THE Book of Havana is here

Yes folks, I am happy to announce that Pete Moruzzi's wonderful book "Havana before Castro" is out and available at such fine stores as 8-Ball (which appreciates your patronage) and Amazon.com.

It is a BIG book (256 pages), it is a BEAUTIFUL book, with hundreds of vintage and new images in it. And I am happy to state that I shot about 75 photos in the book, including the back cover. I also got to write a page about the Havana Trader Vic's, still existing in it's original 1958 form as "The Polinesio":

...plus I lit and photographed several classic Cuban cocktails that were mixed by Jeff Berry after recipes he unearthed (which are printed in the book, of course). So now you can gaze at vintage photographs of rum-happy revelers at Sloppy Joe's Bar....

...while you sip the Sloppy Joe's house cocktail!:

Because Havana is such a dream come true for the urban archeologist, and I have so much material to share, I decided to make a MULTI POST about it. See more of my photos of the Havana Trader/Polinesio in "Locating Tiki":

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=29209&forum=2&start=last&0

..and more rum, cocktail and bar visuals in "Tiki Drinks and Food":

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=29210&forum=10&start=last&0

Havana had its own quality as a tropical dream destination, (much like but totally different than Waikiki), here is a text to set the mood for the images to come:

Havana was the Las Vegas of the Carribean, and had a 6:00 pm to 6:00 am nightlife, whether in small intimate bars...

....daring erotic cabarets...

...or fully blown Casino shows, of which the famous Tropicana is the only one in existence to this day:

Fountain in the Tropicana gardens:

The amazing mid-century modernist stage design...

...remains unchanged today, as one can see on this back cover photo of "Havana before Castro":

Happy tourists at the Tropicana, yesterday like today...

A vintage swizzle stick. Havana bar swizzle sticks are among the most elaborate of the art form :)

But the book is about much more than glamorous nightlife, my friend Peter Moruzzi is an architectural historian. So you get to know the history of Cuba, which is a metaphor for the 20th Century, and enjoy un-altered examples of mid-century modern architecture from my favorite period, the late 50s:

This '59 Buick must have been one of the last American cars that made it to Cuba:

Tropical modernism par excellence, the Eugenio Leal residence, now a restaurant:

An A-frame tomb at the main cemetery (more later in "Traveling Tiki")":

One of the best preserved (thanks to communism) examples that allows you to time travel is the Havana Riviera Hotel:

Tile mosaic of the logo, front entrance:

Poolside:

Here is one of the many "Before and After" pages of the book. Unlike in Tiki architecture, the amazing thing is how UN-altered the place appears today:

The reception:

Elevators:

L'Aiglon restaurant with its original murals:

...and a "spinner" swizzle stick:

Of course the book has maps and addresses for all these places, here is part of the end pages:

To find out more about Pete and the book, visit his website:

http://www.havanabeforecastro.com/

for ordering info, go to Tiki Marketplace:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=29208&forum=12&start=last&0

And for "Behind the scenes" info about where things in Havana are at, watch for my post in Traveling Tiki (coming soon):

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-07-25 19:59 ]

Wonderful!! Thanks for sharing.

Here are some more pictures from present Cuba.

Great! Did the person who took them :wink: stay at the Riviera? When, in '94?

Yes, and Ambos Mundos, in 2001.

[ Edited by: hiltiki 2008-07-25 20:30 ]

Nice. Was there a noticeable difference in decay between those two visits? Things seemed to teeter on the brink last year, like really stretching thin.

There was only one visit, which was in 2001. Things were in transition. There was decay and rebirth. Apparently the international community is responsible for the resurrection of Havana Viejo. Castro relied on foreign money to help rebuild the city. It was very safe for tourists, but if one looked behind the facade, there was still poverty.

2001, OCT ?

So where are the Tikis?

..apparently it was a hotbed for spys and espionage....behold!! Our man flint, james colburn , sitting on the left at the table below...

..and here we have spotted DR. EVIL's right hand man, none other than #2.....seated to the left as well with his trademark patch over his eye....

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2008-07-26 04:31 ]

On 2008-07-26 00:54, Unga Bunga wrote:
So where are the Tikis?

They are at Trader Vic's, they are in "I am Cuba", on the menu of the 21 Club....and there is Voodoo, Zombies and Rum, all mixed with 50s tropical modernism. The parallels to Tiki culture are there if you care to see them.
And thank you, too, Unga, for the many equally valuable, intelligent, and eye-candy rich contributions you have made here, you are a real ass-et to this board.

On 2008-07-26 04:29, Tipsy McStagger wrote:
..apparently it was a hotbed for spys and espionage....behold!!

