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US Motel Neon Survey document, August 13, 2017

Date

2017-08-13

Description

Information about the US Motel sign that sits at 2500 Fremont St.
Site address: 2500 Fremont St
Sign owner: Catish T C 2006 Liv, Tr - Kootish & Chalung Trs
Sign details: 0.65 acre lot original constructed in 1954
Sign condition: 4 - decent condition, some rust, broken neon stars, repainted July 2017 by owners, some sun damage on reader board.
Sign form: Architectural sign (ontop of building) single sided
Sign-specific description: The architectural sign that is perched on top of the building is single sided except for the reader board that gives more info on the motel, details of reader board is painted on. Half of reader board is painted - the right side is left unpainted. Pole sign has the word "Motel" reading up and down surrounded by skeleton neon tubing, with the word ".U.S." on top of the pole with stars as the dots, skeletal neon on that as well. US MOTEL is only one sides where as the reader board is double sided. At night the word "MOTEL" would light up red with white neon outlining each letter. The stars around the U and S at the top would glow bright yellow, the "U" and "S" would glow with blue circles (unknown if neon or colored bulbs) with a yellow outline. The stars next to the word "MOTEL" light up a pale blue outline.
Sign - type of display: Neon and possible incandescent
Sign - media: Steel and plastic
Sign environment: Motel is surrounded by other motels, stores and restaurants.
Sign - date of installation: c. 1955
Sign - date of redesign/move: Repaint July 2017
Sign - thematic influences: Patriotic
Survey - research locations: Motel site, assessor's office website
Survey - research notes: Approached owner behind front desk, he was unsure of origin of the sign, nor what company he had repaint the sign.
Surveyor: Danny Jacobs
Survey - date completed: 2017-08-13
Sign keywords: Architectural; Neon; Incandescent; Steel; Plastic; Reader board; Pole sign; Roof Sign

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Valley Motel Neon Survey document, October 1, 2017

Date

2017-10-01

Description

Information about the Valley Motel sign that sits at 1313 E Fremont St.
Site address: 1313 E Fremont St
Sign details: This location was around in 1957 with a Vegas Vic Sign (picture found on Vintage Vegas). Their original sign was still up in the 1980's. Currently the motel is gated up and has been shut down for a while and most of their sign is gone.
Sign condition: 1- most of it is gone
Sign form: Roadside sign
Sign-specific description: This sign in current years before it was totally stripped had the "VALLEY MOTEL" on a blue plastic sign that stated Vegas Motel. Though now all that is left is the reader board portion. The original sign that was up in the 50's had Vegas Vic on it.
Sign - type of display: Reader Board and Plastic backlit sign
Sign - media: Steel and plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Reader board and plastic
Sign environment: This location is down on the east side of Fremont Street near Maryland Pkwy. This location has many other older motels down close to it.
Sign - date of redesign/move: Sign must have changed from the older one to the reader board one in 90's or early 2000's, and in 2016 was when the lettering on the sign was taken down.
Sign - thematic influences: The old sign had Vegas Vic was staying true to the downtown 1950's Vegas neon design and theme.
Survey - research locations: Vintage Las Vegas website http://vintagelasvegas.com/search/Valley+Motel , Google maps satellite and roadside view. Could not find information on the assessor's page.
Survey - research notes: Vintage Las Vegas had pictures of the original sign with the address which helped since I could not find the Valley Motel on the Assessor's page. Then google maps roadside view helped with seeing the change in the condition of the sign. Now the only part of the sign left is the reader board portion of the sign.
Surveyor: Emily Fellmer
Survey - date completed: 2017-10-01
Sign keywords: Plastic; Backlit; Steel; Reader board; Roadside

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Photographs of Las Vegas Library sign, Las Vegas (Nev.), March 3, 2017

