unkle Mike Roberts and his photographs

Aloha,

OK, I have been holding out on you all. I'm sorry, but I was not ready to talk about this before.
unkle Mike Roberts was a photographer and postcard producer in Hawaii (and the rest of the US) from the late 1950's through 1989 when he passed.

Unkle Mike was a very nice man. He treated me well and took me to Hawaii.

He used to come back to California frequently. He lived in Berkeley and on his mainland visits, he took Grandma Minnie, Auntie Marilyn and me to Trader Vic's, The Tonga Room and many other Polynesian themed venues in California.

This is one of his photos in 1968 at Trader Vic's in the International Market Place. Trader Vic's moved there from Ward Street after the Abbott family sold the franchise to the Spencecliff corporation in 1967.

Please post Mike Roberts photographs to this thread and I will do

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2016-08-09 09:03 ]

That's great news. Looking forward to your book, and to images from your uncle's archive here on this thread. Now that I think about it, the name Mike Roberts rings a bell. Was he usually credited on his postcards? I am away from home, so I can't check what I have...
Wait, found ONE in my material I have with me, a Luau at Don the Beachcomber's:

NOW I remember that logo, of course! I am sure someone here has a cleaner version of it.

Cool! Sorry for the quality, I have no scanner here, so I had to photograph it off the desk.
Boy, this is gonna be a field day for Dusty and Sabu when they check their collections for Mike Roberts cards!

Interesting that you couldn't tell anyone about your connection until now... but MUCH MORE interesting that you've got stories and pictures and a book to share! I know I have the luau picture on an album cover.

Aloha.

More important "BIG STONE HEAD." I cannot wait to read JT's book.

Period.

Hey, where are all the Mike Roberts postcards I wuz expecting to pop up here? I am away from my desk and still could come with one, sooo?

Here are some of my favorites. Sorry for the crap-cam shots of some otherwise beautiful postcards. The Waikikian is my favorite. Looking forward to the book. Aloha....

Thanks Ron!

On 2009-07-26 23:33, bongofury wrote:
Here are some of my favorites. Sorry for the crap-cam shots of some otherwise beautiful postcards. The Waikikian is my favorite. Looking forward to the book. Aloha....

1. About 1962. Waikikian hotel.

2. coco palms I think

3-5) Market place from Kalakaua Avenue.

6. Net thrower. I do not have this shot but I love it.

7. Hmmm. must do more research. Think it's the Big Island.

8 ) Coco Palms.

9. Canlis fountain. Ceramics done by a University of Hawaii art student who's name escapes me right now. Peter Canlis really had the most beautiful restaurant. Martin Denny and Rene Paulo used to pay the grand piano in the lounge. I ate there once or twice on Mike's tab. 8-10 kimono clad waitresses would descend upon the table with food.

10. Davey Jones.

11. Lei seller. Looks to be at the Marketplace.

12. Ulu Mau Village 1964ish Ala Moana Beach park... before moving to Heeia...

13. Outside of the reef...

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2009-07-27 00:31 ]

Aloha and welcome to TC Phillip.

Did Mike happen to know Werner Stoy?

He was another famous photographer who worked for Camera Hawaii.

Great pictures Phillip and Bigbro. Please post more if you can.

I love that Canlis photo and would love to see more of that restaurant.

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

Hey Phillip, Glad you finally decided to let us know about your interesting family! Always great to hear stories and see new pictures that have not been seen before.

So you got any more secrets?? How about that you have another family member named.....Fred Roberts?? Hmmm??
Fred Roberts a company in San Francisco that imported items from Japan during the fifty's and sixties I believe. There are a few unique Tiki mugs around with Fred Roberts labels and they are seen on ceramic as well as natural bamboo mugs. Any relation?? Hmmm? Come on..fess up!! Maybe there is a catalog or photo collection you have tucked away!!

All kidding aside, thanks again for the post and I will be sure to go through my items and see what I have. I know there are alot of cards out there with that logo.

Mahalo, TabooDan

[ Edited by: TabooDan 2009-07-27 07:19 ]

#7 is The Lagoon Dining Room and Cocktail Terrace along the lagoon at the Coco Palms

Besides postcards, the images have a similar look as some exotica album covers as well, particularly, that first one; maybe even the same model. Nice stuff. A great treat.

Oops! Left off the "a" in exotica.

[ Edited by: The Gnomon 2009-07-27 10:07 ]

Hey Phil, about time you came out of the Tiki hut.:)
You should have changed your name a long time ago.

I look forward to more.

A few to add:

Buzzy Out!

Ouch Ron, did you photograph those with your cell phone? :roll:
DC to the rescue!

I love that Canlis photo and would love to see more of that restaurant.

Patience jedi.

