the lost chapter: Hop Louie and the Stockton Islander (image heavy)

Good finds all around, guys. Jim, I remember that in the early 60s some American car makers offered "silver metallic" paint jobs, not just silver (grey), but green metallic, blue metallic and so on.

True, that Lattitude 20 entrance is like a different restaurant than the Islander! I wonder if the Barney West Moai was gone, or is just out of frame to the left. I tried to lighten the shadows to see more of the Tiki, you might have more luck with it doing that in the scanner:

The Tiki on the right of the porch is almost not visible. For comparison:

I would love to see a good quality shot of the sign-Tiki between "cocktails" and "dancing"

seeing those demo photos made my stomach leap.

when i first moved here I knew nothing about the Islander and took a pic of that building just because of the A Frame.

I can understand why its been torn down but how I would of loved to have seen it first hand in its hey day.

such a bummer

On 2010-05-01 13:41, bigbrotiki wrote:
I would love to see a good quality shot of the sign-Tiki between "cocktails" and "dancing"

I remembered this matchbook: Looks like it was THIS guy:

Sort of a Tiki baby. Reminds me of Sponge Bob when his lips are trembling and his eyes are watering :)
Now Eric is gonna make a felt Tiki out of it ! :D

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2010-05-01 16:07 ]

On 2010-04-30 17:32, abstractiki wrote:
I just realized the front of the car was cut off in that last picture so I scanned it again. The colors are almost dead on comparing the computer screen to the original but in the original photo the car looks like it might have a bit of a gold tone to it.

The Islander/Latitude was right on corner of Pacific Ave. and Benjamin Holt Drive. Pacific Ave was the main drag and cruising was big there during the sixties. I used to cruise it myself in 79-82 and even at 14 I rode my bike to this corner to watch the action. Then it was outlawed in the mid 80's and just as the Islander left Pacific Ave in the mid 80's so did cruising, end of and era.

Yea, I love this picture, this is a classic period photo. I almost fell over when he showed it to me.

I think you're right about the color. I once had a '67 Camaro with factory gold paint; the car in the photo looks very much like mine did (with respect to the paint job) and is also a Chevy.

My buddies and I cruised Pacific in the late 70's/early 80's. Who knows, we may have passed each other once or twice!

On 2010-05-01 13:42, leleliz wrote:

...how I would of loved to have seen it first hand in its hey day.

such a bummer

I can tell you, the restaurant and its great sign illuminated at night was beautiful to my young eyes.

On 2010-05-01 21:46, LOL Tiki wrote:
My buddies and I cruised Pacific in the late 70's/early 80's. Who knows, we may have passed each other once or twice!

I think John Wayne said that in a movie once.

Tobunga wrote-

Abstractiki, do you know if the Latitude 20 addition to the Islander was moved with the rest of the building or not?

Tikicleen wrote-

I think tobunga posed a good question. it seems like latitude 20 wasn't part of the move since it appears to be such a long extension from the a-frame. however, in all of the articles that talked about the big move to Pollardville, it only mentions how the cut the place into three sections; top, and halved the bottom.

I often wondered about this myself during the first expeditions to the old place. But only the main Islander building was moved. I compared the color Islander postcard to more recent pictures out at the Pollardville location and can count the same number of outrigger beams in both locations.

Also I could never find it in the Islander blue print photos I took, not even the word Latitude was mentioned on them. The Latitude must have it's own prints since it was added on a few years later. I don't know for sure that Warren Wong also drew those prints or not. I may have to mount another expedition to find the Latitude 20 blue prints. Oh my...

Unga Bunga wrote-

Found this by accident:

That's a great photo and great find UB!

I interviewed a man once who told me that the Stockton Rotary club used to meet at the Islander often and had a group picture taken out front. He told me I should contact them to see if they still have it in their archives. Some times clubs like this have historians and they tend to keep old photos and newspaper stories. I put it on my list of things to do but it was moved to the back burner and I never got around to following up on it.

Thanks for posting it!

Sven, you gotta include that photo of Marty Thorpe and his hot rod in front of Latitude 20 in your next tiki tome! It's a classic!

And you beat me to the punch on this:

I remembered this matchbook: Looks like it was THIS guy:

Sort of a Tiki baby. Reminds me of Sponge Bob when his lips are trembling and his eyes are watering :)
Now Eric is gonna make a felt Tiki out of it ! :D

A plush version of that tiki is a great idea!

I was considering doing a pendant of the little tiki, and I already depicted it in a painting that I did for abstractiki that I included when I drew his name in the mug swap from earlier this year. I used the matchbook cover from this post as a guide for the painting, and images from his urban archaeology posted here for some of the other logos.

On 2010-05-03 18:35, abstractiki wrote:
Tobunga wrote-

Abstractiki, do you know if the Latitude 20 addition to the Islander was moved with the rest of the building or not?

Tikicleen wrote-

I think tobunga posed a good question. it seems like latitude 20 wasn't part of the move since it appears to be such a long extension from the a-frame. however, in all of the articles that talked about the big move to Pollardville, it only mentions how the cut the place into three sections; top, and halved the bottom.

I often wondered about this myself during the first expeditions to the old place. But only the main Islander building was moved. I compared the color Islander postcard to more recent pictures out at the Pollardville location and can count the same number of outrigger beams in both locations.

I think this aerial shot bears that out as well (you'll need to zoom in). I see no evidence of the extension.

Very sad ! RAZZ !

I recently met with a nice lady named Jo who used to bartend at the Stockton Latitude 20 from 1976 to 1979. She wanted some bamboo and we did a swap for some rum. :)

She was hired by Tommy Lee and started out at $2.00 per hr. She loved her job and said she often would sell about $1000 in drinks in a night. The Latitude Manager was named Nehi.

She shared with me some personal photos and artifacts from her time at the Latitude.
Included will be the first ever interior 1970's photos of the Stockton Latitude 20. Also two of the Tikis now at Minnie's are seen in the photos.

If any one should have questions for her send me them via PM and I'll forward them on to her.

Big Mahalo to Jo for the sharing these personal photos and mementos.
I'll start out with these.

The Islander used to give out wooden nickles.

Tommy Lee's business card.

Nehi's card (Latitude Manager) Note: disco now used in advertising.

This was on back of both business cards. Any one know what it says?

This type of menu was posted at the beginning of the thread but there are differences such as the prices, special show prices and drink minimums and the surf rider drink in the surfer girl mug is no longer offered.

ahhh getting late, I'll post more tomorrow.

Happy Hunting! :)

cool! i like how tommy saved money in converting the hop louie menus to his own by substituting his name in chinese characters on the back. i always thought the bumatay menu was the coolest looking. it's neat to see that tommy used it up until the end.

eagerly anticipating your photo finds!

The business cards are great! Also interesting to see which drinks went with which mugs. (Looks like they had a price change for the Scorpion!)

Great research as usual abstract. Can't wait to see the interior photos.

DC

[ Edited by: Dustycajun 2010-05-27 07:32 ]

Wow! Another great urban Archaeology score for abstractiki! Can't wait to see the interior photos!

Mahalo fer posting, abstractiki!

Thanks guys, here is the collection of entertainer promo pics. These acts all performed between 1976 and 1979.

My mother in law remembers this group, The Leland Four. She said they were really good! They started out in Hawaii as the Hawaiian Shadows 1961-1965. They moved to the mainland and changed the name to the Leland Four. They never had a hit record but they opened up for Frank Sinatra Jr. in Vegas and other big names. From 1967-1978 The Leland Four played in many casinos, hotels, clubs, cruise ships and the Fair circuit.

I'm not sure if this is a rock group or some kind of comedy act.

Kona, great name!

This is all I could find on this family group.