Date

2017-03-03
2017-08-04

Description

The Las Vegas Library sign sits at 833 North Las Vegas Boulevard. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet.
Site address: 833 N Las Vegas Blvd
Sign owner: City of Las Vegas is the owner of the property since 2015, but it is an Independent government agency ran by a board of trustees chosen by the city and county
Sign details: Opened since 1990. Used to be paired with the Lied Children's Discovery Museum but has been solely the library since the Children's Discovery museum moved to its new location in 2013. The Library property was sold to the city of Las Vegas October 2015.
Sign condition: 4-Lights up very brightly at night and the graphics are still relatively visible during the day, but the Lexan covering makes it a little cloudy looking during the day.
Sign form: Small rectangular roadside sign
Sign-specific description: Rectangular sign about 4ft by 3.5 feet but raised off the ground by nearly 7-8 feet. Double sided slate of concrete with painted font stating "Las Vegas Library". The letter light up red (neon) at night and the border of the sign is blue (argon)
Sign - type of display: Neon
Sign - media: Concrete
Sign - non-neon treatments: Lexan to cover the Neon tubing
Sign environment: Across the street from Cashman Field. Located in the Cultural Corridor about a mile north of Fremont St. near the beginning of North Las Vegas.
Sign manufacturer: Fluresco Lighting and Sign
Sign - date of installation: 43143
Sign - date of redesign/move: Pre 2012- there was a roadside sign for the children's museum and library but no neon features on that sign.
Sign - thematic influences: Basic skeletal neon, but great use of Neon and Argon. Also the use of concrete as the background is very interesting and not seen as commonly as steel or wood backings for signs.
Sign - artistic significance: This sign shows that any type of company or property here in Las Vegas can have a Neon sign, thus perpetuating the culture of Las Vegas and how Neon defines the town.
Survey - research locations: Las Vegas Sun Article https://lasvegassun.com/guides/about/public_libraries/ , Clark County Library website http://www.lvccld.org/about/branch_info.cfm?id=4 , Discovery Children's museum website https://www.discoverykidslv.org/ , contact with Stephen Rice the Library's General Services Director
Survey - research notes: The building is defined by the tall cylinder tower that used to be an observatory for the Children's museum.
Surveyor: Emily Fellmer
Survey - date completed: 2017-08-04
Sign keywords: Neon; Concrete; Roadside

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Photographs of The Ambassador Motel sign, Las Vegas (Nev.), April 28, 2016

Date

2016-04-28 to 2017-08-14

Description

The Ambassador sign, restored by Downtown Project sits at a parking lot near the intersection of 9th Street and East Fremont Street. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survery Data Sheet.
Site address: 9th St and Fremont St
Sign owner: Jackie Gaughan(ca.1952)
Sign details: Opened ca. 1940 by Joseph Mikulich but was called Ambassador Auto Court, Jackie Gaughan renamed it in 1952 as "Jackie Gaughan's Ambassador East". This location closed down in 1996 and was demolished 2007. Currently this location holds a parking lot, but the sign was restored in 2013 and put back in its original location.
Sign condition: 5- Was recently restored and is in great condition.
Sign form: Pylon
Sign-specific description: The building has been demolished, the sign has been restored and put on Fremont street. It is large red signage with a googie style "A" on top that looks like an arch. Vertically are the letters " MOTEL" in red neon. In a ribbon fashion around the letters are chasing incandescent light bulbs. In smaller white letters used to say "Ambassador Motel East" but now it states "Llamas stay for free" in a cursive white neon font. Beneath the letters is a reader board.
Sign - type of display: Neon, Incandescents and backlit reader board.
Sign - media: Steel and plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Reader board and Incandescents.
Sign animation: Chasing
Notes: incandescent light bulbs.
Sign environment: This is located East side of Fremont Street across the street from Atomic Liquors.
Sign - date of installation: Circa 1950
Sign - date of redesign/move: 2013 Restoration
Sign - thematic influences: This sign has been a part of the recent trend to restore old signs on Fremont Street to keep the downtown neon culture alive.
Sign - artistic significance: This sign has a retro 50's/ 60's motel sign trend to it.
Survey - research locations: Las Vegas Sun Article -https://lasvegassun.com/news/2013/jun/21/joe-downtown-motel-long-gone-ambassador-sign-being/ Classic Vegas website -http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/classic-las-vegas-blog/2007/12/19/the-ambassador-east.html Vintage Las Vegas Website -http://vintagelasvegas.com/search/Ambassador+Motel+
Surveyor: Wyatt Currie-Diamond
Survey - date completed: 2017-09-17
Sign keywords: Pylon; Neon; Incandescent; Backlit; Chasing; Steel; Plastic; Reader board; Back to back

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Photographs of ABC Stores sign, Las Vegas (Nev.), March 3, 2017

