the world to find and bring back many of the gems he has incorporated into his designs. It is a
very different way of life he calls. . . fun! ELI began his life's work out of necessity. He was livin with
his family on a small island off the California coast. With very little money, he and his family combed the
beach for certain necessities. The driftwood they found became furniture. A fish net served as drapery,
and old bottles were cut to serve as liquid container. Soon, friends began to notice the beauty of the
necessities, and urged Eli to begin marketing his finds. He did, and that is the way it all began. His
design of the original Trader Dick's was the first full scale work of that sort he ever attempted. His
search for the artifacts that were to appear in Traders took him over much of the South Pacific. He
traveled extensively to find the pieces of authentic island art that now appear in the "new" Traders.
Several of the more unique items at Traders now include the very detailed model of a four masted schooner
that is housed in the glass window behind the bar. The rare New Guinea Tiki that stands at the far end of
the lounge. It is estimated to be more than 150 years old. A Taluma from the Trobrian Islands, and an
original hand-made Samoan outrigger. Eli is particularly proud of the large metal Chinese characters he
found and placed on the side of the smoke ovens in the center of the new restaurant. Literally translated
they say: Happiness, Prosperity and Good Health . . . for all. It was because of the work Eli executed on
the original Trader Dick's thirteen years ago that JOHN ASCUAGA was insistent that Eli return to do the
interior decoration on the new Traders. Most who have visited Traders new home have agreed
enthusiastically with ASCUAGA'S decision to retain Eli. It is that design that gives "new" Traders its good
feeling, color, and character and adds the important touch to dining delights. Trader Dick's at John
Ascuaga's NUGGET- Truly an important part of the Best of Everything.

And onto maybe a forgotten Tiki carver, Doug Wong. (Anyone know Doug?)

(From the Billings Gazette 21 November 1976)

CAMBRIDGE, Md, — The Polynesians carve tiki poles
to commemorate their gods but Ihe ancient art is spreading
In America as a backyard beautification idea or a special
project for Boy Scouts.
Doug Wong, hydroponic specialist at a foods plant in
Cambridge, has been creating tiki poles from old telephone
poles for tlie past five years.
"A TIKI POLE Is similar lo the American Indian totem
pole except the tiki pole is a representation of a single god
while the totem pole depicts an entire family or clan," said
Wong during a break In his bean sprout research.
To make a tiki pole, Wong recommends this equipment:
• A six lo eight-foot long section of telephone pole
• A sharp hatchet
• A hand-held propane torch
• Some chalk
• And this lesson in mind — slice the tree and not the
knee!
Wong's initial attempt at carving a tiki pole in 1971 resulted
in a four-Inch gash in his left knee when his hatchet
skimmed off the pole. After the cast was removed, Wong
reapproached the art with a healthy respect for safety.
"WHEN I MOVED from Seatlle to Cambridge to work
in the foods company's bean sprout program, I brought the
original pole with me," Wong says. "I figured it cost me
$1000 in hospital bills."
One of Ihe hardest parts of making a tiki pole is obtaining
the pole itself. Telephone companies generally give away
their old or damaged poles but there is often a waiting list.

The pole also should be at least one to two feet thick, according
to Wong.
Once the pole is secured, Ihe next step is choosing the
design. Wong recommends that those unfamiliar with the
Polynesian style check the library for examples of tiki pole
faces.
USING A HATCHET, thee face should be roughly outlined.
When tile pattern is on the pole, carefully chop down
to the desired depth while Irying to keep the cut wood as
smooth as possible.
Singe the pattern with the torch. Besides smoothing out
the wood, Ihls also creates a burnished effect that highlights
the natural grain of the wood. Finally, go over the pole with
a stiff whisk broom to remove the ash and burned wood
chips. At the suggestion of plant manager Al Schuchardt,
Wong recently instrucled members of the Boy Scout Troop
No. 298 in Cambridge on tiki pole caning. The scouts made
two poles lo use in their Bicentennial celebrations and also
hope to use them to raise money for community projects —
tiki poles have sold for as much as $850.
"IT CAN BE A DANGEROUS hobby if you push yourself
too fast," Wong said. "It will take about 50 hours of
working time lo make a pole but it's very enjoyable and satisfying."
Wong first saw tiki poles when he was in the South Pacific
us a merchant marine. But it wasn't until a telephone
crew removed an old pole from in front of his home that he
had the inspiration to carve one himself.
Creating a tiki pole can be fun, but just remember to
keep the hatchet in the wood and away from the legs.

