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Vintage Tiki Found: Photo from the Hawaiian Cottage, Cherry Hill NJ, 1963
Posted on November 15th, 2009 15 comments
- The Hawaiian Cottage, 1963. On left, Charlie & Sabina Pinto. On right, Charlie Porco & Connie Petroni (Porco)
While looking through some of my old man’s old junk, I found a treasure that I forgot existed. A photo of my Mother, Father, Aunt and Uncle taken at the world-famous Hawaiian Cottage back in the golden era of Tiki Bars, 1963. This was one of those photos where a cute girl would go table to table snapping pix, and have them framed and ready for you when the floor show was over and you were ready to split.
The Hawaiian Cottage was built in the late 1930’s, and featured dining rooms and a gift shop under unique coconut and pineapple roofs, Pacific island decor, and nightly entertainment. As the brochure promised, “you receive the impression of actually being in Hawaii.”
You gotta admit, from the hairstyles to the clothes, this photo just reeks of the 60’s. Unfortunately for us, the Hawaiian Cottage met the same demise as so many of our favorite destination…it burnt down in 1978, taking 40 years of history with it. From what I hear there’s a useless, cookie-cutter chain restaurant on the site now. Maybe someday things will change for the better, and when the cookie cutters burn down, they’ll build more Tiki Bars. (Well I can dream, can’t I?)
- The Hawaiian Cottage, 1963
- Back of Hawaiian Cottage Photo Frame
- Inside flap of Hawaiian Cottage Photo Frame
- Post Card, Hawaiian Cottage Dining Room
Thank you to Mod Betty at Retro Roadmap for turning us on to this Hawaiian Cottage T-shirt available at Vintage Roadside. Very kool fellas!
History, Personal Stories, Tiki Talk cocktails, Hawaiian Cottage, new jersey, NJ, retro, tiki bar, tiki blog, tiki lounge, vintage photo15 responses to “Vintage Tiki Found: Photo from the Hawaiian Cottage, Cherry Hill NJ, 1963”
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The Cherry Hill Historical Commission is collecting information and artifacts from the Hawaiian Cottage. If you would care to donate please contact me.
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Hi Jerry, that’s a great thing you’re doing but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to part with this heirloom. I can send you a high-res PDF though, if you’d like to reproduce it. Just let me know.
-Tiki Chris -
David Fritz January 5th, 2011 at 18:52
Dude, you had some chic looking parents there! Looking swanky and having a great time, clearly.
Do you know if this place had a house band, à la The Kahiki’s Beach Comber Trio? Restaurants sometimes would put out vinyl records as a souvenir of your visit there - wonder if the Cottage had one at some point? -
Oh, they were true Philadelphia hipsters, living the life we can only dream about. I’ll have to look at the photo folder to see if there is any additional info on the place and the bands.
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Thats fabulous. Wish I had one in my neighborhood. And I LOVE the pinapple dome thingy!! WOW.
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It certainly was a one-of-a-kind Tiki Bar.
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Hi Tracy, isn’t it great when you come across and old photo like that? Man, this place was jumpin’ back in the day. Shame it burned down. Luckily there are still a few joints like this left in the world…the Mai Kai in Ft. Lauderdale being one. One of my favorite places.
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I have a photo of my grandparents, my parents and I (a baby in a high chair) at the Hawaiian Cottage in 1966 or 1967. I found it at my grandmother’s house when she passed away. I had no idea where it was taken until a cousin from NJ saw the photo. It looks like it was a pretty cool place.
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I love that picture. Looks like such a cool joint. Cheers!
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They have some really kool threads at Vintage Roadside!
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The cool folks at Vintage Roadside have just made the Hawaiian Cottage into their latest tee shirt- I think it’s pretty cool!
https://www3074.ssldomain.com/vintageroadside/ProductDetail.aspx?ID=67&Cat=60
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I love the big hair days! My wife did big hair, too. Of course, the big hair of the 1980’s did look a bit different.
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I think they all look like 60’s movie stars in this photo. Back in the days when people dressed to the nines and a night out was a really big deal!
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Capt. Steve November 15th, 2009 at 18:26
That is a great picture!
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K9RADIOTIKI November 15th, 2009 at 13:38
That is a fantastic picture! I miss the old haunts in the NY & NJ area.
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jerry thompson April 14th, 2011 at 20:14