On 2009-07-27 06:25, TabooDan wrote:
So you got any more secrets?? How about that you have another family member named.....Fred Roberts?? Hmmm??

He was not a part of the family as far as I know.

Did Mike happen to know Werner Stoy?

Prolly. These guys all ran around in the same circles. They were pretty competitive too. I'd imagine he also knew Robert Wenkam, Billy Howell, Stewart Fern, and Irving Rosen...

Here's an interesting thing. Werner Stoy photo of the Waimanalo Bay, large negative and the handwritten note with the caption to be used on the Nui Nui Postcard around 1947.

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2009-07-27 14:32 ]

Just a few more.

oops

[ Edited by: Bongo Bungalow 2009-07-27 18:47 ]

Geez.....I was trying to help the post along. I have lots of important stuff of low quality that I will be sure not to post!

Hot from my new scanner ...the same postcard....just for you Sven

Hi Phil....hope to see you soon....

Sorry, wrong place wrong time.
[ Edited by: hiltiki 2009-07-27 21:00 ]

[ Edited by: hiltiki 2009-07-27 21:05 ]

Here's a nice one I picked up recently - the Coco Palms Reception...

Ooooh, he did that one! Always loved that one and was gonna use it sometime. Bet it's gonna be in your book now.
And he must have been pals with Don! If he only could answer our questions...

On 2009-07-27 22:35, bigbrotiki wrote:

Bet it's gonna be in your book now.
And he must have been pals with Don! If he only could answer our questions...

I didn't use it. My book is 99% Oahu photos.

And I was very young. I musta been around 5 when this one at Coco Palms was probably taken.

I simply didn't know what to ask him at that time. I'd usually only see him a few times a year, and much less as I got older and moved around. He was buzy hustling gigs, just like the other photographers working in the the islands. Don Ceppi, Murray Belfer and many others (mentioned before) were working Hawaii. Postcards have always been big biz.

I'd say thats a lot less now due to the internet. But getting a postcard, was a big deal in the old days. I think the last time I sent postcards out was from Easter Island in 2001.

Ron, that would be cool... be sure to let me know.

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2009-07-27 23:18 ]

On 2009-07-27 18:57, bongofury wrote:
Geez.....I was trying to help the post along. I have lots of important stuff of low quality that I will be sure not to post!

Bongo, but you know me: As a cinematographer, out of focus images physically hurt my eyes, and as a German, and a Virgo, I demand nothing less than perfection! :D

As a Tiki archeologist, though, ALL evidence of Tiki temples, in whatever quality, is important and appreciated!

These are the ones that I have from Mike Roberts. Looks like most of the tourist places were captured by him and also some great scenery shots.

Here they are:

"Pounding Poi at the Waikiki Hula Show"

"Hibiscus Flowers - bloom all year round"

Here is another card from The International Market Place:

Here is a cool one of Don Ho at the Polynesian Palace, Cinerama Reef Towers in Waikiki, Hawaii:

The following four are all from the Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie, Oahu, Hawaii:

Same as first shot just different card. Says "Grand Finale" right on it.

I thought some people might be interested in how the "Mike Roberts" logos on the back of the cards changed and the different ones used. Maybe not, but since this is turning into his own thread, might as well get them on here! The logo probably developed over the years or maybe changed when he dealt with different distributors. The ones I see most of are the last two styles.

Here's probably one of the earlier ones, well, looks to be an older logo anyway:

Just a dark circle for a head and the body shape is a "R" for Roberts I do believe :wink: and a globe in the background.

This one is a figure in the shape of a "R" with the camera and "Color Card" above and Mike Roberts Below.

Almost the same as before except it says "Hawaii Color Card" at top and also has a surf board shape beside the figure on the left.

This is as before with the surfboard except it states "The Continental Card of Hawaii" at the top.

Mahalo, TabooDan

I was able to find 7 different ones in my collection. Including one from Clifton's South Sea's in LA. I don't have a scanner so if you want to see them they will be blurry?

Love the different logos. And the Polynesian Cultural Center ones!
Tikisgirl, you are such a fervent hunter an collector, with a great eye, but postcards really don't come into being when photographed in groups. Scanners are as cheap as DVD players nowadays, they practically give them away.

[ Edited by: martiki 2009-08-03 09:19 ]

SPAM INTRUDER ALARM! Someone get seasonzoe and ann1985 OFF THIS BOARD pronto, please!

*Sigh. Why is it that the spammers seem to post on the nicer and up and coming threads around here? How do we get rid of knuckleheads like this more efficiently?

This is a great thread..I'm enjoying all these great images!

Great thread, and that's great news on the book ! Congrats! Looking forward to it.