Type of Work:Musical work
Registration Number / Date:PAu000549302 / 1983-07-25
Date of Creation:1983
Title:Everyday / words Gary Frischer ; music the Muglestons.
Basis of Claim:New Matter: music.
Previous Registration:Lyrics prev. reg.
Copyright Note:C.O. correspondence.
Description:1 p.
Copyright Claimant:Blaine Mugleston, Robert Mugleston, Desiree Mugleston, Troy Mugleston & Lance Mugleston
Authorship on Application:music: Robert Kenneth Mugleston, Desiree Margaret Mugleston, Blaine Derrick Mugleston, Troy Rees Mugleston & Lance Matthew Mugleston.
Names:Gary Frischer (4 documents)
example document: School daze
Robert Kenneth Mugleston (1 documents)
example document: Three songs by the Muglestons
Desiree Margaret Mugleston (1 documents)
example document: Three songs by the Muglestons
Blaine Derrick Mugleston (1 documents)
example document: Three songs by the Muglestons
Troy Rees Mugleston
Lance Matthew Mugleston

I think this guy's name is Johnny, he was a Frank Sinatra type.

And this my friends is the one and only Dick Dale!! and at this time he was performing with Jeannie. He also performed with her and the Del Tones 1980 in Garden Grove and one other club that I know of in Balboa Beach.

This is the first I had heard of the Surf Guitar Legend playing at the Stockton Latitude 20. Thats a very cool historical discovery if you ask me!

Look for Latitude 20 interior photos tomarow night!

:)

Groovy! Bitchen! Outasight! Like Wild!

This first photo I had previously posted and am posting again for reference.

Stockton Record photo from newspaper.

It seams that the Latitude started out in 1965 with a more clean MCM type style and then at some point picked up some Beachcomber/Groovy 70s style.

Note that these pictures are done with an Instamatic camera and are all focusing on people at a Halloween Party.

Jo and Nehi with coworkers.

I'm guessing these colorful designs on the walls were not there when the Latitude was first opened and were added later in an attempt to update the decor. Hence the Groovy 70's style.

This decor was thick and protruded from the wall, most likely cut from plywood.

A nice big Tiki mask in this photo. You can also see publicity pictures and clutter now on the walls and door behind the bar. Note the boat props signed and hanging around the door. Hence a more Beachcomber type style.

Another big Tiki mask behind the bar and the Tiki off to the right is now at Minnie's in Modesto. Far right is one of the black velvet paintings.

There is another Tiki in the center and another black velvet painting off to the left.

Some nice puffer fish, floats and a Tiki in back of the bar. The green bar is cool!

Some nice big floats and some kind of fish-trap or something hanging from the ceiling.

You can see the big dance floor better in this black and white photo.

Mahlo Jo for sharing your personal photos and mementos from the Latitude 20.

Happy Hunting! :)

I saw that abstractiki had posted today and I couldn't wait to check out the pix!

WOW! What an incredibly rare glimpse into the Islander when it was up and running!

The big, colorful wall designs look like those from the matchbook and business card, but blown up that gigantic, they remind me of Mayan temple carvings!

Was that wall across from the bar? I can't make out their relation from the photos. I was trying to figure it out from what I remember actually standing in (after sneaking into) the Islander building earlier this year, but then I remembered that Latitude 20 didn't make the move out to Pollardville.

I didn't see any tiki mugs... do you know if they were still using them then? Can you ask Jo? (And does she have any Bumatay mugs she doesn't want?)
I guess all those ashtrays on the bar had Islander logos on them, though... wonder what happened to all the furniture? Those bar stools would be cool to track down...

AWESOME sleuthing, abstract!

http://ericoctober.com

[ Edited by: tobunga 2010-05-28 22:24 ]

wow! i sure wasnt expecting to see the graphics from tommy lee's matchbook on the wall of the latitude 20 - painted and all. what a time warp!

thanks to jo and david for posting these gems.

maybe you could ask jo why the islander was always advertised as "theater restaurant" on all of tommy lee's advertisements? it mentions they had "theater acts" which always sort of puzzled me.

also, does she remember the most popular drinks ordered? any memory of receipes? does she remember the bumatay mug and what went in it? was it even used during her time there?

