Witco – Tiki and 60’s cool!

http://gulfcoastretro.com/default.aspx
found on gulfcoastretro.com

The first time I heard about Witco was on a discussion on a Mid-Century Facebook group about Tiki art, the name that kept coming up was Witco, with a link to this post on a Tiki Fan board:

My name is Burke Hovde (aka…The Witco Kid on www.tikicentral.com). I’m the son of Ron Hovde, one of the Witco Co-Founders and Artists with Bill Westenhaver. I grew up with Witco everywhere. Witco wallhangings and furniture are all over my parents house and our family’s cabin. Witco started out as Western International Trading Company and imported South Pacific home furnishing items like Capishell Lamps. They also were into carvings that eventually evolved into the rough cedar chain saw carved furniture and Tikis that most people know Witco for. The artwork and production plant was in Mt. Vernon,

found on http://miahunamoku.blogspot.com

Washington and they eventually sold $15 million worth of Witco products throughout the world over a 10 year run in the 1970’s. Through my Ebay Storefront at “intertrader2005” you can purchase a book on “Fun and Profitable Chainsaw Carving” that Ron Hovde and Bill Westenhaver published under their company Westho (i.e. Westenhaver/Hovde) after Witco shut down. If I can answer any other questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at hovdeinternational@hotmail.com

I couldn’t find whether they were Witco or not, but these definately remind me of the siamese cats in Pete’s apartment in Mad Men. If you’re looking to purchase some Witco, a quick search turned up some on Ebay at this store http://gulfcoastretro.com/default.aspx

There’s also a Witco Fan Club on “My Space” – and Mia Huna Moku has a nice article on “What is Witco”.

share this:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

More articles:

Retro Roadtrip: Phoenicia Lodge in the Catskills

Eight years ago, Brian and Sara, two Brooklynites, stumbled upon an old roadside lodge where the paint had faded, the floors were cracked, and most of the toilets rocked from side to side, but they were able to see the honest simplicity in the humble cabins that appealed to their desire for a simpler life. Shortly thereafter, the Phoenicia Lodge was born. The Lodge uses period-specific furniture and fixtures to marry mid-century style with modern amenities

Read More

Steel Rails and the Double Six

Legendary Route 66 is more than America’s most famous highway and its longest attraction. It is also more than a living, breathing time capsule with a soft neon glow. The old double six is also a railroad buffs paradise. From Chicago to Santa Monica vestiges from the golden age of rail travel abound. As the origins of Route 66 are firmly rooted in the railroad, it is rather fitting that the first landmark of note

Read More

Just when you thought Christmas was over…

This was spotted over on Boing Boing, but I love this idea of custom gingerbread house to look like your home! And it’s midcentury (whoopee!) I think I like this one even better than the modern one I posted before! 🙂 There’s more to the kitchen sink saga but I’ll post it later today. Sigh, the joys of home ownership.

Read More