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Tiki Archeology-The Trade Winds-Oxnard, Ca (Image Heavy) |
Surfinannie
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Dec 13, 2004
Posts: 16
From: Annie Ellis
|  Posted: 2006-07-02 9:00 pm Permalink
My late father, Richard M. Ellis, spent a year of his life, starting in 1962, decorating and carving all the Tikis for the Tradewinds Restaurant, at Wagon Wheel Junction, Oxnard for Martin V. Smith. more info. to follow.
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DA90027
Member
Joined: Jul 12, 2006
Posts: 1
From: Derek Anthony
| Posted: 2006-07-12 4:01 pm Permalink
My DAD took me to the Trade Winds numerous times in the late 60's and early 70's. They had a rain forest inside that continuously sprayed water onto tropical plants. They also had the best Polynesian floor show I've ever seen with female and male dancers and great bands that also played rock & roll. Awesome place I will never forget it even though I was only 8 to 12 years old when I went there.
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Ojaitimo
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 04, 2006
Posts: 1283 | Posted: 2006-08-04 3:30 pm Permalink
Wow,
I just joined today and found this post. I have my mothers book with lot's of Trade Winds info from it's opening day. I will scan and post what I can. This was always my favorite place she designed and the inspiration for my own Tiki bar I am building.
Tim Ojaitimo
[ This Message was edited by: Ojaitimo 2006-08-07 08:28 ]
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Ojaitimo
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 04, 2006
Posts: 1283 | Posted: 2006-08-05 9:33 pm Permalink
Here is a picture of my mother Ione with the artist prior to the Trade Winds opening. Is this your father Annie?
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Ojaitimo
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 04, 2006
Posts: 1283 | Posted: 2006-08-05 9:35 pm Permalink
( correction: not the Trade Winds after all, see the bottom photo). this was the recreation room at the Royal Palms Park in Oxnard ,Ca 1962 or 1963)
[ This Message was edited by: Ojaitimo 2006-08-07 08:21 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Ojaitimo 2006-08-07 08:28 ]
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dogbytes
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 2240
From: seattle, wa
| Posted: 2006-08-05 10:30 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2006-08-04 15:30, Ojaitimo wrote:
Wow,
I just joined today and found this post. I have my mothers book with lot's of Trade Winds info from it;s opening day. I will scan and post what I can. This was always my favorite place she designed and the inspiration for my own Tiki bar I am building.
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hey tim, did you find TC on a search for Tradewinds? i cant wait for more photos and history.. what other places did your mom design? and please post pics of your own bar too!
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Humuhumu
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 3536
From: San Francisco
| Posted: 2006-08-05 10:36 pm Permalink
Ojaitimo, welcome to Tiki Central! I'm dying to hear more. Babble on a bit about your mother (who was lovely, by the way), share whatever pictures & stories you can. What aspect of the design was she responsible for? Where there other Polynesian places she designed?
_________________
Critiki - Ooga-Mooga - Humu Kon Tiki
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Ojaitimo
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 04, 2006
Posts: 1283 | Posted: 2006-08-05 11:32 pm Permalink
I found Tiki Central while doing a search for my own bar and came across the Trade Wind's thread by chance. She did a number of restuarants as the designer such as the Lobster Trap and the Ole for Martin V Smith who also built the Trade Wind's in the mid sixties, she collaberated with Richard Ellis who was the Tiki artist and someone from 20th Century Film whose name escapes me. This was my favorite place she was the designer for. I remember going to a large property yard in LA where she would look for items to use at the Trade Wind's. It had a boat and rickshaw among some of the items that came from the yard. I have some pictures and articles about the Trade Winds that I will scan and post soon. This was her only Tiki project but the Lobster Trap which is still open in Oxnard, has some of the flavor or it did back then.
My brother Michael C Mc Millen followed in her footsteps and does installation art for various museums around the world. If you do a google search for him or Red Trailer Motel you'll see what I mean.
[ This Message was edited by: Ojaitimo 2006-08-05 23:38 ]
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Ojaitimo
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 04, 2006
Posts: 1283 | Posted: 2006-08-06 12:10 am Permalink
Here is a scan of the rear menu from the Trade Wind's
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Sabu The Coconut Boy
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Aug 20, 2002
Posts: 2784
From: Carson, California
| Posted: 2006-08-06 12:12 am Permalink
Ojaitimo,
Thanks for finding us and posting that fantastic photo and info about your mother. One of the things we like best about TC is the forum it provides for history and photos of the old tiki bars and restaurants. Always great to get another piece of the puzzle filled in. Look forward to seeing more of your photos and memorabilia. Thanks again.
Sabu
_________________
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2006-08-06 09:23 am Permalink
In your picture, your mom is holding a Witco-made "Female G'nomie", and standing next to it, from the same manufacturer, we see a "Boy Puppet". I don't think the guy next to her is Annie's Dad, maybe the pic is not from the Tradewinds. If Richard Ellis spent a year carving there, there would have been no need for Witco, it was considered sub-par by the more sophisticated Southern Cal carvers. But maybe she mixed and matched.
The place with the yard where she got her decor could have been Oceanic Arts in Whittier, because Rich Ellis worked with them, but the boat makes it sound more like Trader Luke in San Pedro...or Sea & Jungle in Glendale, or Benson's, then in Long Beach ?
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Ojaitimo
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 04, 2006
Posts: 1283 | Posted: 2006-08-06 7:35 pm Permalink
Trade Winds images
img]http://tikiroom.com/img/5344x44fba1fb.jpg[/img]
You were right Bigbrotiki, that picture was taken at another Tiki project at the Royal Palms.
(This is the recreation room at the Royal Palms in Oxnard. On the right wall are the Witcos seen in the photo above.)
[ This Message was edited by: Ojaitimo 2006-09-04 06:35 ]
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2006-08-07 03:01 am Permalink
"...Rick Ellis...since early 1963 he has created a family of some 50 figures like nothing ever seen before in Ventura County..."
I bet! To imagine that. And where are they now! How could they all disappear! Sigh.
There is a postcard out there of that above mentioned raised platform called the Tiki Temple. Sounds a bit grander than it is, can someone post it?...or wait, it's actually the same then the (better) photo of the Samoa Hut that Bongofury posted on the previous page.
Tim, do you have any more info/pics about the Royal Palms? I would love to use that picture of your mom and the statues for my new book. Images of contemporary 60s people and Witco together are hard to find.
[ This Message was edited by: bigbrotiki 2006-08-07 03:20 ]
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Ojaitimo
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 04, 2006
Posts: 1283 | Posted: 2006-08-07 08:16 am Permalink
I'm sure I do somewhere. I'll start digging tonight. I also plan to visit Martha Smith, Martin Smiths widow, I will ask to scan some of Buds pictures of which there are probably hundreds that she has stored somewhere hopefully. I would love to provide anything I can for your book Bigbrotiki.
[ This Message was edited by: Ojaitimo 2006-09-01 16:55 ]
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2006-08-07 10:49 am Permalink
Cool! Even if these places and their artifacts have been destroyed and forgotten, photos and clips like the ones in this thread will make them come alive again for posterity. People that were involved in them back then usually don't know about the revival of interest in the subject, and the next generation has to make the connection.
Thank you for your research, Tim.
I will p.m. you on how to forward me the Witco photo, check under "personal messages" above, you will have to sign in to read them.
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