Here's a few, will add more soon:

Tropics:

Duke Kahanamoku's:

Aloha Liqueur:

Here's a few from my collection....

Great thread and thanks to all for the images. It helped me figure out who this talented Mike Roberts was. I have about a dozen or so of his cards from CA/WA/TX/IA/IL and all the way to Philadelphia. His late 40's/early 50's street scenes are sweet...he even did a Howard Johnson's card. Thank you.

Yes,I also love this thread.I went to a couple antique dealer shops yesterday and spent the day looking for as many Mike Robert postcards as I could find.I came up with 19 that I really liked.There are still about 40-70 more that I might pick up.These also vary State to State.Some are street scenes from California,the mountains in Utah,and one from Maine.I even found three from Jimmy Carter's hometown in Georgia.Here are ten postcards that I picked up yesterday.I post the rest in the next couple days.

These are some of the most iconic images of Hawaii in the tiki era. I never thought to connect the dots to a single photographer... amazing. Mahalo.

I found this thread while trying to date a Mike Roberts card from Guam.

I know that this isn't Hawaii or Tiki-related, but thought it would be interesting to know about. Also, the logo is different from the other cards posted.

There are a lot of Guam postcards by Mike Roberts, most of them apparently distributed by a now defunct department store called the "Town House." I'm guessing that this particular one of a southern Guam village was probably taken in the early 1960's.

[ Edited by: tokyobuzz 2009-08-02 22:48 ]

On 2009-08-02 22:43, tokyobuzz wrote:
I found this thread while trying to date a Mike Roberts card from Guam.

Please don't get me wrong. Good eye, yet... That Kodachrome photo is by Art WISNER. Looks like unkle threw a bone around occasionally. I'd suspect they are around 1970-72.

• From Martiantiki's collection and posted in the Erotica thread. I do like to add to this thread when I see 'em*

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2010-10-31 00:25 ]

On 2009-07-31 10:51, puamana wrote:
Great thread, and that's great news on the book ! Congrats! Looking forward to it.

Aloha Liqueur:

See now thats A weird one. It looks like the same model and background from the kau kau korner menu.

Some more Postcards...

Nice collection, Tim. I hope Phil's book will be a bit more Tiki-centric, though.

I was putting a bunch of Hawaii LP's from the early 1960's up on eBay last night, all the while going "Man, some of these pictures look like something I've seen on T.C. lately..."

Here are the one's that I think might be Mr. Roberts' pictures. There are no photographer's credits on the albums at all. Please let me know if I'm right or wrong, but they look like his "eye" to me.

This first one has actually all ready been posted previously in it's postcard form, so I know it's his:

I think these are his photos too...

...and maybe this one:

Just for the record, this is not in any way, shape, or form a "Spammy" advert for the records. I just wanted to share the imagery in hopes that it is Mr. Roberts' gorgeous work. I'll gladly take down the ones that don't turn out to be his.

Mahaloz!

We believe you, Lee. :) Great visuals, especially all those posed shots with those "natives of old Hawaii".

Aloha,

Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing, Lee. Pretty spot on. While often uncredited, you CAN see his composition in the "posed" shots... In the upper left of the "Instrumentally Your's" is the luau photo of Donn and party (previously posted somewhere here)

1)How prolific he was and hustled work...
2)How his work also shows up on menu's, (The liquor bottle add that Puamana posted is the same background and model from the Kau Kau Korner menu), brochures, and album (The last one is Ulu Mau Village) covers as well as the Postcards.
3)How much is still unknown...
4)How much I need to get my pal to drop off the scanner I bought after mine died a few weeks ago.

Hey Phil,

Any Disneyland or other theme park images in the collection you have? Mike Roberst also took a lot of photographs and made postcards for many mainland tiki places.

Aloha,

On 2009-08-06 18:38, Matterhorn1959 wrote:

Any Disneyland or other theme park images in the collection you have? Mike Roberts also took a lot of photographs and made postcards for many mainland tiki places.

I haven't seen any Disney stuff yet in what I got... If I do find some, I promise to share...

Here's some stuff that no one will find on a postcard... Model test shots circa 1962ish... I don't think she made the cut...

Yes the new scanner got in house today...but it doesn't have transparency mode so unitl I can figure out the Minolta slide scanner problems, no negatives or slides. Boo.

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2009-08-07 01:43 ]

Thanks Robb. I hope there are some Disneyland or other theme park images in there.

On 2009-08-04 01:34, bigbrotiki wrote:
Nice collection, Tim.

Thanks for the compliment bigbrotiki...Here's a few more Mike Roberts Postcards.....

These are my favorites...

I found a few to add:

FRONTS: (Gotta love that bed at the Coco Palms!)

BACKS:

These shots are from a souvenir fold out postcard packet: