Here's a fun shot of the Sahara casino. It looks so little and quaint compared to the huge monstrosities that you see in Vegas today. The Sahara opened in 1952; the 1960 film Ocean's 11 was filmed there! After 59 years, it closed on May 16, 2011.
Check out those tailfins!
Now we'll jump forward to 1968 for this shot of a crowded intersection in front of The Mint. I admit that this is more of a "people watching" image, but I love it anyway.
Now we'll jump forward to 1968 for this shot of a crowded intersection in front of The Mint. I admit that this is more of a "people watching" image, but I love it anyway.
From the same lot is this shot looking down Fremont Street toward the Golden Horseshoe. You could go see Shelley Berman (remember him in an episode of The Twilight Zone, when he makes everyone in the world vanish?) at the Pioneer Club's "Fiesta Room".
Hooray for vintage Vegas! Major, those people in the second pic look like they could have stepped out of your New Tomorrowland pic from yesterday's post.....more flowered dresses! Or is it the angle of the two shots? Wait a minute....swap out The Mint casino with the entrance to Adventure Thru Inner Space, place the Mary Blair Mural on that building across the street, and run a PeopleMover track down between the two buildings. Am I crazy? Was this the same photographer that took yesterday's pics?
ReplyDeleteWho would have thought that the most American girls in the world were not only in America but lived at The Sands hotel in Vegas.
ReplyDeleteMore rolling sculpture in the form of autos in the 1960 shot.
3rd pic - "Inside Parking"? Picture driving some late '60s boat into the casino and up to a table for some Roulette, workin' some one-arm bandits en route.
^ Er, the Sahara Hotel, home of the most American girls in the world. The girls at the Sands might've been reds! gasp
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!, yes, you are crazy! ;-) There really does seem to be a resemblance between yesterday's photos and todays, but it is purely coincidental.
ReplyDeleteChiana, the Sands hotel was famous for only hiring girls from Lichtenstein. "Inside Parking", I didn't notice that; I'll bet that was unusual in Vegas at the time.
In the 1960's, was there things to do for children? Those poor girls, stuck in their J.C. Penny-going-to-birthday-party-for-the-neighbor-girl-we-all-hate-in-these-hollywood-style-knock-offs look bored beyond belief.
ReplyDeleteToday there is tons of "family" stuff to do there, I just don't remember it being that way back then.
80% of beatiful girls live in VEGAS.
ReplyDeleteWho doesn't agree??
vintage Vegas....sooo cool!
ReplyDeleteFantastic pics Major. The best.
ReplyDeleteA few corrections. There was never a casino Downtown called the Golden Horseshoe. There was the Horseshoe, later called Binion's Horseshoe and is now called Binion's. The Fiesta Room was at the Fremont, not the Pioneer, as the Pioneer was a block up and to the left from there on the opposite corner from The Mint.
ReplyDeleteDon Rickles! Love these pics, Major. Look at all those fabulous colors. Great stuff.
ReplyDelete