Then there's Oregon's Mike McVay. Anybody know Mike?????

(from the Bridgeport Telegram 14 January 1966)

INSTANT ANCIENT ART —Oregon artist Mike McVay
uses a chain saw to turn out commercial replicas of ancient
Tiki god statues and Indian totem poles. He is one of a dozen
or more such artists in the Pacific Northwest who carve with
chain saws, ideal for this type of carving, says Omark Industries,
Inc., because they cut with a chisel action.

How about Kenneth Vance of Pennsylvania?

(from the Gettysburg Times 26 August 1972)

...Vance's creations are designed to project the Polynesian and American influence.
Vance, who has been carving since he was 13 years old got his professional start by
volunteering to help his wife. Mrs. Vance and a friend planned a Polynesian Party
for their Ohio home. Something seemed to be lacking in decorations. Vance
volunteered to make a Polynesian tiki if he could. The carved device proved so
popular he decided to try his hand at making a totem pole....

and maybe one you were scared by Melvin J Freitas' work as a youngster. Who's in Long Beach? Is his tiki face still there?

(from the Long Beach Independent 13 November 1961)

A frowning Polynesian Goddess
of Happiness appeared
Sunday upon the trunk of a
60-foot palm tree, to the delight
of the property owner
and chagrin of the Long Beach
police.
The Tiki, as all proper Polynesian
gods and goddesses are
named, was carved into the
stately palm by Melvin Jerry
Frietas who learned the Tiki
carving trade in his native
Hawaii.
Frietas, 29, who now makes
his home at 1824 California
Ave., is a professional wood
sculptor and his work graces
many of the finer restaurants
of the Long Beach area.
HE CARVED the 36-inch
high Tiki for his friend, Al
Taylor, a Long Beach contractor,
on one of two palm
trees spanning a driveway at
270 Nevada St.
Frietas, a goateed, husky
man of Portuguese, French
and Spanish descent, was halfway
through his carving when
he was interrupted by arrival
of two uniformed policemen
who escorted him to police
headquarters.
Although Taylor owns the
property, the officers said,
the city of Long Beach owns
everything between the side-
walk and the curb. And city
fathers are likely to frown as
deeply as the Tiki if a wood-
man doesn't spare their trees.
BUT, AFTER about 30 minutes,
Frietas was returned by
police to his carving.
"The tree is good as ever."
said Frietas. I covered the
Tiki with a tree sealer to
keep out the bugs. It's like,
putting back the bark."...

YAWN More tomorrow unless I get complaints.

no complaints here pappy. i'm enjoying these posts. mahalo brah.

More dude! :D

Very interesting and much appreciated.

T :)

I love Pappy's Research threads!

Keep'em comin'!

Barnacle Bill from redondo beach?

Excellent thread!!!!

Most excellent. Thank you. More please.

Sweeet. Love the article on the goddess carving that makes police nervous, a view to times gone by.

I agree, Keep'em Coming!

:D SsweeetT Pappy...keep'em coming! :D

sniff...sniff...hhhmmm, me sense bigbrotiki nearby...?

Who's seen the work of James B. Casey of California at Pacific Ocean Park or one of Steve Crane's restaurants?

