1958 pics Waikikian / Tahitian Lanai

On 2011-11-15 01:43, HOUSE OF KU wrote:
Saw this at the Stadium swapmeet,(Oahu) this past Sunday. The person selling it said the people he bought it from said it was from the 50's....asking price $250.

And now it's for auction

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Orleans-Jazz-Band-Tahitian-Lanai-drum-/250934553290?_trksid=p3286.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D4284443539952613444

I've never heard of New Orleans jazz exotica but I wouldn't mind hearing a Creole version of Quiet Village.

Aloha,

Msteeln passed me on another auction...

"John Norris and the NEW ORLEANS JAZZ BAND OF HAWAII."

One of the desks is on auction
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-1950s-Hawaii-Mid-Century-Tiki-Style-Desk-Tahitian-Lanai-Hawaii-/270878111617?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1197f781

I was quoted $500 for shipping which is a little too rich for my blood but maybe not for yours, what a great computer desk it would make, alas.

[ Edited by: naugatiki 2011-12-27 08:53 ]

[ Edited by: naugatiki 2011-12-27 08:54 ]

I was quoted $500 for shipping which is a little too rich for my blood but maybe not for yours, what a great computer desk it would make, alas.

Which is why it might stick around at a nice price for me, if I can just get it home on The Bus!

Saw this great photo of the Waikikian shot from across the lagoon on ebay. What a nice view, the last stand to the high-rise on the beach.

DC

I'm thinking the Waikikian is the backdrop on this well-known LP then. I thought it might have been the Polynesian Cultural Center, but more lately thinking perhaps the old Ulu Mau Village....but it looks like the above photo, doesn't it?

Aloha,

the LP cover is Too early to be the PCC... Too built up for the Ulu Mau at the time... Most likely the Kaiser's Hawaiian Village... Second choice would be the Waikikian.

On 2012-10-04 19:43, Dustycajun wrote:
Saw this great photo of the Waikikian shot from across the lagoon on ebay. What a nice view, the last stand to the high-rise on the beach.

DC

Hey, DC, the photo is even better in person. Yeah, I have it. There is SO little Waikikian/Tahitian Lanai memorabilia available that I revel in it every time that I am able to possess a small morsel of it!
I KNOW that there are more photos/movies out there. I just wish that they would surface so that we could enjoy them.
~kele

Kele,

I am so happy that you got that photo! PM your address and I will send you the extra luggage label I have if you need one for your collection.

DC

Thanks DC! Received the luggage tag yesterday!
~kele

Thought I'd show the ladies shirt I picked up last summer. It's "made in hawaii" label was used in the 1950's

It has the usual palms, huts and the aloha tower, but what got me to buy it (and add it to this thread) was this.

The Waikikian lobby building!

aloha, tikicoma

‘Tis the seasons so I figure it’s time to throw up some semi Christmas themed Waikikian Hotel memorabilia-

Room Key and key fob with the logo for room 41, made to be dropped in any mail box for guaranteed postage.

Car info, and an invite to a Tuesday cocktail party.

A holiday event with brandied egg nog

A nice photo in one of the huts decked out for the holidays from 1968. I obtained this from the kid who’s all grown up now and told me later Santa rolled in via a canoe. Sure beats coming down the chimney.

Naugatiki,
You've made my Waikikian Mele Kalikimaka!
Words can not express!
I especially like the idea that we are partaking of Brandied Egg Nog from 8AM til 10AM on Christmas Morning!
~kele

On 2012-11-14 23:12, tikicoma wrote:
It has the usual palms, huts and the aloha tower, but what got me to buy it (and add it to this thread) was this.

The Waikikian lobby building!
aloha, tikicoma

Tikicoma~This is beautiful! Don't know how I missed seeing it until today!
Mahaloz for sharing.
~kele

WAIKIKIAN HOTEL..."This famous landmark is the Ravi-lobby of the Waikikian...a combination of ancient Polynesian and modern design."

Nani Li'i Natural Color Card, published by Hawaiian Service (Ray Helbig)

In the category of "...where is it now..."

This is the "tiki gods" panel that hung over the kitchen/service counter of the Tahitian Lanai. As a young girl in the early 70's, my grandparents used to take me to all kinds of restaurants around the island - and the TL was probably one of their favorites as it was a huge landmark and represented the kitsch & "Old Hawaii" my grandmother loved. My grandparents moved & settled on Oahu in 1958. My grandfather decided to retire here after having been stationed at Schofield. My grandmother was a RN at TAMC (where I was born) until her retirement in 1975. They would entertain friends and family that came to visit the islands, so dining out at all these touristy spots was a weekly thing for my family. I vaguely remember the panel where it hung and when I saw it where it is today (read further) I was taken back to my "hanabata" days.

