I interrupt this hiatus for an important news bulletin: Vladimir Tretchikoff, painter of the iconic "Chinese Girl" (AKA Green Lady), the best-selling art print in history, has passed away at age 92. Here's an excellent bio of the man, written by, of all people, spoon-bending psychic, Uri Geller.

Tretchikoff's Green Lady was a fixture on the walls of many a space-age bachelor pad and cocktail lounge in the 1960s, and it can be seen in the 1966 film, Alfie. It enjoyed a resurgence in popularity during the 1990s, thanks to the Cocktail Nation movement.

Godspeed, you Green Kitsch Emperor!

Posted by MrBaliHai at 7:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

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Check out this excellent Tiki Central thread on Disneyland's now-defunct Tahitian Terrance Restaurant for lots of great imagery like the beautifully-designed menu shown above. Although I've been to Disneyland at least 30 times, I only went to this place once in the late 1970s, when it was well into its decline. As I recall, the Polynesian floorshow was a lot of fun, but the food was the typical sort of warmed-over and bland Disney fare, served on cheap plasticware with microwave covers on top, that you seem to get at all the park's "better" restaurants. Blech.

P.S. Today is International Tiki Day, when hundreds, if not thousands, of folks all over the globe raise their mugs on high to celebrate Thor Heyerdahl and crew's landing of the Kon-Tiki in Polynesia, way back in 1947. He actually came ashore on August 7th, but I guess no one wanted to get too blasted on a Monday.

Posted by MrBaliHai at 7:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

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Ward-O-Matic uploaded this great menu from the old Hawaiian Room in New York to the Polynesian Pop Flickr group, of which I am also a member. You can view my images at my Flickr photostream, or in my gallery of Vintage Hawaiiana.

Posted by MrBaliHai at 5:55 PM | Permalink

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Madame Comrade Humuhumu and I urge all right-thinking cadres of the Tiki Revolution to smash the “Gang of Parrotheads” and popularize the urban-archaeological experience of mid-century Polynesiana!

Remember, there is not a second to be lost in preparing to strengthen opposition against the onslaught of Party City. Learn from Sven Kirsten, border warrior always faithful to Chairman Vic.

Posted by MrBaliHai at 9:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I blame the Trannyhunes.

Ganked from TC

Posted by MrBaliHai at 3:59 PM | Permalink