(from the Helena Independent Record 15 July 1960)

CASEY AT THE AX

Sculptor Finds Outlet
in Amusement Park
OIDESHOW sculptor James B. Casey is a
modern Paul Bunyan of the art world
whose creative works are much in evidence
at Pacific Ocean park in Los Angeles.
Mr. Casey lives and works there in an
area where the South Sea Islands, an Alaskan
village, and a visit to the old West are
only minutes apart. His unique statuary is
almost everywhere on display. Massive
totem poles, ornate wooden heads and
elaborate columns that the husky six-footer
carved are located throughout the park.
Made from giant redwood logs, the statuary
is hand-carved by Casey, whose principal
tool is a double-edged woodsman's ax.
Many of the grotesque wooden heads that
Casey carved are used as targets by ball
throwers.
A former musician and television producer-
director, Mr. Casey finds that creating
with his hands is a far more lucrative
and self-satisfying occupation. As an artist
he is not the least bit embarrassed to
have his work displayed in a carnival-like
setting. The only problem with an outdoor
exhibition, Casey finds, is the great amount
o£ maintenance needed to keep the statuary
in good condition. Besides supplying exotic
art for amusement parks, Casey does a
large business creating unusual works of
art for members of the film colony. "South
Sea Island statuary seems to be the favorite
at the moment," says the sideshow sculptor.

Surely an artiste like Mr. E. C. "Buz" Galas deserves not to be forgotten.

(from the Modesto Bee and News Herald 11 July 1962)

Modesto Artist's Motto is: Art For The Love Of Art

E. C. (Buz) Galas,
carves tiki gods in his
spare time.
He also paints in oils, water
colors and caseins, experiments
with glazes and
casts molds in his Chehalem
Drive home. In the daytime
he is an art director of a local
firm.
His tremendous affinity to
art is reflected in the interiors
of the Galas home
where a mosaic table, intricate
wood statues and arresting
canvases are in evidence.
Galas discussed his most
recent endeavor—tiki carving—
Saturday while carving
a palm log in his patio. He
also was baby sitting with
his four youngsters.
From Oakdale
A native of Oakdale, Galas
was graduated from Modesto
High School and attended
the California College of
Arts in Oakland. Several
of his commercial paintings
were distributed nationally
during his tenure as art
directoi of a local winery.
Galas says he became interested
about one year ago
in carving the figures whose
origins are in Polynesian
mythology. He now is working
on his fourth tiki.
"In comparison to other
media, the cost is minute
for the necessary materials,"
he said. "I've picked up tools
such as chisel, draw knife
and mallet in surplus stores
or second hand shops.
"Whenever we're on family
outings in the country I
keep on the lookout for in-
teresting wood. if the wood
is gnarled or tracked it gives
the finished piece more character.
I've obtained some excellent
pieces when trees
were being chopped down by
the city."
Galas spent six weeks on
his first attempt at the tiki
trade—a six foot tall, nude
Polynesian goddess crowned
by an ornate headpiece.
"When she was finished.
I put her in the front yard."
he continued. "The neighbors
never said a word, but she
did attract a lot of stares.
Traffic in front of our place
was fierce for a while."
Towering Tiki
A few weeks ago the towering
tiki mysteriously dis-
appeared. Despite the detailed
description Galas provided
the police the tiki ,
has not been recovered.
How does tiki carving
compare with other media
with which he has worked?
"I enjoy creating in three
dimensions," he replied. "It
suits a part of my personality
nothing else does. I consider
the tiki phase a stage
in my personal development.
Accidental Art
"When a different subject
catches my interest, I'll enter
a new area of exploration.
But I go back to oils every
time I tire of a particular approach.
"I'm always experimenting
with materials. At my office,
for instance, I'm working on
a 4 by 8 foot collage com-
posed primarily of blotters
It came, about when the
mimeograph machine was being
cleaned. I noticed the
blotters on the rollers had
turned out some interesting
patterns. You might term it
accidental art."
What techniques does he
employ in carving tikis?
"Authenticity is the least
important factor to me. I
use my imagination in creating
the figure I'm going to
carve. I sketch it on paper—
or sometimes draw the pat-
tern right on the palm log.
"Then I start chopping. If
I get bored I may even throw
the hatchet." he smiled.
Galas never has exhibited
his works. He is not affiliated
with any art organization.
He merely lives for art.