Thanks Tobunga, before I forget, Jo saw your Islander pendant and really loved it! I think that wall was across from the bar but I'll have to get clarification on that and get back to you.

Jo said she used to make Mai Tais in the bucket mugs all the time. Here is one in this picture, filed with straws I think.

She does have some mugs and bowl packed away but she couldn't find them before we had our meeting.

That menu was so cool it was in great condition. She told me she only had it by accident. She took it home one night so her family would know what to order when they came for a dinner and then it got moved aside and she never ended up bringing it back to the restaurant.

Those bar stools would be great to have in a home tiki bar. The bar reminds me of the the vintage bar in the upstairs lounge at Minnie's.

On my first expedition to the Islander I found a square table and thought nothing of it. Then after analyzing the photos I had discovered I thought that this might be an original table from the Islander. On my second expedition i took pictures to compare them. It was an original table. The Formica wood grain top was even the same as the walls of the old phone booth. At the time I made this comparison photo but never posted about this find.

The next time I went back I was going to salvage the table but it was gone. :(

Tikicleen, you're welcome. Time warp indeed. When I met with her said she still can make a great Mai Tai and even does Hula Dancing. I will forward the questions to Jo and get back to ya.

Hey abstract, just wondering how you met up with Jo... what a fount of Islander info she is!

I went back for a closer look at the pix, and I saw another bucket mug doing straw holder duty, plus a menu, and possibly a peanut mug and maybe a bowl?

If you look at the shelf behind Jo, right where her elbow is pointing, there appears to be something tiki bowl-like there. Wonder if that smoking lady was lighting up with Islander matches?

Can you ask Jo what mai tai recipe they used? Did they make the Trader Vic's version there? Would be great to get the recipe and try a tiki cocktail from the Islander! (Or any Islander recipe she can remember!)

Bummer about the Islander table, but at least you got the phone!

I can send Jo a pendant, if she wants one! Lemme know!

She got my contact info from the guy i bought the Islander Bamboo from. I think she was searching the internet for islander stuff and stumbled upon his post to sell it. She wanted bamboo as a memento and i just started asking questions and struck gold.

The graphics on the walls at the Latitude 20 were already there when she was hired in 76. They were across from the bar. When she would be looking at the dance floor off to the right was a raised DJ area. At one time, the Latitude had a popular local radio personality working there. I think she told me it was David Allen Kram when I interviewed her.

Soon after being hired she got a raise to $2.50 hr.

There was a passage or door from the Latitude to the Islander on the inside but customers had to go through the main outside doors if they wanted to go from the latitude to the Islander. She thinks the door was either through the bar or the side of the bar.

Some of the groups were comedy acts like the Funny Farm but most were musical groups and she doesn't remember any theater type plays and stuff like that.

She made a mean Islander Mai Tai, but hasn't made one of those for over 28 years + and has forgotten the recipe, but she would love to have a copy if any one finds one. The Islander side was the side that made most of the drinks with the mugs. She doesn't know what the drink was that went into the bumatay mug unfortunately.

The most popular drinks were Mai Tai's, Hurricane, Coconut punch, Pi Yi. Wan Fu, if you had lots of money, you could buy the Scorpion.

There were always a few bouncers at the door and Nehi sat at the entrance so he could see who was coming in and oversee everything. He was usually seen with a big cigar.

Tobunga the gift of one of your pendants is very aloha spirit and I think that's so cool, I will let her know and be sending you PM.

I think that's Lemon Hart Rum on the very left of that pic also. :) love that Lemon Hart

A while back I managed to track down the son of Dick Degrande (the last owner of the Islander). He was friendly and answered my questions but the interview shed no new light on the Islander story. At least now I can check him off my list of leads and put that angle to rest. He is still in the catering/food business locally. He was involved starting his own career and family when his dad owned the Islander and only went there a few times.