This piece was bought at the infamous auction when the Waikikian closed by the owner of LION Coffee which became part of the Hawaii Coffee Company (by which I am employed as "web master"). The piece now hangs in the LION Coffee Cafe located in Kalihi on Kalani Street.

There is some evident termite damage and obvious "fixes" done to keep the piece together. As the unofficial curator of historical items for the company, I am researching ALL of the art and memorabilia owned by the company (considering the coffee brand is just about 150 years old - that's a lot of stuff!). From Wolson Spice to Hawaiian Tikis... I so love what I'm doing here! :D

The piece hangs over the barista's area and many tourists who come for the factory tour ask questions about the panel. I'd like to make a fact placard to display on the wall near it, featuring the Waikikian, Tahitian Lanai and some history of Old Waikiki. Hawaii Coffee Company does free factory tours several times a day - so this is definitely a piece of Hawaiiana people would enjoy learning about.

This thread has given me so much information - thank you! But I still have some facts I need to clarify - so if anyone can help I'd so much appreciate it!

1. Who REALLY designed/carved the panel?

>  
> *On 2006-04-16 06:16, bigbrotiki wrote:*  
> ...  
> 5.)Stanley Stubenberg, my favorite Tiki modern graphic designer in Waikiki, did the Menu cover for the Tahitian Lanai, and **probably also the design for the carved Tiki panels behind the bar**  
> ...  
>

Has this been confirmed? It does look like his style - but I'd like to have confirmation of this for the placard.

2. One of my Uncles once told me the panel was titled "Tiki Gods" - is this true, or just my Uncle being his know-it-all-self? If not, is there a name for the piece?

3. Any further story/information on the panel would be icing on the cake and a perfect addition to the placard

Coming from a family of collectors, I have a lot of stuff I am going through as I've inherited boxes & albums and slides that once belonged to my grandparents. If I find anything else related to the Waikikian/Tahitian Lanai, will add here.

A hui hou!
~Less

Wow, great post ! So nice to know I can go see that great wall hanging the next time I'm on the island. I, like alot of people on TCare big fans of the Waikikian, and this is just great news to have someone with a connection to the place.

Thanx !

Great to know that the wall hanging ended up in a good home.

And I'm thrilled to see that memorabilia from the Waikikian/Tahitian Lanai is being unearthed!
It really lifts my spirits to see each new treasure displayed.

Less, welcome to TC!
~kele

I remember seeing those panels on the auction block in 97, there was a salivating crowd when it was introduced and the first bid was like $500 then everyone got quiet and it was gone. If only I had disposable income back then. Happy to see it's at a public place for everyone to enjoy. Still looks great.

Whoooaaa! These panels are among my 10 all-time favorite pieces of Tiki modern art! I think they are the Guernica of Tiki!

Great shot, with the light giving it a sheen that really makes the lines pop out. I am so glad I got to photograph these still in situ, and use the pics in my 2nd book. I would love to see closer shots of the small metal pieces.

You know I am not sure anymore if these were designed by Stubenberg, or by Edward Brownlee. I seem to remember that Jeff Berry told me Brownlee claimed them to be his work. But they just seem so much like Stubenberg's style. Maybe Stubenberg drew them, and Brownlee carved them? I think Brownlee is still living up North somewhere...

On 2013-02-21 13:02, LessZoa wrote:
In the category of "...where is it now..."

A hui hou!
~Less

And where it was.

There is another thread on the Tahitian Lanai HERE

Thanks for posting Less. Look forward to more of your finds.

DC

Look's like I've got me a coffee shop to visit tomorrow, thanx for the pic and stories, Less. Lucky you to be going thru your family's golden era Hawaiian treasures!

Jeff Berry put a nice B&W shot of it in Sippin' Safari, too.

Aloha,

On 2013-02-21 17:20, bigbrotiki wrote:
You know I am not sure anymore if these were designed by Stubenberg, or by Edward Brownlee. I seem to remember that Jeff Berry told me Brownlee claimed them to be his work. But they just seem so much like Stubenberg's style. Maybe Stubenberg drew them, and Brownlee carved them? I think Brownlee is still living up North somewhere...

