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In Search of Frank Bowers… Vivian Laird's Jungle Room mural discovered !! |
bigtikidude
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 8259
From: Anaheim,Ca.
|  Posted: 2011-09-14 11:48 am Permalink
This was a reply where I forgot to quote Sven,
telling me to start doing my Own Urban Archeology,
and by the time I posted it, he had, or did it himself, deleted his post to me.
wonder why? Hmmmmm?
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I love Old school Tiki and PolyPop, and even Happa Haole music (Lucas)
Just don't have the time,money and or Patience to do the homework or Urban Archeology for it.
And admittedly I Do have ADD. So I am not the candidate for being that guy.
I appreciate and love all the Historical work you and others do here on TC. and its Sad to see some of it being ignored by the mass majority of those TCers that think that Facebook is the new Hip place to be.
I have noticed a drastic drop in amount of quality posts and replies here and on Surfguitar101, since the whole Facebook thing started.
As for this thread,
I think its great, I just wish it had more of his Polynesian Murals in it.
Is that too much to ask?
Now back to my surf/tiki crossover plot.
Jeff(btd)
[ This Message was edited by: bigtikidude 2011-09-14 21:13 ]
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Bora Boris
Mr. Unreasonable
Joined: Mar 25, 2005
Posts: 2401
From: Boogie Wonderland
| Posted: 2011-09-14 10:27 pm Permalink
This is where Frank Bowers was laid to rest along with his parents at the Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach, California. According to the very helpful caretaker his ashes were transferred here from South Pasadena in early 1965 and although there is some documentation regarding having his name put on the marker it was never followed up on and or paid for.
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Sabu The Coconut Boy
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Aug 20, 2002
Posts: 2784
From: Carson, California
| Posted: 2011-09-15 12:03 am Permalink
Nice job, Boris!
[ This Message was edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2011-09-15 00:05 ]
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JOHN-O
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: May 16, 2008
Posts: 2458
From: Dogtown, USA
| Posted: 2011-09-18 08:02 am Permalink
That shall be stop #5 on the Frank Bowers tour. 
Excellent work Boris, how'd you track that down ??
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Bora Boris
Mr. Unreasonable
Joined: Mar 25, 2005
Posts: 2401
From: Boogie Wonderland
| Posted: 2011-09-18 09:47 am Permalink
Back when you posted this "Breadcrumb" on August 3rd -
Quote:
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On 2011-08-03 08:25, JOHN-O wrote:
Frank Bowers died in 1964 in Los Angeles, Ca. , he had a short bout of Cancer that was to give him four short months, and was buried in Serra Madre, Ca. |
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I did a search for Sierra Madre Cemeteries and came across a "Find A Grave" site which gave me this -
So I dragged a friend with me and we went to Sunnyside, the cemetery is pretty big so after looking with no clue she called the caretaker who was able to point us in the right direction, he later was able to show us the paperwork, verifying that Frank had been transferred there.
I was hoping for more but I'm happy with the results.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3925
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-09-18 12:26 pm Permalink
Dang, Bora Boris that is some nice work. Tiki-Kate would be proud.
DC
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JOHN-O
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: May 16, 2008
Posts: 2458
From: Dogtown, USA
| Posted: 2011-10-02 12:14 pm Permalink
Boris,
Frank Bower's ghost told me to tell you he appreciated the Tiki and cocktail umbrella, but next time bring booze !!...
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mrsmiley
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 3153
From: Las Vegas, NV
| Posted: 2011-11-11 12:13 am Permalink
OK, East Bay folks-I have a project for you. Check out the mural at the Washington Club at 1746 Washington Ave in San Leandro. I went there once about 7 years ago (before I knew who Bowers was). Possible Bowers mural- Also , at the Dog House on San Bruno / Millbrae border at 130 El Camino there is a mural.
Note- just found an bad image of the mural. Probably not Bowers-but who knows!?!?
_________________
I'm the most thirstiesterest of all!
TRADER VIC'S, Vintage, Vegas & more on EBAY 1957SPUTNIK
http://shop.ebay.com/1957sputnik/m.html
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aquarj
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Apr 02, 2002
Posts: 1040
From: SF bay area, CA
| Posted: 2011-11-11 08:52 am Permalink
Quote:
| On 2011-11-11 00:13, mrsmiley wrote:
Also , at the Dog House on San Bruno / Millbrae border at 130 El Camino there is a mural.
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Here's a blurry, but wider, shot of the Dog House mural. This artist might be a couple pegs below Bowers. But you can't beat the theme and originality of Dogs Tending Bar! Or is it Dogs Playing Foosball?
-Randy
[ This Message was edited by: aquarj 2011-11-11 08:54 ]
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mrsmiley
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 3153
From: Las Vegas, NV
| Posted: 2011-11-15 11:42 pm Permalink
Thanks Randy! Now for the East Bay folks-I have a project for you. Check out the mural at the Washington Club at 1746 Washington Ave in San Leandro. I went there once about 7 years ago (before I knew who Bowers was). zazz!
_________________
I'm the most thirstiesterest of all!
TRADER VIC'S, Vintage, Vegas & more on EBAY 1957SPUTNIK
http://shop.ebay.com/1957sputnik/m.html
If you like it, it is ZAZZ! If you don't it is RAZZ!
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JOHN-O
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: May 16, 2008
Posts: 2458
From: Dogtown, USA
| Posted: 2011-12-12 6:34 pm Permalink
OK, I was in SF last week for work. I called the Washington Club to confirm they were still in operation before driving across to the East Bay. While on the phone I asked about the mural and whether they knew who the artist was. The bartender replied "I forget the name but it was an Asian man who was a local art instructor". 
Now I'm sure the Washington Club may be a worthy dive bar in its own right but based on that intel I decided to focus my urban archeology on the peninsula.
Here's my ground-breaking Tiki discovery...
There are no Frank Bowers murals at Smugglers Cove !! And I spent several hours there looking.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-12-13 7:35 pm Permalink
John-O, you're such a lush! Well, here is MY groundbreaking discovery -except it's not really mine, it was BORIS who discovered this previously unknown piece of Bowers ephemera, and I thank him very much!
I apologize in advance/ in retrospect if I outbid anyone on this (Sabu? John-O?), but I just had to have it:
I show most but not all pages, Bowers' style was definitely Pre-Tiki, more 30s/40s...
The animals were drawn by his wife Vicki.
And here's what WE like, the...
My favorite is actually the back cover:
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3925
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-12-13 8:46 pm Permalink
Sven,
Fantastic find! I see characters from half the Bowers murals in that how-to book. And the Ceramic Specialty reference? That needs some more investigation.
DC
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-12-17 1:40 pm Permalink
Exactly what I thought! The only thing I came up with was this brochure, in the same format than the "Here's How" one:
Unfortunately it had no info regarding Bowers, and no Polynesian designs in it either.
The only thing is that by viewing the back...
....we now know that there is a "Revised Edition" of the Bowers sketch book out there:
What puzzles me is how little the Bowers book has to do with ceramics. His style is good for tiles, maybe, but vases and bowls? Maybe. Or maybe W.R. Hardcastle and Bowers just shared a fondness for exotic women.
Perhaps some collectors of California pottery know something about "Ceramic Specialties" in Artesia.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3925
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-02-27 9:06 pm Permalink
Here is a matchbook I saw on ebay from the Casino restaurant located in Long Beach.
Looks like another Frank Bowers art job in his favorite town of Long Beach. Could be another mural location.
DC
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