On another note I was asked to post this Stockton Record newspaper article by a friend and employee of Tommy Lee.

Headline: Former owner of Islander restaurant dies

By Audrey Cooper Record Staff Writer
September 20, 2002 12:01 AM

Tommy Lee's Islander restaurant
and nightclub -- with Polynesian decor, thatched-roof stage, Easter Island-style
mugs, waiters in Hawaiian shirts and lounge acts -- was a staple of Stockton's
late-night entertainment in the 1960s and '70s.

Most longtime Stockton residents at some point hid in the dimly lit club, sucking down punch-bowl-sized drinks garnished with floating gardenias.

Lee, the hot spot's gregarious owner from 1966 to 1980, died Sunday of heart problems at an assisted-care home. He was 87.

Just before Lee's birth, his Chinese parents boarded a freighter to start a new life in the United States. Lee was born on the ship midtrip and had to be naturalized as a United States citizen, although this country was the first dry land he ever touched.

A friend persuaded Lee in 1938 to move to Stockton. In 1940, the two opened the Daylite Market, working up to 16 hours a day. That market became the Diamond D Meat Co., which was later blended into the Centro Mart chain.

Lee bought The Islander from restaurateur Hop Louie, who had hired architect Warren Wong to design the building to resemble a shipwreck on a sandy beach. In 1986, four years after The Islander permanently closed its doors, the abandoned building was moved from its Lincoln Center location to a spot off Highway 99 and Eight Mile Road.

It now houses the Chicken Kitchen and stands in front of the Pollardville Ghost Town, a collection of Western-style movie sets open to visitors on weekends. Tower Records sits on the old Islander site.

Islander patron Jack Canote, 77, remembered having "a drink or two at the Islander."

Canote said Lee had a good sense of humor and loved his business.

"I don't know for sure, but I always heard that we won the place in a crap game. I also heard he lost it in a crap game, too," said Canote, a former Record advertising employee.

That urban legend, though likely untrue, helped add to the mystique of the Islander, where velvet paintings of ####### Tahitian women complemented the flaming torches outside and the outrigger canoe hanging over customers' heads. Fire-waving hula dancers and Sinatra-style lounge singer Frankie Fanelli were equally at home at the adjoining club, called Latitude 20.

"Oh, my gosh. The Islander. I wouldn't want anyone to know how much time I spent there," said Stockton resident Bobbie Wallinger, 60. She remembered it as Stockton's lone nightclub for several years and the city's version of the Fairmont Hotel's Zombie Room or Trader Vic's in San Francisco.

"Tommy Lee was gregarious. I think he really was a showman in almost a Barnum sense. But like Barnum, he was someone who made people truly happy," she said.

Harold Lee, a friend of Tommy Lee's for more than 40 years, remembered his friend as a hard worker who would take afternoon naps to rest in the middle of his 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. shifts. The Islander closed only on Christmas.

The Islander, sometimes called the Camelot of Stockton, employed many new immigrants, some of whom still work in Chinese restaurants in the area. Tommy Lee, who also owned the Chinatown restaurant Shangri-Lee, rented an apartment for his employees, said daughter Valerie Acoba, a drama teacher at Edison High School.

Lee was a past president of the Lee Family Association, a board member of the Cathay Club and a member of Seniors In Retirement. In addition to Acoba, he is survived by his siblings, Louis Lee of Virginia and Junna Elliott of Oregon; children Clifford Lee of San Francisco and Phyllis Lee of Wisconsin; and granddaughter, Gwendolyn Acoba-Moran of Los Angeles.

Visitation is scheduled for today from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Chapel of the Palms funeral home. The funeral will be Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

LEE: He was 87.

Aaaah, the "Camelot of Stockton"! Indeed!

And "Shangri-Lee", that is hilarious. :)

Aloha Tiki Vixen,

On 2005-07-20 18:07, tikivixen wrote:
you've just helped fill in a HUGE Chris Isaak missing link for me. Neato! Thanks! I'd love to hear any of his or Kenny's reminiscences...

