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Urban Archeology Quandary: Reveal the Contents of a Closed Tiki Environ Or Not?

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I have pics of a Tiki environ that has been more or less closed for years. It's a commercial property but the Tiki part of it is no longer used.

It's hardly the lost interior of the Polynesian but it's a very nice example from the Golden Age of Tiki.

I'd like to post the pics, but there's a chance some lurking dealer will go to the owners, whisper dollar signs in their ears, and remove all the Tiki and destroy something that's kinda pristine.

On the other hand the place is never going to be open to the general public and will just sit there until it's torn down or burns down or is remodeled and all the goodies are heaped up on dumpster.

I personally don't want any of the contents.

It seems the best I can do is find someone who could photograph it and have them request to do so from the owners. I could also reveal the images to people I know who could give the contents good homes and they could approach the owners.

This is of course assuming the owners would even want to bother with selling anything. And it's possible the place has already been razed. My photos were not taken yesterday.

So any serious thoughts?

Maybe you should contact the owners, explain the historical significance and ask them if they would like your help in finding buyers who would appreciate and preserve the stuff.

Find an entrepreneur who has the money to actually revive the place as is !?
Yeah, right...

From my point of view, the photo-documenting is the right idea. And the dollar sign in the eyes danger is very real (see what happened to the contents of the Chin Tiki), and so is the looting by Tiki maniacs. But there are also examples of places having been kept a secret and then having closed and all the artifacts vanished without ONE Tikiphile getting a chance to give the stuff a good home. A real conundrum, and I appreciate that you A.) are aware of the pitfalls, and B.) are going public on TC with it.

What I do in a situation like this is pick ethically responsible and financially capable members of the Tiki community in the area, inform them about the place and its sanctified, taboo status, possibly taking them on a tour, just in order to help secure the place's artifacts when its time comes. I have had good experiences with that so far, with no competition or jealousy spoiling it for everyone.

Pages: 1 2 replies