Date

2017-03-03
2017-09-01

Description

The ABC Stores sign sits at 23 East Fremont Street inside the Fremont Street Experience. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Sheet.
Site address: 23 Fremont St
Sign owner: Sidney and Minnie Kosasa
Sign details: The idea of the ABC stores originated in Hawaii with their first store opening in Waikiki in 1964 as a traveler convenience store selling groceries, cosmetics and souvenirs. The company now has location here in Las Vegas as well as Guam and Saipan. The owners wanted a name that everyone could remember so they named it ABC. The building that houses this ABC Store on Fremont was originally constructed in 1940. The property opened as the ABC Stores in November of 2001.
Sign condition: 5- relatively new and in good condition.
Sign form: Flat bullnose sign, though nearly a canopy sign
Sign-specific description: Above their entrance are big silver plumes that are all lined with chasing incandescent. At night these plumes look like a iridescent pearl color. There is one big plume in the middle and two on either side of the big one. On the middle plume there is a blade sign stating "ABC (vertically) Stores (horizontally)" which is also lined in incandescent on the roadside portion of the sign. The blade portion is a backlit plastic sign. Above the silver plumes is "ABC STORES" in channeled block font letters. These letters are outlined in blue neon (argon) and have gold colored incandescent that are flashing.
Sign - type of display: Neon, incandescents and backlit plastic signs
Sign - media: Plastic and steel
Sign - non-neon treatments: Neon, incandescents and backlit plastic signs
Sign animation: Chaser for the incandescents on the plumes and flasher on the incandescents in the ABC letters above the plumes.
Sign environment: This property is on Fremont in between Main and First Street. To the east would be the site of the old Famous Pioneer Club and La Bayou was to the west, but has been torn down in the past year. Across the street was the Glitter Gulch.
Sign manufacturer: YESCO
Sign - date of installation: 2001
Sign - thematic influences: The plumes that this location has look very similar to the 1970's Raul Rodriguez Flamingo feathers.
Sign - artistic significance: Could be reminiscent of the 1970's Flamingo Feathers designed by Raul Rodriguez. Though it is also remnant of the old showgirl outfits with their plumes and big feathery outfits.
Survey - research locations: ABC website http://www.abcstores.com/about/ , Acessor's Page, contact with Lovella Joy C. Romulando the Assistant Property manager.
Surveyor: Emily Fellmer
Survey - date completed: 2017-09-01
Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Backlit; Plastic; Steel; Chasing; Flashing; Bullnose

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Photographs of Smashed Pig sign, Las Vegas (Nev.), June 28, 2017

Date

2017-06-28
2017-08-22

Description

The sign for The Smashed Pig sits at 509 Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Sheet.
Site address: 509 Fremont St
Sign owner: Martin Swift
Sign details: The original construction year of this building dates to 1952. Previous to the Smashed Pig opening in this location it was a tattoo parlor. This English Gastropub opened in 2015.
Sign condition: 4.5- but some neon may be needing a repair on the sign but still is in good quality.
Sign form: Entrance sign
Sign-specific description: Right above their entrance they have a rectangular steel backing with "The Smashed Pig" in white cursive letters, there is skeletal neon making these words illuminate pink at night time. Underneath this states "GASTROPUB" in print skeletal neon that whites up white. Above this rectangular sign is a plastic back lit sign pig which depicts alcohol laying on top of it.
Sign - type of display: Neon and backlit plastic sign
Sign - media: Plastic and steel
Sign - non-neon treatments: Plastic back lit sign
Sign environment: Located in the East Fremont District. To the East of this property is the Griffin, and to the West is Flippin Good Burgers.
Sign manufacturer: Las Vegas Signs
Sign - date of installation: Late 2015
Sign - thematic influences: The pig sign that they have above their entrance looks smashed, the slang term for drunk especially since they depict bottles of alcohol sitting upon the pig. Though the pig looks physically smashed down. This helps relate to their theme since the image they depicts the name of their property.
Sign - artistic significance: The theme is represented in the name and the sign since it is a gastropub where you can drink and eat good food.
Survey - research locations: Smashed Pig website _https://www.thesmashedpig.com/ , Eater Las Vegas https://vegas.eater.com/2015/3/24/8281761/first-word-the-smashed-pig-gastropub-to-fremont-street, Las Vegas Weekly https://lasvegasweekly.com/dining/reviews/2016/feb/10/smashed-pig-british-pub-fremont-street-downtown/#/0 , discussion with owner
Survey - research notes: On the Smashed Pig website they state that the definition of their gastropub is a pub that specializes in serving high quality food.
Survey - other remarks: Martin Swift and his late wife Linda Rodriguez opened this location in 2015 after being trained by renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa as well as opening the Hachi restaurant at the Red Rock.
Surveyor: Emily Fellmer
Survey - date completed: 2017-08-22
Sign keywords: Neon; Plastic; Backlit; Steel; Fascia; Building-front design

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Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino Neon Survey document, September 8, 2017

