Tiki Mug Design
Idle Hour Barrel Mug
in 16 collections
This is a mug shaped like the Idle Hour building, which is, itself, shaped like a barrel in front and a bulldog in back. This mug is an official part of the Sven Kirsten collection. The design turnarounds and renderings were set up by the Pizz and the mug itself is marked on the bottom as a tribute to his memory. The Idle Hour was first erected in the 1940s at the dawn of Southern California's car culture. Businesses eager to appeal to potential customers driving by put up structures shaped like animals, hats, food anything but buildings. In the 1970s, Idle Hour was converted into a flamenco bar called La Cana that included a dance stage inside. The owner closed it in the 1980s. A cultural-monument designation saved the barrel from demolition. Years later, using old black-and-white photos as a guide, Idle Hour was restored to what the building looked like in the 1940s. The back patio holds another example of L.A.'s rich architectural past: a replica of the Bulldog Cafe, which sold tamales and ice cream on Washington Boulevard until the early 1960s. The Petersen Automotive Museum had been displaying the cigar-chomping canine, but when the museum underwent an extensive car-centric remodel, the replica went up for purchase and was integrated into the Idle Hour design.