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Tiki Archaeology: Moon Islander, South Titusville, Florida |
bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 7827
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
|  Posted: 2008-01-04 11:18 am
I came across this weird menu cover again in Jim Heimann's "May I Take Your Order?- American Menu Design 1920-1960" and thought that maybe some Florida Ohana know something about this place. Here is a scan from Jim's book:
This menu design looks like such a failed attempt at Tiki Modern, I find it totally baffling. What were they thinking? Dali, American indian rock art, Chinese...? Heimann describes it as "abstraction gone awry"- I say!
The caption estimates it to be from 1955, (maybe by the prices?), but I'd say it's more 60s or even 70s. Probably a Chinese Fu-joint, and the owners grandson got to design the cover.
Where the hell is South Titusville? Anybody live nearby, or ever found any evidence of the place?
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hala_kahiki
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Nov 07, 2006
Posts: 96
From: Parkland, FL
| Posted: 2008-01-05 08:35 am
I don't know anything about this place, but Titusville is about an hour east of Orlando
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TikiLaLe
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 09, 2006
Posts: 891
From: Largo, Floriduh
| Posted: 2008-01-05 10:06 am
South Titusville is north of Vaginaville
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tikipedia
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 25, 2004
Posts: 474
From: San Diego
| Posted: 2008-01-05 10:37 am
Titusville is right next to Kennedy Space Center. Back in the 1960s, during the heady days of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space projects, Titusville was a happening place. A lot of press, guests, and probably employees of KSC would stay in Titusville. A lot of hotels and restaurants popped up to support all of those visitors going to watch the mission launches.
So perhaps the name of the restaurant - Moon Islander, is a clue or tie-in to the big Apollo craze of the mid and late 1960 in Titusville.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 7827
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-01-05 12:21 pm
Quote:
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On 2008-01-05 10:37, tikipedia wrote:
So perhaps the name of the restaurant - Moon Islander, is a clue or tie-in to the big Apollo craze of the mid and late 1960 in Titusville.
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Cool! I was hoping for it to have that connotation, Space & Tiki is one of my favorite facets of Tiki Modern!
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Jeff Central
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 23, 2002
Posts: 1283
From: Columbus, Ohio
| Posted: 2008-01-05 12:47 pm
Here is a picture of my menu. It is a beautiful example of Abstract Tiki similiar to the South Seas menu in Boston.
More information on this restaurant would be nice. James has it listed in the "new" edition of Tiki Road Trip in which he states...
Moon Islander, Highway 1, Titusville, Florida
"A popular prom destination in the 1960's, they had souvenir Tiki mugs with their name on them. An unrelated woman's clothing store is using the name now."
Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 7827
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-01-05 7:15 pm
Now we're getting somewhere! James, where'd you get that info? What type of mug did they have? What does the logo of that store look like?
I do like the contrast of your menu cover better, Jeff, but the graphics are still way off. Were they trying to do Bugs Bunny in space type of stuff? That bird? And is that a space ship/UFO on the bottom? Questions, questions.
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MobileTikiBar
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Apr 11, 2006
Posts: 135
From: Orlando, FL
| Posted: 2008-01-09 6:46 pm
A google search turns up:
http://www.loansenseplus.com/industries/eating_places1.asp?spg=233
MOON ISLANDER RESTAURANT
U S HIGHWAY#1 SOUTH
TITUSVILLE FLORIDA, 32780 * SOUTHEAST BANK OF TITUSVILLE P O BOX B
TITUSVILLE FLA, 32780 * 04/27/1967
http://www.tikiroom.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=comment.ShowAllComments&g2_itemId=293&g2_page=2
someone who may have been there:
http://forums.floridatoday.com/viewtopic.php?p=331283&sid=890fc659643a6fb2c8ba7c40a6451f24
Grovian
Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007
I miss the:
Sandpoint Inn
Moon Islander
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 7827
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-01-09 7:29 pm
Good fingerwalking research, thank you.
I wonder if the Moon Islander had decor like THIS:
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FLOUNDERart
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 02, 2003
Posts: 1139
From: Orlando Florida
| Posted: 2008-01-15 06:04 am
I may have to take a road trip over there. I use to spend a lot of time in the area.
It's very run down now but I do remember some cool architecture in the area.
Is there an address on the menu?
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 7827
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-01-15 06:42 am
Flounder, good to hear from you, where've ya bin !? There is none in TRT ? Jeff actually has the menu, I just copied it from a book. Maybe you can find some ads in the local library in the yellow pages, or old newspapers.
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FLOUNDERart
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 02, 2003
Posts: 1139
From: Orlando Florida
| Posted: 2008-01-17 10:02 am
I'm so crazy busy these days that I'm having trouble making time to do the things I love.
I'll try to get over there soon. Maybe I can get Kailuageoff to tag along.
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GROG
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Jun 21, 2006
Posts: 4344
From: Tujunga
| Posted: 2008-01-17 12:20 pm
Part of your menu was covered up Bigbro, but judging by Jeff Centrals cover GROG would say that the artist was using "implied line". By showing part of an object, the artist leaves the viewer to fill in the rest of the object in his/her imagination. So GROG quickly fill in GROG version to show what GROG beleieve the artist was implying with the art. GROG believe it's a full bodied wooden tiki with a headdress holding either a paddle or a war club with a woodpecker pecking into the wood of the tiki. But, that's just GROG's guess. All artwork is open to interpretation.
[ This Message was edited by: GROG 2008-01-17 18:35 ]
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 7827
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-01-17 7:26 pm
Hmmm, very nice! Facial reconstruction and post-mortem illustration techniques might prove helpful in Tiki archeology!
I am quite certain though that the artist was inspired by abstract, modern, surrealist art like this Dali lamp:
I think back in the 60s "modern art" and "Space" were all associated with "weird", and that was the concept for the cover....a space alien Tiki portrait. A naive tribal Dali Tiki.
Kinda like this "mask" that you all know from the chapter index of Tiki Modern:
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Jeff Central
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 23, 2002
Posts: 1283
From: Columbus, Ohio
| Posted: 2008-01-18 07:40 am
Hey Bigbro,
Where did you get that picture of me?
That's usually what I look like when listening to my turntable sewing machine. I believe I was listening to Nurse With Wound's "Steel Dream March of the Metal Men" when this snapshot was taken. 
Nice artwork Grog!! That actually looks pretty good!!
Cheers and Mahalo you crazies!!! 
Jeff
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