Really? 2005? Seriously? This post was only 6 years ago? My original comment was Lost in the change from Fake Web name to Real name. Seems like just Yesterday though. I think the gist of it was that, those guys are old friends, (I saw their first show at the ON-Broadway in SF and often at Nightbreak Rock and Sushi Sundays on Haight in the day. Oh and and the Silvertone release party where they played on the raft at the Tonga Room) and I'd ask the "PRIDE OF STOCKTON" about the Islander at my first possible opportunity. This is my chance. This thread has grown since then and seeing how "Tiki Stolen at Minnie's" is a hot topic, thought I'd bump this up.

Tomorrow (2011) in Honolulu, I have been invited to see the Chris Isaak Show at the Arena by the guys. I will be bringing signed copies of my book, Waikiki Tiki: Art, History and Photographs for Chris and Kenny Dale. I will certaintly quiz "The PRIDE OF STOCKTON CALIFORNIA" on the Islander. Stay tuned for updates.

BTW, any one see Chris on AMC subbing for their usual host last month? He did a great job!

best,

Phillip

Waikiki Tiki; Art, History, and Photographs.
Available now from Bess Press Hawaii.

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2011-11-29 23:26 ]

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2011-11-29 23:29 ]

I'm a huge fan of Chris Isaak as well. When I first moved to Stockton, one of the first friends I had was a girl by the name of Lori, whom I worked with and was also a close childhood friend and sometimes roommate of Chris. My wife and I socialized with her a lot and she was always trying to introduce me to Chris, a struggling musician at the time because she wanted him to see some of my work (I was a struggling illustrator and graphic artist at the time as well), but as luck would have it, our paths never seemed to cross. Lori also worked as a cocktail waitress after her nine to five job at you guessed it, the Islander. She would invite her gang of buddies over there when she worked at the place, although I never did run into him (at least there). He definitely has ties to the place though, and I'm sure Lori fronted him many drinks when she worked the at the Islander. Lori in fact, was there when the placed closed and would often lament to me how she was screwed out of her wages when they locked the doors.

Chris even revealed his tiki side when he was selling T-shirts at some of his early shows with his name superimposed over Moari Easter Island head graphics. I later learned it was probably an homage to an apartment building near UOP (in Stockton) that had huge 12' faux pumice stone Moari heads at its entrance. I think they may even still be in existance, but the hood over there is a little sketchy these days.

I went to college at UOP and first discovered that Bali Hai Apartments tiki for myself, back in '97 and I posted about it here in '03. http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=5864&forum=2

Abstractiki found this image a little while back.

This is the tiki more recently...

I'm a big fan of Chris Isaak too. He also went to UOP.
He wore this tiki for a long time in the early days. I always wondered if it was because of the proliferation of tiki that exsisted around Stockton.

Chris Isaak borrowed a Girlfriend once & still hasn't returned her!

So Phil, how was the show? I coulda/woulda/shoulda been there, but no...

Aloha,

Chris put on a great show despite being a bit sick. Sadly, I didn't get to quiz him about the Stockton Islander because he was feeling ill. :( Hopefully next time.

Simply put, one of the best TC threads ever!

I picked up this matchbook from the early days of the Islander.

The back has a nice write up from Hop Louie.

And this thread would not be complete without a photo of Eric October's wonderful Islander painting framed in Islander bamboo.

DC

That's great to see new artifacts from the Islander still being discovered. Eric O's Islander print looks great in the real Islander bamboo. Nice work DC.

I found it! I have been hunting this sacred tiki for a long time and I almost lost hope that this Islander tiki mystery would ever be solved.

I found the big moai tiki that sat outside the Islander. What luck, you won't believe the luck I had. The gods are with me.

Here is the story. I was at my reception for my annual art show a few weeks ago. A good Friend of mine was playing guitar and singing there and I knew he had fond memories of the Islander from his younger days in Stockton. I walked up and gave him an 8x10 photo of the Islander and an Islander mug as a gift.