It actually really was. This is best portrayed (and parodied) in Carol Reed's 1959 "Our Man in Havana", the other (than "I am Cuba") film that shows the late 50s Havana, including a scene at Sloppy Joe's Bar:

Director Carol Reed and Alec Guiness on location in Havana

The movie is not to be mixed up with the Jazz album by the same name, by Cal Tjader bongo player Mongo Santamaria,

..which was recorded in 1960, and besides his percussion included local Santeria chants, just like this album does, which I always loved for its primitivist, Tiki-esque Santeria cover:

It looks as if the new Cuba book definitely deserves a place on my bookshelf. It will be a good accompaniment for Robert Polidori's book on Havana architecture, with numerous great photographs taken of both exteriors and interiors, shown in decrepit, but not-torn-down-yet glory

(check out the photos on amazon)
http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Polidori-Havana/dp/3882433337

Thank You, Vern. There are numerous photo books out about Havana, and this is one of the best, yet they all concentrate on its prevalent colonial architecture, and the "charm" of it's patina and decay. This esthetic, together with the 50s cars, the cigars and rum, and the music, has become somewhat of a cliche of Cuba. Very little has been published on Havana's mid-century modernism, which equally deserves to be preserved.

Thanks for the post.
Peter told me about his new book, looks excellent.
I'm off to the 8-Ball. I love a reason to go to that store :D

On 2008-07-26 08:11, bigbrotiki wrote:

On 2008-07-26 00:54, Unga Bunga wrote:
So where are the Tikis?

They are at Trader Vic's, they are in "I am Cuba", on the menu of the 21 Club....and there is Voodoo, Zombies and Rum, all mixed with 50s tropical modernism. The parallels to Tiki culture are there if you care to see them.
And thank you, too, Unga, for the many equally valuable, intelligent, and eye-candy rich contributions you have made here, you are a real ass-et to this board.

I learned from the m-asster.
Thankyou!
Great photos by the way.

Very interesting, thanks for the heads up.
Looks like Cuban architecture needs a good landscape design to go with it. Somewhat desolate in the area of foliage.

Less so in the suburbs...

...and even in the city center, the jungle is trying to take it back :)

The Polidori book, and others showing the modern decay - although they have great somewhat-haunted imagery, are a bit like looking at a photo of an elderly couple. You can admire the wrinkles, and see the many stories contained in their eyes .... but you have no idea of what those stories are.

That is what is exciting about this new Cuba book - it is a look back into those eyes, to go back in time, so you can see a bit of Cuba and how it was like when they were younger - to see the razzle and the dazzle and the sparkling and the optimism.

A book based on textual description could have done only so much .... this Cuba book deserves as much of a visual celebration as the Book of Tiki did. I'm definitely enjoying looking at all of these posted pictures.

I think the makers of these previous photo-only books were too vexed by the Cuban paradoxes to try to make sense of them...a place standing still in time...a city that seems like it has been deserted by its inhabitants, and is slowly being re-populated...by people who, when asked to explain, just shrug their shoulders and say: "This is Cuba, Mister!"

Gonna have to pick this up, looks AWESOME!

Ive always wanted to go there and site see and maybe pick up some old cars and ship em back here but I was told
I could land in jail even if I go Cuba.. So I'm gonna pick up this book fer sure

I'll be looking for this book too.
Anyone have experience with Cuba lately? I've got three weeks vacation coming up & I've always wanted to get over there ever since seeing "I Am Cuba" like 15 years ago.
Kinda like to get there before (and I hope it doesn't go this way) they start tearing everything apart to make way for Wal-Marts, Denny's etc.

Sven,
do you know if Pete has any book signings in the works for this?

Boris, he didn't expect the book to be out til August, so he scheduled the book signings for September. There will be one at Wacko, and one at 8-Ball.

On 2008-07-27 14:37, twitch wrote:
Anyone have experience with Cuba lately?

Since it is still illegal for American citizens to visit Cuba, I don't think you will find much official travel advice here, you have to look among your fellow Canadians...or the numerous blogs on the subject. Many Americans visit via Canada or Mexico every year, but they risk high fines, so they wouldn't like to talk about it.

And I have to warn you, the book presented here is about the glamour period of Cuba's past. Today's realities are somewhat different. Sure, many bars have great live Cuban music, you can get decent Mojitos and Daiquiris everywhere...but do not order anything else at The Polinesio, for example. Do not take the availability of everything you can get here for granted:

The food is very simple, and can be pretty bad, or quite good, it's a lucky number game. You have to have the attitude of an urban archeologist discovering remnants of a time passed. Do not expect a "fun tropical vacation"...unless your kind of fun is found in architecture and history.

Let's use the cars as example:

On 2008-07-27 12:05, NOTCH wrote:
Ive always wanted to go there and site see and maybe pick up some old cars and ship em back here...

I don't think the Cubans would like to let them go. The reasons these car are still on the road is that the pre-Revolution cars are the only vehicles that the citizens can legally own. All the other cars after that are government distributed and owned. So the American car owners have been pampering these babies for 50 years. But not all look like this:

...or this:

..but many like this:

...or this:

...with interiors like this:

This the result of having nothing to fix them up with, neither money nor product. What do you do when this is what a car parts department looks like:

As shown in the wonderful documentary "Yank Tanks" ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0312048/ ), you make the parts yourself! Quote: "The sheer persistence and inventiveness of these car lovers in manufacturing replacement parts that are either no longer available or out of reach of the isolated island is impressive to say the least....The question asked over and over "If you had to choose between your car and your wife, which would you choose?" meets with various amused answers..."

When these cars are used as Taxis for locals, they are more busses than limousines:

Of course that is still better than using the busses:

Some more cars

Since it is still illegal for American citizens to visit Cuba, I don't think you will find much official travel advice here, you have to look among your fellow Canadians...or the numerous blogs on the subject. Many Americans visit via Canada or Mexico every year, but they risk high fines, so they wouldn't like to talk about it.

And I have to warn you, the book presented here is about the glamour period of Cuba's past. Today's realities are somewhat different. Sure, many bars have great live Cuban music, you can get decent Mojitos and Daiquiris everywhere...but do not order anything else at The Polinesio, for example. You have to have the attitude of an urban archeologist discovering remnants of a time passed. Do not expect a "fun tropical vacation"...unless your kind of fun is found in architecture and history.

93 miles away I sit pensively, impatiently waiting, longing......NOW this book!....taunting me... Damn it Jim!.....I mean Sven, I'm only a roving anthropologist, not a Doctor of political science! :o :lol: :cry:.....are there any copies left?

[ Edited by: rattiki 2008-08-03 22:05 ]

I just got my book today...it is beautiful!!! The pictures are just breath-taking...I'll be wearing my eyes out on this book. Gonna bring it to Oasis for a siggy Sven. :)

Thoroughly enjoyed the book Sven. Thanks for posting about it. It was a good read with, of course, a lot of fantastic eye candy. However, I do feel I need to take exception with this claim from the book (p. 96):

Indeed, Havana's heady mix of tropical exoticism, sensual overload, and rum-fueled abandon existed nowhere else.

Really?

:D

I'm kidding really. Wonderful book. Go out and buy it.

Edit: Removed the last picture, which was clearly in the 70s. Some of the above pictures may be from the early 60s, not sure, but you get the point.

[ Edited by: gatorrob 2008-08-05 00:08 ]

Started reading this one last night.

This is a nice book, jam-packed with great images, and contributions for Sven (pics) and Jeff Berry (recipes).

Who is coming with me on the next secret reconnaissance mission to Havana?

Just recently got the Havana Before Castro. It's a wonderful book.
I was going through it last night and it inspired me to go through my mom's photo's since she was born in Havana, Cuba. I have noticed that on all the photo's and paperwork it is spelled Habana with a "b", not too sure why. Lanague barrier, maybe?? On page 103 they mention different clubs one being the Zombie Club, which I found a picture of my Great Aunt and Uncle being there with a few friends. The book is an inspiration to me. Hopefully one day I can visit Habana, Cuba to see where my mom grew up. There is a book signing on Sept, 20th @ La Luz De Jesus

http://www.laluzdejesus.com/

Here are some pictures which I found last night:

Starting from left side is my Great Uncle Guillermo and Great Aunt Rosita and their friends.

My Uncle Easy in second grade

My Great Aunt Rosita, she was a dancer in Cuba

check out the cool stamps.

My Mom - Rose.

Wow, how cool is that! Which one of you two Exotica gals is goddess-sun? You both look Cuban to me :)
I am bummed that I will miss the La Luz book signing, cause I still will be in Berlin. I will tell Pete he should start a section on his website where readers can post THEIR memorabilia, like that Zombie Club photo!

(From Peter Moruzzi)

Friends,

Save the Dates! I am having my "Havana Before Castro" book launch on two separate nights:

The first is on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Wacko 6-9PM/La Luz de Jesus Gallery and is called "Havana After Dark" and features an evening of live Cuban music, hosted Cuban cocktails (sponsored by 10 Cane Rum), Cuban hors d'oeuvres (sponsored by Cuba Libre restaurant), and an exhibition of vintage posters, lobby cards, and brochures from the book. I'll also sign books.

And...There will be a terrific "after party" from 9PM-2AM at nearby Cuba Libre bar/restaurant with more food and special $5 drinks!

At the second event on Sunday, Oct.12 at the store 8 Ball at 4PM in Burbank I'll be giving an exciting slide talk about Havana's fabulous nightclubs, mob-controlled casinos, mid-century modern hotels, all night bars, and backstreet brothels. Plus, I'll be displaying vintage Havana menus, swizzle sticks, and postcards. I'll also sign books.

