The old stamp mill, location unknown. A stamp mill (or stamp battery or stamping mill) is a type of mill machine that crushes material by pounding rather than grinding, either for further processing or for extraction of metallic ores. Breaking material down is a type of unit operation. A stamp mill consists of a set of heavy steel (iron-shod wood in some cases) stamps, loosely held vertically in a frame, in which the stamps can slide up and down. They are lifted by cams on a horizontal rotating shaft. On modern mills, the cam is arranged to lift the stamp from the side, so that it causes the stamp to rotate. This evens the wear on the shoe at the foot of the stamp. As the cam moves from under the stamp, the stamp falls onto the ore below, crushing the rock, and the lifting process is repeated at the next pass of the cam. Each one frame and stamp set is sometimes called a "battery" or, confusingly, a "stamp" and mills are sometimes categorized by how many stamps they have, i.e. a "10 stamp mill" has 10 sets. They usually are arranged linearly, but when a mill is enlarged, a new line of them may be constructed rather than extending the line. Abandoned mill sites (as documented by industrial archaeologists) will usually have linear rows of foundation sets as their most prominent visible feature as the overall apparatus can exceed 20 feet in height, requiring large foundations. Stamps are usually arranged in sets of five. Some ore processing applications used large quantities of water so some stamp mills are located near natural or artificial bodies of water. For example, the Redridge Steel Dam was built to supply stamp mills with process water.

The now permanently closed Mermaids Casino sits at 32 Fremont Street at the Fremont Street Experience. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survery Data Sheet.
Site address: 32 Fremont St
Sign owner: Derek and Greg Stevens
Sign details: Shutdown in 2016, opened briefly June 28th, 2017 for 8 hours to abide by gambling license law, was torn down shortly after. 2.76 acre lot, originally built in 1949.
Sign condition: Signage was removed from building during deconstruction
Sign form: Decorated shed
Sign-specific description: Covering all the sides of the Mermaids facing Fremont street, gives the feel of New Orleans during Mardi Gras with its bright vibrant colors, drums, maracas, and other items. Skeleton neon was used to accentuate features of the sign like details in the drums, outlining the word "Mermaids", and a good portion of the sign was internally lit as well. Giant TV screen hung in the middle at the corner of the building, giant Sun shaped pinata thing above the TV screen adding more to the theme.
Sign - type of display: Neon, LED screen
Sign - media: Steel and fiberglass
Sign - non-neon treatments: LED screen
Sign animation: Animated with an LED TV screen and some neon would flash on and off
Sign environment: Downtown on Fremont Street, part of the Experience. Surrounded by other casinos and gift stores.
Sign - date of installation: c. 1999
Sign - date of redesign/move: Torn down Summer 2017
Sign - thematic influences: Southern party themed, Mardi Gras.
Sign - artistic significance: American South and Mardi Gras.
Survey - research locations: Vital Vegas, Assessor's website
Surveyor: Danny Jacobs
Survey - date completed: 2017-09-09
Sign keywords: Neon; Steel; Fiberglass; Flashing; Video screen; Sculptural

The sign for the Par-A-Dice Motel sits near an empty lot at 2217 Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet.
Site address: 2217 Fremont St
Sign owner: Bartsas Mary 14 LLC
Sign details: A .77 acres vacant lot, only sign remains. The property was consumed by fire in the mid-1990s.
Sign condition: 2 - Bad condition, graffiti all over, parts fallen off, reader board smashed in, paint chipping off, holes all over structure especially the bottom, more than likely does not light up.
Sign form: Back to Back pole sign
Sign-specific description: Pole sign with reader board as primary portion of sign, top of frame for reader board has a pair of dice with a 4 and 3 side showing. Dice painted red as is traditional style for casinos, surrounded by skeleton neon tubing. "Pair A Dice" is painted in white with skeleton neon tubing outlining the wording. Reader board with cut out letters still used. Tiny bubble protruding from the bottom reads "Entrance Office" also painted in white and outlined with neon tubing. Address is painted on support pole.
Sign - type of display: Neon
Sign - media: Steel and Plastic
Sign environment: Surrounded by other motels, some commercial and residential
Sign manufacturer: No external markings for sign company or designer
Sign - date of installation: Unknown - but not the original from 1953.
Sign - date of redesign/move: Motel originally had a rooftop sign topped with a pair of large dice.
Sign - thematic influences: Casino themed, a popular theme in the 50s for Fremont Street area motels
Survey - research locations: www.roadarch.com, assessor's website
Surveyor: Danny Jacobs
Survey - date completed: 2017-08-12
Sign keywords: Neon; Steel; Plastic; Pole sign; Reader board; Back to back