This is great stuff - a bit of a shame the pics are so grainy but that's to be expected. Here's hoping a few urban archaeologists out there can follow up some of these leads.
I just can't get enough pics of classic era carvings. I love the low-tech approach these guys took, just hacking into logs or telephone poles with anything that had an edge. It brings to mind the Eli Hedley pic (in the BoT I think) where he is carving the Stardust moai with a real adze.
It's interesting to think that in 50 years time people may be posting articles on BenZart or Crazy Al for the great "Tiki Revival" of 2060....

how did you ever find the photo/article on the hobby tiki artist in modesto? wow!

looks like i have a new mission. chehalem drive is directly across the street from the high school i worked at last school year. i doubt good ol' buz still lives there, and i realize his tiki was stolen out of his front yard in '62, but it's still worth a looksee.

thanks pappy!

I admit, Willis Harman may not be a tiki hero of yore but he sold cool tikis.

(from the Long Beach Indepndent Press Telegram 5 May 1963)

TIKIS ARE IN TOWN

VISITORS to 3636 E. Ana-
heim St. often stop and
rub their eyes. They think for
a minute they have been
transported to Samoa, Easter
Island or Hawaii.
In a tropical setting stand
tiki gods, the same in appear-
ance as those seen in the
South Pacific. The tikis range
from 3 to 15 feet high, carved
with chisel, wood mallet and
hatchet by native Hawaiian
artists.
"Tikis date back to ancient
days in the islands." explains
Willis Harman of the East
Anaheim St reel address.
"Each has an important meaning
to the Polynesian people.
For instance, before South
Seas pearl divers proceed to
the oyster beds, they pray to
the shark god for protection
against sharks."
THE TIKIS exhibited here
were carved from Southern
California logs, many of them
upwards of 125 years old.The
palm log can not be carved
until it has seasoned at least
a quarter of a century, according
to Harman otherwise
it would crack and distort
the design.
The tikis are made without
a sketch or a mark on the
log.
Because of increased travel
in the South Pacific since the
war, and the rapidly increasing
number of swimming
pools, Polynesian symbols
such as tikis are in great demand,
according to Harman.
He his received orders from
the Ea$t Coast from persons
who returned from South Seas
tours and decided they would
like tikis to bring back memories
of their trip.

Salem (Ohio) News (1965-12-07)

By LYLE W. PRICE SAUSALITO, Calif. (AP)

—Sculpter Barney West carves wooden Polynesian Tikis in his front yard here and he guarantees them for a century.
West and five helpers use power tools on huge redwood logs from nearby northern California forests. He'll take orders up to 100 feet tall and 20 ft wide.
The gaunt-faced Tikis represent Polynesian gods and ancestors, West says.
From New York to Hawaii. His big customers are Trader Vic restaurants, shopping centers and resorts. West also carves redwood totems. Buddhas and other religious figures, ship figureheads and an occasional wooden Indian.
West estimates that his open-air factory has produced several thousand redwood artifacts in his 10 years of professional carving.
Products range from small garden and patio Buddhas to a 41-foot totem at a supermarket on Lake Tahoe. A current month-long project Is a 20-foot-high likeness of St. Francis of Assisi for the Catholic church of the same name in San Fran-cisco.
"I guarantee all products for 100 years," the sculptor said as he tugged his weathered seaman's cap down over his matted hair.
He says he can make the written offer because "next to stone, redwood is the most durable material." West's business is an attraction even for Sausalito, a picturesque San Francisco suburb whose chief industry is tourism. He counted 5.000 visitors to his sawdust-strewn "Tiki Junction" last summer and hones soon to be included on sight-seeing tours.
West says he was taught by carving masters when he was shipwrecked in the merchant marine for six months in 1943 in the Marquesas Islands 800 miles northeast of Tahiti. "I thank that what they did was so wonderful and impressive." he said of the native art. West brought back many Tiki designs with him and since has returned by plane to insure that his models are authentic.

