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Hawaiian/Tiki Hotel Postcard Art |
Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4252
From: Santa Barbara, CA
|  Posted: 2011-11-10 6:12 pm Permalink
The Hawaiian and Tiki hotels and motels of the 1950s and 1960s had this great tradition of commissioning a cool water color painting showing an artist view of the hotel grounds. These paintings were then reproduced as postcards available to the hotel guests.
I have collected quite a few of these over the years and added some of them to the individual hotel threads here on TC. I thought it would be nice to put these little pieces of art together in one thread so that more could be added as they surface.
Lets start with the Hawaiian islands. Many of these look be be done by the same artist but few of the postcards have the artist name on them.
A classic, the Kanaapali Hotel in Mauai
The Outrigger Hotel at Waikiki Beach.
The Keauhou Beach Hotel
The Kona Hilton
The Naniloa
Switching styles a little, the Kauai Surf
The Breakers
A more modern looking Sheraton Maui Hotel
Slightly off topic, the Lihue Shopping Center
An interesting one from the Kalakauan in Waikiki with interior/exterior renderings.
The Waikiki Outrigger
And The Fijian, not Hawaii but still cool looking.
Next installment will hit some mainland Tiki hotel/motels.
DC
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WaikikianMoeKele
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 25, 2008
Posts: 474
From: West Leroy, Pennsylvania
| Posted: 2011-11-10 8:33 pm Permalink
DC,
let us not forget the Waikikian...
Really looking forward to your next posting.
~kele
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aquarj
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Apr 02, 2002
Posts: 1076
From: SF bay area, CA
| Posted: 2011-11-10 9:03 pm Permalink
Great stuff DC!
FWIW, this is actually another example where you and Sabu are "on the same page". He started a very similar topic a long time ago. It'd be great if the two were merged, but in any case, unfortunately the older thread has almost no active image links anymore.
Anyway, these are fantastic images. I really dig the Kauai Surf - it looks so familiar, but somehow I don't remember it. The Kalakauan one is cool too. Thanks,
-Randy
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4252
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-11-11 6:01 pm Permalink
Kele,
I was saving the Waikikian post for you!
Randy,
Breaks my heart to see the missing photos on that thread. I have it on my list to update that one someday.
Now, onto some mainland Tiki motel postcard art. Not quite as dramatic as the Hawaiian images, but still great.
First up the great looking Aku Aku in California.
The Aku Tiki in Florida.
The Hanalei Hotel in San Diego in its old glory.
Del Webbs Ocean House in San Diego.
Great card from the Makai in Florida.
And a Holiday Inn in Virginia Beach that sported some A-Frame elements.
DC
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11107
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-11-11 6:44 pm Permalink
Lovely! Interesting to see the Aku Tiki Inn went BEYOND the rendering with their sign. Usually the reality is scaled down from the rendering.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4252
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-11-15 12:40 pm Permalink
Any one up for a little coast-to-coast Tiki road trip from California to Florida with Poly Pop hotels, motels and restaurants along the way?
Starting on the west coast at the Waikiki Motel next to Disneyland.
With a quick day-trip to Adventureland.
Then over to the Beverly Hills Hilton for dinner at Trader Vic's.
Next its off to Palm Springs for a stay at the Tropics motel.
Heading east, a quick overnight stop at the Tropics motel in Blythe.
On to Arizona where we hit the famous Kon Tiki motel in Phoenix.
Another night in Phoenix at the Samoan Village motel.
Texas is a long drive, lets spend the night at the Trade Winds motel in Amarillo.
Working our way east for a few days in Myrtle Beach. Starting with the Hawaiian Village motel.
Next up is the Hawaii Kai motel.
One more night in Myrtle Beach at the Polynesian Motel.
Finally make it to Florida. First night stay is at the Royal Hawaiian in Daytona Beach.
Then a quick hop down to the Islander Beach Lodge at New Smyrna Beach.
Continuing south to the Palm Beach Hawaiian in Palm Beach.
Might as well stop for dinner at the South Pacific Restaurant in Hallandale (Hollywood) on our way south.
Since we made it this far, how about a quick boat ride to Havana, Cuba, where we stay at the Habana Hilton.
And have dinner at Trader Vic's.
Back to the States for a fitting end to the trip - a celebration at the Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale.
You really could have had a fun road trip back in the day!
DC
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hiltiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 10, 2004
Posts: 3081
From: Reseda, calif.
| Posted: 2011-11-15 1:38 pm Permalink
Excellent work as always DC, I love that post card from Palm Beach Hawaiian, want to stay there.
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Phillip Roberts
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 09, 2003
Posts: 1593
From: OAHU/Seattle
| Posted: 2011-11-16 9:20 pm Permalink
aloha,
Yes what she said! Hey DC check out the Waikiki Tiki official thread for some neat pics of the Matson Navigation Waikiki Ticket Office with Brownlee carvings.
_________________
Waikiki Tiki; Art, History, and Photographs.
Available now from Bess Press Hawaii.
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Bongo Bungalow
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 20, 2007
Posts: 1272
From: Indiana
| Posted: 2011-11-17 02:36 am Permalink
A most enjoyable journey DC! Thanks.
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Sophista-tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 13, 2005
Posts: 1707
From: Seattle WA
| Posted: 2011-11-21 08:18 am Permalink
my favorite thread
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4252
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-11-22 1:14 pm Permalink
Glad you all enjoyed that trip to the mainland, now back to the Islands and a few more little artistic gems.
The Pacific Beach Hotel on Kalakaua Ave in Waikiki
The Kalia Hotel in Waikiki across the street from the Hawaiian Village Hotel.
The Maui Surf Hotel (some pretty cool looking hut structures on this one).
And the Maui Hilton.
It's too bad we don't see this kind of travel art tradition anymore.
DC
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abstractiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 604
From: Lodi, CA
| Posted: 2011-11-22 8:18 pm Permalink
It just dawned on me that it looks like most all of these postcards were painted while the artist was sitting in a hot air balloon or something. For every postcard I would bet that there is or was a photograph that matches it. Photographers probably went up in planes, cranes or helicopters to get the pics then artists painted from the pics. The only other way would be to paint while looking at an architects scale model.
Does any one have any info on how these were done?
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Wayfarer
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 03, 2009
Posts: 300
From: Italy, but not by choice
| Posted: 2011-12-23 01:18 am Permalink
Are there any cards of the Queen Kapiolani in Waikiki? I stayed there once in 2004, run down now but I bet it was a looker back in the 1960's.
_________________
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4252
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-05-07 5:20 pm Permalink
Have not seen a card from the Queen Kapiolani. But here are a few more little gems.
The White Sands Hotel.
The Surf Rider Hotel. Love the seen on Waikiki Beach with all of the action and Diamond Head in the background.
Found these images online of the Princess Kualani.
Check out the room views!
Makes you want to jump on a jet and head to the Islands.
DC
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4252
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-10-17 3:47 pm Permalink
A new find. I scored a few oversized postcards from the Hawaii Kai residential development at Nana Moana.
Developed by the Kaiser Hawaii Kai development Co.
Amazing looking place.
DC
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