Photos show Paris signs during the day and at night. Two surveys were conducted to gather information about this sign. One was conducted in 2002 and one was conducted in 2017. PDFs are available for both surveys. See the 2017 survey PDF for additional information that is not included in the object description.
Site name: Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
Site address: 3655 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign owner: Park Place Entertainment
Sign details: The Paris property lies on the east side of Las Vegas Blvd, between the Aladdin and Bally's. The three properties stretch from Harmon Avenue, all the way to Flamingo Rd. The only real neon signage includes the text seen on top of the replica of the Eiffel Tower, and a three-dimensional balloon shaped pylon sign located at the south end of the property.
Sign condition: Structure 5 Surface 5 Lighting 5
Sign form: Pylon; Fascia; Porte-cochère
Sign-specific description: Leaving the Aladdin property, headed north you are immediately confronted with the giant hot-air balloon, which acts as the main marquis sign for the Paris Hotel and Casino. The three-dimensional balloon shape sits among trimmed shrubbery and foliage, representational of a classic French garden. The sign is located on an island with a long driveway on its north side running east into the property. It towers high above the viewer, almost appearing as if it is floating. In the spirit of properties like the Aladdin and the Excalibur, the facade of the resort is modeled after a theme, which is the French City of Paris. Complete with fountains, replica street fronts and markets, the main focal point is a life size replica of the Eiffel Tower. Some signage is located high up on the tower, in yellow channel letters. The sign reads "Eiffel Tower Restaurant." The three-dimensional sculpted pylon sign is composed of basically three pieces. At the very bottom, a large post holds up the second section of a large cube. All four sides of the cube are occupied by square, advertising screens. The two facing east/west are back lit color plastic, while the ones facing north/south are LCD screens. The cube is finished in stucco, with sculptural treatments along all of the edges of the cubes. The edges are made to look like giant ropes with knots on all eight corners. The sign is located on the East Side of the strip, yet the only directional orientations are on the cube that the balloon sits on. The spherical structure is an exterior frame with blue vinyl material stretched to form the balloon shape. Steel framework also runs around the circumference in six different places along the structure. On the north and south sides Paris is spelled in red channel letters, filled with incandescent bulbs and bordered in neon. The blue vinyl material is treated with graphic painted images, which are repeated around the circumference of the balloon. The images are of lion heads holding red sashes, above golden eagles. On the middle section an image of a woman's face is surrounded by a golden halo. The yellow structural supports, which are visible on the exterior, also house tubes of neon. The resulting effect is a repeating pattern of neon running up the length of the structure, with horizontal bands around the bottom of the structure, below the channel letters and above them also. A criss-cross pattern adorns the two bands below the text, as well as a scalloped pattern above the text also. The porte cochere is a circular drive with the only lighting being incandescent bulbs running along the raceways, which create the structure of the interior. The structure is finished in a patina bronze, made to look oxidized.
Sign - type of display: Neon; Incandescent
Sign - media: Steel; Plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Graphics; Paint
Sign animation: Chasing, flashing, oscillating
Notes: The incandescent bulbs inside the text reading "Paris" on the balloon oscillate rapidly.
Sign environment: Located between Bally's and the Aladdin, two heavily frequented and boisterous properties themselves, the Paris fits nicely creating it's own environment that stands alone when entered. If a pedestrian is present among the stunning architecture, it is easy to be pulled into the theme. Even though the Bellagio is west across the street, the expanse of the street keep the Paris far enough away to be mostly independent, that is of course if the Bellagio's water show is not being displayed. The surrounding properties of Bally's, the Aladdin, and The Bellagio make the area of Las Vegas Blvd between Harmon Ave. and Flamingo rd. a fantastic world stylized cities and dazzling imagery, yet an interesting mix of architecture and signage.
Sign designer: Architect/consultant: Bergman, Walls & Youngblood Ltd. Contractor: Perini Building
Sign - date of installation: 1997
Sign - thematic influences: The Paris Hotel Casino is obviously themed after the actual French city of Paris. The entire facade represents the Parisian atmosphere containing the most famous of Parisian attractions including the Eiffel Tower, the Arch de Triumph, open air cafes, plazas utilizing fountains, and the ornate architecture that spans from gothic to neo classical. The Paris fits into the themed hotel casino industry seamlessly, actually boasting one of the more ornate and unique facades. Other properties that parallel the Paris in style and genre include the Aladdin, the Venetian, and the New York New York. In fact it fits into the category of Hotel/Casino whose theme is what dominates the aesthetic surroundings as well as operation inside and out. Other facilities contain elements of a theme, such as the Stardust, but the interior and exterior are no longer the dominant aspect of the aesthetics. It also fits into the category of resorts themed after actual cities.
Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday
Survey - date completed: 2002
Sign keywords: Chasing; Flashing; Oscillating; Pylon; Fascia; Porte-cochère; Neon; Incandescent; Steel; Plastic; Paint; Graphics