Here's Barney West hard at work. California did seem to have the market cornered on Tiki then as now. sigh

(from the News Tribune, Pierce, Fla., 17 February 1964)

MELANESIAN MARK -
Barney West, former merchant mariner, paints a reproduction
of Tiki, a Melaneisean God, carved out of redwood at his
Sausalito, Calif., home.

===============================================================

Barney West Says He'll Get New Saw
Sausalito sculptor Barney West said today he is selling his gasoline-driven chain saw and will buy an electric saw, following complaints by 40 nearby residents that his saws are "too nosy," West carves tikis on Mono Street near Bridgeway. The saw subject is to come before the Sausalito City Council Tuesday.
(from the San Rafael Daily Independent Journal (1964-11-13))

[ Edited by pappythesailor on 2024-07-26 09:47:13 ]

[ Edited by pappythesailor on 2024-07-26 09:48:23 ]

[ Edited by pappythesailor on 2024-07-26 09:54:56 ]

Here's future Tiki Hero, Leroy Schmaltz (of OCeanic Arts fame) and friends winning an award for decorating or something...

(from the Pasadena Independent 15 April 1960)

Bullock's Contest
Winners Announced
Winners of the annual student
decorating contest sponsored
by Bullock's Pasadena
were announced yesterday.
They are Richard Gilford,
LeRoy Schmaltz and Don Skinner,
students of Los Angeles
State College.
Their entry depicted a Hi-Fi
room featuring fashion colors
of blue and white.
They received the first prize
award of $150.
Winners were selected by the
several thousand shoppers to
Bullock's the past week, who
judged the 14 entries. There
were 34 students from seven
Southern California colleges
participating in the event...

California didn't have every tiki carver. Here's SSgt. John Rook from Tenn.

(from the Playground Daily News, Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., 28 March 1967)

Carving Polynesian Tiki Gods Is Unusual Hobby For Sergeant

By Cherrie Hopkins
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Carving Polynesian Tiki gods
has been the hobby of Staff Sergeant
John Rook, an ROTC ins
t r u c t o r at East Tennessee
State University for the past
year and a half.
The Tiki gods are actually the
embodiment of the male principle
in Polynesian mythology often
depicted as the first man
or superhuman creator of mankind.
Although the Tikis are
called gods, they were not actually
worshipped as idols by the
ancient Polynesians.
Rook, who lived in Fort Walton
Beach before entering the
US Army seven years ago,
learned to carve the gods from
a neighbor in Johnson City,
Tenn. After watching the neighbor
carve a god, Rook set about
to do it for himself. He uses
no design or pattern, but just
carves the gods according to
his mood.
The Rook family has been visiting
the C.W. Pharrs, parents
of his wife Sharon, for a few
weeks. They will be in the Playground
Area until Mar. 31 at
which time they will return to
Tennessee.
The first step in carving a
the felling of a tree. Rook gets
permission from nearby farmers
to cut one of the trees. Many
people have bartered logs for
a Tiki god with the sergeant.
He has made most of his statues
from pine, but now has decided
to use poplar wood whenever
he can get it.
After cleaning the log of bark,
he uses wood chisels to fashion
the features of the gods. In the
year and a half, he estimated
that he has made 30 or 40 of
the gods which vary in size
from a foot tall to about five
feet tall. One of his carvings
is made up of two tiki gods,
one on top of the other, similar
to a totem pole.
The facial features express
the mood of the carver, and
he said that he never knows
exactly how one will look until
he has finished it. The position
of the hands and legs is more
or less the same in all the gods.
After he has carved the Tikis,
he finishes them in various
ways. His favorite finish is a
walnut stain, which gives a
primitive look to the hand-hewn
gods. A green antique kit-provided
an unusual finish for one
of the gods, and his wife is
encouraging him to finish more
of the gods with the antique
kits in various colors. Some people
have asked Rook to carve
the gods and deliver them unfinished,
so that they may complete
the job.
Rook has shown the gods in
art shows, and his work is on
display at the ETSU art museum.
According to the sergeant,
the interest in art in his home
area is great, and the Tiki gods
are a rising interest there. One
woman has asked that he carve
a tiki god of her for a special
purpose — she wants to put her
wig on it
"The thing about these gods
is that they grow on you," the
sergeant said. "I try to give
each a personality, and they are
all different. In fact, I have one
that looks positively wicked."
It takes approximately four
or five hours steady carving to
complete a small god. He doesn't
sand the god, because this
would tone down the rough effect
The only smoothing work
he does is around the head area.
Rook t r i e d varnishing the
gods with clear varnish, but this
didn't work as well as a stain or
a paint. He likes to carve the
gods from fresh, green wood.
When they begin to dry, after
the carving is completed, the
wood cracks, giving the god the
look of antiquity
"I didn't have any trouble in
catching on to the technique of
carving the Tikis," Rook said,
"but it surely causes a lot of
blisters. I have cut myself at
least once for every god I have
carved."
Rook feels that Tiki carving
is definitely a man's hobby, because
of the strength necessary
in pounding and chiseling the
wood.
At the present time he uses
his basement to carve the gods.
His wife is almost as enthusiastic
about his new hobby as he
is. Her only gripe is that she
never has any for herself: people
see them, admire them, and
they are gone. And so goes the
adage about the woodcutter's
wife.