Date

2017-09-08

Description

Information about the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino sign that sits at 129 E Fremont St.
Site name: Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Site address: 129 E Fremont St
Sign owner: Landry's INC
Sign details: This location opened in 1946 by Guy McAfee, a vice captain with the LAPD. It was bought by Steve Wynn in 1973 and remodeled in 1984.
Sign condition: 5- their sign has stayed in good condition since its installation
Sign form: Architectural
Sign-specific description: Their original concept was an old west cowboy theme and design with a Gold rush inspiration. Steve Wynn remodeled for a modest, modern design to the building almost abandoning the original design and theme. Currently there are many logos of "GOLDEN NUGGET" channeled letters containing incandescent light bulbs that have some exterior skeletal neon surrounding the letters. There are also LED lights surrounding most of the top of the first floor of the building. Also above the entrances there is a satin-like metallic gold material.
Sign - type of display: Incandescent, LED and some neon
Sign - media: Steel
Sign - non-neon treatments: Metallic gold material above entrances
Sign animation: Flashing Incandescent light bulbs
Sign environment: Located Downtown Las Vegas in the hearth of the Fremont Street Experience, across from Binion's and the Four Queens.
Sign manufacturer: AD-ART(1988)
Sign - date of installation: 1988
Sign - date of redesign/move: Mid 1980's Steve Wynn remodeled from the YESCO Kermit Wayne 1961 design to the current facade is installed between 1984-87
Sign - thematic influences: The Gold coloring in the lights and the metallic section of the sign above their entrance showcase their modern twist on their old theme.
Survey - research locations: Ad Art contact, Charles Banard's The Magic Sign, Neon Museum tour outline , Vintage Vegas Website http://vintagelasvegas.com/search/Golden+Nugget
Surveyor: Wyatt Currie-Diamond
Survey - date completed: 2017-09-08
Sign keywords: Architectural; Incandescent; LED; Neon; Steel; Flashing

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Poker Palace Neon Survey document, August 23, 2017

Date

2017-08-23

Description

Information about the Poker Palace sign that sits at 2757 N Las Vegas Blvd.
Site address: 2757 N Las Vegas Blvd
Sign owner: Marvin and Laura Coleman
Sign details: This location opened 1974 with a castle theme. This location is also claimed as a locals casino. In 2015 their main pylon roadside sign caught on fire, but it was recently replaced.
Sign condition: 4- the signs that were not in the fire are still in relatively good condition
Sign form: Two pylons and architectural sign
Sign-specific description: The building itself has many different neon signs on it mostly red neon. Also the buildings architecture matches the palace theme. There are two pylon signs the first one states "Poker Palace Bingo" in channeled neon letters, then below is a reader board. The second pylon is just north a little of the first one, this is the one that caught on fire in 2015. After the fire the beam bases of the sign remained. This sign has "Poker Palace Casino" in red channeled letters.
Sign - type of display: Neon and incandescent
Sign - media: Steel and plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Reader board
Sign animation: Flasher for incandescent light bulbs.
Sign environment: This is located in North Las Vegas in a residential area and by a few other small businesses.
Sign - date of installation: Late 2015/ early 2016 for new pylon sign, others look to be older
Sign - date of redesign/move: 2015 pylon sign went up in flames and was destroyed, then replaced
Sign - thematic influences: The building looks like a palace which goes with their names and theme. Also their signs showcases similar shapes to the building.
Survey - research locations: Poker Palace website http://pokerpalace.net/History.html , Images of sign , Review Journal article https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/nlv-casino-marquee-fire-sends-up-plume-visible-for-miles/
Surveyor: Wyatt Currie-Diamond
Survey - date completed: 2017-08-23
Sign keywords: Architectural; Neon; Incandescent; Steel; Plastic; Flashing; Reader board; Pylon; Fascia

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Transcript of interview with Sharon Maurer-Schwartz and Edna Rice by Barbara Tabach, February 1, 2016

Date

2016-02-01

Description

Born in 1939, Sharon Maurer-Schwartz’s life experiences have traversed a groundbreaking era: she’s a female, Jewish and a married to a Protestant lesbian. This oral history reveals what it has been like for her as she explored her Judaism and recognized her personal identity. Her Judaic foundation began in the Reconstructionist movement in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has never wavered from her religious identity, though she has belonged to various types of synagogues. She and Ande (Edna) Rice, who also participates in this interview, were legally married in California in 2008, but have been together since the 1980s. They raised Sharon’s daughter Julie, pursued careers and moved to Las Vegas in 1999. Ande is a Protestant and the topic of blended religious couples is discussed. Sharon is devoted to her life coaching business – Growth Unlimited – and to helping others.

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