Have you not been reading? Edward Brownlee, CLEARLY states in his letter (as transcribed in Waikiki Tiki: Art, History and Photographs) "I carved the panels around the broiler from the 'Tahitian Lanai.'" And yes, Ed and Phyllis are living in Oregon. And, pictures of both locations ARE in my book...

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

[ Edited by: phillip roberts 2013-02-21 19:45 ]

On 2013-02-21 19:37, Phillip Roberts wrote:
Aloha,

On 2013-02-21 17:20, bigbrotiki wrote:
You know I am not sure anymore if these were designed by Stubenberg, or by Edward Brownlee. I seem to remember that Jeff Berry told me Brownlee claimed them to be his work. But they just seem so much like Stubenberg's style. Maybe Stubenberg drew them, and Brownlee carved them? I think Brownlee is still living up North somewhere...

Have you not been reading? Edward Brownlee, CLEARLY states in his letter (as transcribed in Waikiki Tiki: Art, History and Photographs) "I carved the panels around the broiler from the 'Tahitian Lanai.'" And yes, Ed and Phyllis are living in Oregon. And, pictures of both locations ARE in my book...

There ya go! I must have had that info in the back of my mind, too. I have so much Tiki data stored up in my aging brain, I forget stuff. But as I said, maybe Stubenberg sketched them? They just seem so stylized for Brownlee. But then he was such a young and crazy artiste still at that point :) ...as can be seen in this mural he did for the Princess Kaulani Hotel:

So really, I shall rest my case, and not dabble in assumptions any longer: I say Less has his answer! :)

Aloha,

On 2013-02-21 17:20, bigbrotiki wrote:
...as can be seen in this mural he did for the Princess Kaulani Hotel:

That was at the Coco Palms on Kauai...

On 2013-02-22 06:54, bigbrotiki wrote:

On 2013-02-21 19:37, Phillip Roberts wrote:
Aloha,

On 2013-02-21 17:20, bigbrotiki wrote:
You know I am not sure anymore if these were designed by Stubenberg, or by Edward Brownlee. I seem to remember that Jeff Berry told me Brownlee claimed them to be his work. But they just seem so much like Stubenberg's style. Maybe Stubenberg drew them, and Brownlee carved them? I think Brownlee is still living up North somewhere...

Have you not been reading? Edward Brownlee, CLEARLY states in his letter (as transcribed in Waikiki Tiki: Art, History and Photographs) "I carved the panels around the broiler from the 'Tahitian Lanai.'" And yes, Ed and Phyllis are living in Oregon. And, pictures of both locations ARE in my book...

A big mahalo to Mr. Roberts - will definitely seek out the book (that link in your siggy is a start!)

And yes, Less now has her answer! :D

As the panel is up in the cafe where there is drink & food service, is kinda hard to get up closer to it (even for staff) and the piece really needs a dusting! Once I get some hot coals lit under some feet for cleaning time, I'll be doing detail shots. There is a lot of history and good memories behind this item and is a definite conversation starter with the early morning crowd. Sometimes we get staffers from HiNewsNow or the HPD who come in regularly and I catch snippets of conversations related to memories of the Tahitian (especially from older cops).

I am glad this important piece is garnering renewed interest! Please keep us updated here.

On 2013-02-22 07:24, Phillip Roberts wrote:
Aloha,

On 2013-02-21 17:20, bigbrotiki wrote:
...as can be seen in this mural he did for the Princess Kaulani Hotel:

That was at the Coco Palms on Kauai...

Well I'll be darned...then Mr. Brownlee must have confused the location in his own portfolio! :

...I do forget stuff, but I am glad I'm not totally loosing it yet :wink:

Aloha,

On 2013-02-22 14:04, bigbrotiki wrote:
I am glad this important piece is garnering renewed interest! Please keep us updated

Very strange.

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It came to me in a lot of tourist slides marked "Coco Palms." Jeff and I both spoke about IT as being there... Back to the library I suppose...

I picked up this cool little rate sheet from the Waikikian.

Wonder if this Tiki was on the grounds?
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Nice description of the grounds.

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And how about those prices!

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Back of the brochure.

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I like this logo with the Waikikian Incorporated into the building image.

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DC

Great catch on the logo, had not seen this before.

Here is a great shot of Waikiki in 1962.