I think I got a couple more Eli Hedley stories, then I'm dry. Please feel free to add your own heroes. Somebody write a newspaper story about Benzart!

Thanks for passing on this information to all of us, Pappy. I agree, a full newspaper article on Benzart would seem in order.

Here's the last of 'em. Anybody seen "Milano"? He must have been huge to only have one name. Like Charro or Ann-Margaret.

(from the Reno Evening Gazette 26 August 1958)

MILANO, a native of the South Pacific, is shown hand carving "tikis" or native gods as dec-
orative pieces for Dick Graves' new south sea restaurant opening in Sparks in November. The
new restaurant is to be called 'Trader Dick's" and will be located at the site o£ the old Sparks
Nugget. Graves, owner of the Nugget casino, s aid that this fifth food operation (the other
four are: Round House, Golden Rooster Room, Coffee Shop and Prime Rib Room) will feature
several dining rooms, bars and slot machine areas and a very unusual oriental-type buffet.
Remodeling costs are estimated at $100,000. Frank Green of Reno is the architect for the
project and Eli Hedley, owner of three Disneyland shops, is the decorator and designer.

More about Eli Hedley and some about Russell Kellmer Sorry about the pics. They couldn't be much worse. I even tried to clean them up a little.

(from the Long Beach Independent Press Telegram 22 January 1961)