When I was done an old man who had seen me do that approached me and said,"you know, I have one of those Islander tikis in my yard". At first I thought it was an other man who I had already talked to and visited a few years ago. Then he said no that's not me you have never been to my house. My jaw dropped and my eyes got big. He said it was real big and heavy and it was one of the ones from the outside. Oh my God I thought could this be the one? Well I got his contact info and today I made the trek to Stockton to see it in person.

The tiki looked pretty good for being so old and being left out in the elements all these years. It had no identifiers carved into it and had a lot of dry-rot. The old man said he got it in a trade from Neal Pollard right before Neal moved the Islander from Lincoln Center to Pollard Ville. He said he went to high school with Neal and they were old friends. He and his wife have many fond memories of the old Islander.

Bottom is in cement.

The eyes still look cool.

Some dry rot damage.

Guardian of the Islander Moai Tiki for almost 30 years.

Happy Hunting!

Abstract,

That's....AMAZING!

We need to help preserve that Tiki.

DC

Abstractiki, Love how your relentless drive is producing results...Congrats and Great Job! OGR

Fabulous work Abstract...you must be part of the TIU (Tiki Investigation Unit)!!!

Always nice work Abstractiki!!

Thanks for the great story and pictures!! :D

Whoa! How cool is that?!?!

I have painted, drawn, carved and sculpted that tiki several times over in my various representations of the Islander! So great to see that it still exists!

MAHALO Abstractiki for all your urban archaeology that keeps the memory of the Stockton Islander alive!!!

Eureka!

eureka! exactly my thoughts!!

it's great to see that it still exists AND that it was located by being in the right place at the right time. i love it when things fall into place so magically. great find abstract!

for over a year, i have had some information from a person that has a family member with one of the tikis that was "just inside the front" -- the one that "didn't have a large crack running through it" and i always wondered if they were talking about this moai or possibly a sheltered tiki (the bumatay??). through other stalker-like methods, i think i have narrowed down the house it is at, but i have no way of making contact with the person without seeming like a total stalker-doofus. maybe we should compare notes to see if this is the same person, or if this is another lead that you could possibly take on?

Nice work as always Abstract! So much Islander history would have been lost to the sands of time without your hard work.

awesome story!

That is amazing! Great urban archaeology!!

THIS is why I love Tiki Central. great work!

Mahalo DC, OGR, Vamp, BB, Tobunga, big bro, tiki C, TB, 1963, LD and Big K. I appreciate the comments and encouragement.

Tiki C, I will send you a PM and we can compare notes.

DC, preservation was definitely on my mind. When I first talked to the old man at my art show reception he wanted to trade the tiki for my biggest painting. The painting was for sale for $700.00 and I told him if I verify that it is an Islander tiki I'll do it and we exchanged contact info. The next day he called me and said his wife would not let him trade it or sell it. I was disappointed but I was still ecstatic that it may be the missing Moai tiki.

When I met with him I explained the whole urban "tiki archeology thing" and the "part of Americas popular culture and history" thing. I told him how a collector would store it out of the rain and sun and try to preserve it. I showed so much interest and affection for this tiki he said if it were up to him he would give it to me but his wife wouldn't let him.

He said it was in cement and very heavy. It took 4 men to carry it and it dented his truck when he got it.

I would love to see this tiki and others like it preserved and displayed in "America's Polynesian Pop Culture Museum" when it's built by one of us TC'ers that wins the Super Lotto.

Maybe someday they will move or his wife will change her mind and they will let me have it. I didn't press the issue at all. At least I know it is safe, has not been painted a bunch of goofy colors and it's not in a landfill.

Abstractiki, truly a fascinating story of re-discovering and re-connecting with the past! Don't let this slip away - there may be another opportunity in the near future. She may someday come to tick him off about something else and may cause him to call you and give it away when she's not looking. That's how it sometimes goes...