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You can see the Waikikian Hotel in the foreground, with the A-frame lobby and the Lanai rooms extending to the Tahitian Lanai and the lagoon dug out by Henri Kaiser:

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On the left is the Kaiser Dome, and on the right, right behind the Waikikian, I believe I can see the original grass hut bungalows of the Hawaiian Village Hotel:

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The empty lot IN FRONT of the Waikikian is where the first real high rise hotel signaled the beginning of the change of the Honululu skyline in 1964:

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The ILIKAI Hotel

A decade later, the tropical paradise of Honululu looked like this:

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DC~ great find on the logo!

BigBro~thanks for sharing a quick history lesson, you always have an ability to add some new & interesting information!

~kele

This drink recipe was in the House Beautiful of the first post. It's a more scaled back version of Trader Vic's Tahitian Rum Punch for one.
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For sale on ebay right now.This 1963 hotel receipt from the Waikikian.

Pretty cool.

Tori Richards has a shirt for sale called the Tahitian Lanai that was inspired by the bar.

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http://www.toririchard.com/browse.cfm/tahitian-lanai/4,294.html

Nice design! But can the Tiki archeologist discern any specific patterns that are related to the place? Nothing rings a bell with me - do you see it, Nauga? It's got an authentic modern primitive vibe, yes, but for 128.- bucks....? I guess the 100 % silk and the "Mother of pearl shell buttons laser engraved and dyed to match" make it expensive.

It's Tahitian Lanai in name only, if anyone really wanted to make a shirt based on the bar they would have to include a reference to the focal point Brownlee carvings above the bar. The only stretch (and it's a huge leap of faith) I can find is the triangular patterns on the shirt that look similar to the ones on the patio of the Tiki Tower on the Waikikian Hotel and that's not even the bar. I was just happy someone still references it, albeit it's starting to get into the slippery sloop of Tahitian Lanai revisionism.

Aaaah! - That slippery slope of Tahitian Lanai revisionism! A hotbed of controversy among Tiki philosophers and scholars! We will fight any dissemination of thought from this den of iniquity! :D

I already have this in the crosshairs
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tahitian-lanai-bar-and-grill-kapaa

This is a post from a food blog where the author's aunt was once a bartender at the Tahitian Lanai. Although the restaurant is better know for its architecture It's nice seeing the tiki filled bar.
http://juanitamore.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/tutus-legendary-mai-tai/

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Tutu’s Mai Tai

1 oz dark rum
1 oz light rum
1/2 ounce Orange Curaçao
1/4 ounce rock candy (simple) syrup
Juice from one fresh lime (about 3/4 ounce)

Pour all of the ingredients except for the dark rum into a shaker with ice cubes. Shake vigorously. Strain into an old-fashioned glass half filled with ice. Top with the dark rum. Garnish with a cherry.

We lost a lot with the demise of the TL and grounds.
Whatever hotel blight is there now is nothing but a soulless moneymaker.
And yet they blame the homeless for stifling tourism in Waikiki.

Was poking around flikr and found this great slide photo from the Waikikian Gardens posted by Kamaaina 56

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The tropical plants, the lava rocks, the clam shells, the A-Frame... what a scene!

DC

A few more flikr photos of the Waikikian exterior from Kamaaina 57.

The lobby building and hotel signs.

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Tower building with that great exterior art.

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DC

I miss that great building next to the Waikikian pictured above! Glad you posted a pic I could save of it! While I'm no fan of the huge building that fills the space where this building & The Waikikian used to be, in all fairness, and to add some sort of positive note..I must say, the lagoon fronting the place beachside is in better shape & lovelier than it EVER was under the Waikikian. They did a really nice job when they redid the lagoon, or upgraded it, creating a system where fresh seawater circulates inside the lagoon, making the center island really beautiful & it's swimmable now (it was really gross to try & swim in it when I moved here in 81) & there are paddle boats now. I think it's quite a nice spot.

Paradise is a state of mind.

[ Edited by: Kaiwaza 2014-04-25 15:56 ]

On our first trip to Hawaii we of course stayed in Waikiki. On the trip from the airport we passed by the Waikikian it was a real head turner, in my case literally! My first thought was, why couldn't be staying there. We were only there a few days and I never found my way back, I wish had.

aloha, tikicoma

Great stuff, as always, DC. Thanks for the pics!

Jack Lord pointing at the Ilikai - turning his back to the Waikikian tower. A rather symbolic gesture!

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Tikis in the lobby of the Waikikian!

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DC