Check out my website for details: http://www.havanabeforecastro.com/events.htm#laluz

Please RSVP if you can. It will be great to see you there!

Peter

La Luz de Jesus Gallery
Saturday, September 20, 2008 6-9 PM
La Luz de Jesus Gallery
(Wacko/Soap Plant)
4633 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 666-7667
LaLuzDeJesus.com

8 Ball
Sunday, October 12, 2008 4PM
3806 W. Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 845-1155
8BallWebstore.com

http://havanabeforecastro.com/

Peter,

I just purchased the book, and its great and all, however
why a book release party is Burbank and not Miami!

On 2008-08-26 16:36, Mambo wrote:
Peter,

I just purchased the book, and its great and all, however
why a book release party is Burbank and not Miami!

Miami, who goes to Miami anymore ...so crowded plus those girls with those itsy-bitsy bikinis..and oh my..the hurricanes...
Since Johnny Carson left... Burbank has become Cuba West !!!!

Nichols, I will be at the one on Sunday. Also thanks for having us all at your fabulous house few weeks back.

Thanks for the comments and the incredible photographs from Goddess-Sun. In addition to my Southern California book events I expect to be in Florida for two weeks in the middle of November. I'll be visiting Tampa and then attending the Miami International Book Fair as well as doing some media events there.

I'm not sure how to add a section to my website that will allow people to post their Cuba pictures, but I'm sure going to find out!

I had no idea Cuba went through the mid-century phase. Looks like a lot of inspirational material in the book. It must have taken a brave author and publisher to tackle such a subject... or at least publish it here in the States.

Ambitious and cool.

Excellent Excellent!!

This book looks fantastic. I have Just placed an order for it and it should arrive here in the UK a week before we leave for a trip to Havana in October. We already had a list of places that we wished to vist. (The old Trader Vic for example) And this should be a superb help in finding other vintage 50's locations and architecture . We are staying at the Nationale , a large 1930s Deco style Hotel. To be honest it had mixed reviews, but it looks beautiful and old fashioned and hope fully we wont be spending too much time in the room anyway. This hotel seems to have a cool history of stary 1950's decadence..
I'm sure i'll be taking photos and i shall post some on my return..

Tark

What a fantastic book!

I was up in LA yesterday and as on all of my trips up there I stopped by La Luz De Jesus/Wacko/Soap Plant. I planned on purchasing this book after reading the great reviews on here. Unfortunately I didn't see the post on here that mentioned the book signing. But when I purchased the book around 3:00 in the afternoon, the employee mentioned that Peter had just arrived and was in the back unpacking things for the event. The employee went back and told Peter I was purchasing the book. He was kind enough to come out front and sign the book for me.

Thanks Peter! I wish I was able to stay for the event that night.

Woo-hoo! My copy has been on backorder from amazon.com for 3 weeks and I just got an email to say it was shipping!

It was great to see so many friends at my Wacko/La Luz book launch party recently. For those wanting a more in-depth presentation of mid-century Havana be sure to come to the store 8-Ball on Sunday, October 12 at 4pm. I'll be giving a slide talk and signing books. 8-Ball is located at 3806 W. Magnolia at Hollywood Way in Burbank. 818-845-1155. 8BallWebstore.com See you there!

On 2008-09-21 18:38, Pomaika i wrote:
Woo-hoo! My copy has been on backorder from amazon.com for 3 weeks and I just got an email to say it was shipping!

It's worth the wait.. Amazon got mine to me in less than a week-well done Amazon!

I just finished reading another book on Cuba before Castro-- Havana Nocturne: How The Mob Owned Cuba And The lost It To The Revolution, by T.J. English. I recommend this book for all the stories about the great Havana clubs. Very few pictures, but a good source for understanding what it was like back then.

After buying the book yesterday from 8Ball, I realized I have had this swizzle stick for a while.

Sven,

It was nice to meet you and Peter at Tiki Ti. I am going to pick up two copies of the book, one for me and one for my friend who has visited Havana a few times.

Here is a nice three card postcard set I picked up with illustrations of the Habana Hilton and Trader Vic's

HERE meaning that it is in MIAMI !: Tomorrow evening at 7:30 p.m., friend and Havanna B.C. author Peter Moruzzi

.....will hold a book signing and slide show on Havana Modernism

.....at the Harold Golen Gallery,

....which was home to the amazing Hukilau art show this year:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=28667&forum=12

Tomorrow, Sunday the 11th, at 2:00 p.m., there will be a lengthy interview with author Peter Moruzzi about Havana then and now, on L.A. NPR/KCRW 89.9, with Tom Schnabel spinning Cuban discs in between.