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
With a snowstorm hitting us here in Denver, I thought it might be fun to search for 1950’s Storm photos – here’s a great one I ran across on the Ohio History Site. From the site: “The Thanksgiving snowstorm of 1950 was the deepest in Ohio’s history. Nearly the entire state had over 10 inches and most communities in the eastern half of Ohio measured 20 to 30 inches of snow during this storm. As
This weekend we had issue #4 with our semi- brand new kitchen. First it was the microwave, then the refrigerator, then the sink, and NOW the dishwasher. Luckily it turns out you have to clean the bottom of the dishwasher out ocassionally (hee hee) – who knew! So, it’s fine. However, I’m beginning to think that kitchens have a 7 year old lifespan. And you wonder why I love retro? On that subject (loving retro),
It’s a bit hard to see, but we have cool curved walls into each of the windows and terra cotta window sills (I think they’re terra cotta). Unfortunately we also have plastic storm windows, bleck! However, they’re better than no storm windows at all! On the subject of windows, we’re taking off the bars on our lower back side of our house (pictures to come later). I got particularly freaked out by the fire safety
Mid-century design isn’t just about interiors; it also extends to outdoor spaces with striking landscaping styles that marry function, simplicity, and natural beauty. Drawing inspiration from the 1940s to 1960s, today’s mid-century landscaping trends blend timeless features with contemporary updates to create harmonious and inviting outdoor spaces. Here are the top trendy mid-century landscaping styles gaining popularity right now. Geometric HardscapingMid-century landscaping is characterized by clean, geometric lines that complement the home’s architecture.What’s Trending: Modern
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