Miday City's Tribe of Gods
By Dick Bach

A SET of grotesque black
shadows flick out and lie
twisted across your path as
you drive north on State
Hwy. 39 and enter the little
town of Midway City.
Tracing the source of the
shadows the traveler is startled
to come face to face with
the high carved figures of a
dozen tiki—stone and wooden
images of South Pacific gods.
This is the carving ground
of Weldon Eli Hedley. who
also owns and manages the
Island Trade Store in Walt
Disney's Adventureland.
FROM THIS BIRTHPLACE
of gods have come some 300
tiki who in the past 10 years
have traveled to rule new
kingdoms throughout the
United States.
Medley's tiki range from a
few inches high to 15 feet
tall and weigh from one
pound to 13,000 pounds.
Hedley became fascinated
by the primitive beauty of
these gods more than 10
years ago. He began by
sketching tiki from photographs
and models in museums.
When he had the feel
of their design and structure,
he chalked out designs on
wood and began carving. But,
except for some stone replicas,
of Easter Island's great
stone faces. Medley's tikis are
not exact copies of any other
gods in this world—though
they could be set in a crowd
of 1000 - year - old brethren
without being recognized as
intruders.
HEDLEY WASN'T exactly
deluged with orders when he
began carving images in California
palm trunks 10 years
ago. The first tropical restaurant
owner he approached
with one of his craggy idols
said, "They're wonderful. What
are they good for?"
Hedley took a different
tack to get his idols recognition.
He supplied movie studios
with sea-drifted beachcomb
for island sagas and won a
reputation as a tropical designer.
He was called upon to
arrange society parties and
yacht club luaus. He'd fit a
tiki into the decorations and
found it was sold before the
party was over.
A tiki by your swimming
pool was a novelty at first,
then an expected thing. Tiki
now are standard accessories
for swimming pools.
TODAY, WITH Eli handling
the business end, the
art of tikl-oarving has passed
on to Russell Kellmer, who
without training gives evidence
that in some other life
he was a chief carver of tiki.
With a crude-looking adze,
the only tool used on the
wood until the final stages of
carving, Kellmer works like a
man possessed, stopping only
for a second every 10 or 15
minutes to rest his working
arm. After four hours of almost
constant chopping, the
tiki lies rough-hewn on the
ground.
A heavy wood-chisel runs
over the form of the god,
smoothing and refining the
heavier strokes of the adze.
Finally, an electric disc sander
touches it to coarse fibery
smoothness 'and rounds the
hard-cut corners. A stiff
brush and a stream of icy
water mark the last minutes
that the god will ever spend
on his back on the ground.
The hands that shaped the
tiki lift him to a standing
position, and he quickly assumes
the still power and..."
(Sorry, the story continues on page 14 but I misplaced it somewhere. Dang!)

I wonder if "Milano" was actually Milan Guanko?

Great posts pappy!!! I love the stories! (ya got any on Trader Luke from 'Pedro?)

That "Milano" guy looks a little like Milan Guanko and he did the carvings for trader dick's, so I would guess that that is him!

Here's a link to a review of Trader Dicks:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=3100&forum=1&hilite=trader%20dicks

Keep 'em coming pappy!!!!

You beat me to it , but you're right (both of you), there's a pic of "Milano"/Milan Guanko on page 249 of the BoT.
That Eli Hedley story is great. The writing really evokes the era nicely:

He began by sketching tiki from photographs and models in museums. When he had the feel of their design and structure, he chalked out designs on wood and began carving. But, except for some stone replicas of Easter Island's great stone faces, Hedley's tikis are not exact copies of any other gods in this world - though they could be set in a crowd of 1000 - year - old brethren without being recognized as intruders.

To me this perfectly sums up the spirit of creating tiki.

Great post, Pappy. A largely untold story that needs to be! Sven scratched the surface a good bit in the Book Of Tiki, but one could probably fill up a book in entirety with the golden age carvers. Ed Crissman is one of my personal faves, lord rest his crazy soul. These guys all deserve a place...they're why this is all here.

anyone ever notice this connection

-teaKEY

a sweet post, indeed. hey pappy, I know McVay and wrote about him awhile back on here. Also, he is featured in my book art of chainsaw carving. he is still kickin, carving, in fact he wrote an article for a newsletter I started awhile back, the cutting edge... , it's a recent article, a tiki in seven easy pieces... you can check it out here... http://www.theccsg.com/newsletters/VolumeXIIIissueII.pdf

[ Edited by: J.S.G. 2007-08-17 17:07 ]

Sorry I put this message in the wrong place, so I deleted the entire message. Message on collecting Tiki.

Enjoyed reading this though!

[ Edited by: Robin 2007-09-06 10:21 ]

I love this thread. Thanks for the history lessons, Pappy. Can't wait for the nexrt chapter!

Good stuff Pappy thanks for the read.