Daytime and nighttime views of the Polo Towers signs on the Strip. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet. Site address: 3745 S Las Vegas Blvd Sign details: The Polo Towers actual facility is located behind the shopping center, further to the east. The small pylon resides outside in the very front of the property, in close proximity to Las Vegas Blvd It is surrounded with a planter and bushes, in a pedestrian environment, shadowing a seated courtyard, just to the south. The tower itself is lined on its major edges with tubes of purple neon. The tower also contains internally lit cabinets as well as polished metal treatments. Sign condition: Structure 4 Surface 3 Lighting 4 The building itself is in great shape, with the structural integrity, lighting, and surface being is good condition. The small pylon adjacent to Las Vegas Blvd is in some disrepair in all of the categories. Sign form: Pylon; Fascia Sign-specific description: The Polo Towers lies Just north of the McDonalds plaza, along with a shopping plaza out front near the street. The plaza has a different name, this is designated by the polo towers pylon facing north/south on the east side of the street. The Pylon sign for the polo towers sits in this parking lot for this plaza. The pylon consists of a double backed backlit plastic message cabinet, a color LED matrix screen, two square message boxes on either side, one diamond shaped one then the marquee and logo for the polo towers. On the bottom of the sign, on the side closest to Las Vegas Blvd, a clear plastic front, diamond shaped message center reads "polo tourist center" behind the glass. A bulb laden center pole is noticeable at the bottom along with two larger legs on either side. The text is painted in red and then overlaid with red neon. Just above that, a light blue, backlit message center, boasts a white plastic surface with purple text. Incandescent bulbs border the edges of the cabinet. Directly above this is a color LED screen. The center-pole continues up past the message center, eventually transforming into a diamond shaped cabinet. On either side of the center pole, just above the LED screen are two smaller, square, message cabinets. They too are painted the same light blue as the large cabinet, as well as possessing incandescent bulb raceways as borders. One contains the Polo Towers logo of the silhouetted horse's head, with the text "Polo Towers Tourist Center," in black and purple. The other reads text or free maps and discount show tickets. From the tops of these cabinets, two sections reach upwards following the bottom edges of the diamond created out of the center pole. These two angled sections are both striped with a repeating series of red neon along their width. The previously mentioned center pole is flat, with the face laden with incandescent bulbs. This flat front pole continues up to form a diamond, with the actual pole section running along the bottom edge of the diamond, between the neon laden angled sections, and the marquee cabinet. The continuation of the pole, extends to run along the top of the diamond, but stops short of totally enclosing it. The incandescent bulbs cover the face of the pole along this edge also. Red neon tubing runs up the edges of this centerpiece. The top cabinet, which the centerpiece seems to he holding, is also painted light blue, with a purple face, and the black horse silhouette logo for the Polo towers. Two pieces of red neon are bent to act as glowing pieces of the horse's mane. Just below the top image of the horse, "Polo Towers" is spelled, floating above the surface of the sign in purple, channel letters. Below that in purple channel letters, on the same plane, the text "& Plaza" is crafted in the same fashion. Both rows of text are filled with incandescent bulbs that oscillate. The surface of the body of the sign, excluding the cabinets, is finished in stucco and laced with the smatterings of the lavender and light blue hue found throughout the sign. The building of the Polo Towers itself has pieces of purple vertical neon running up the edges of the building in several places. The radius section on the east west faces of the tower is also lined purple across its vertical edges. Giant purple channel letters spell Polo Towers across the very top of the building's West face. On the North and South faces of the tower, the giant diamond shaped cabinets with the Polo Towers logo hang with steady confidence. At the base of the west side of the building, there is also the internally lit, diamond shaped cabinets with the horse's head, rendered in black/ the white cabinets are bordered with a hot pink colored neo, recessed behind the polished metal, to create a halo on the wall. Sign - type of display: Neon; Incandescent; Backlit Sign - media: Steel; Plastic Sign - non-neon treatments: Paint Sign animation: Chasing, flashing, oscillating Notes: The incandescent bulbs inside the text reading "Paris" on the balloon oscillate rapidly. Sign environment: The small pylon sits outside a Starbucks Coffee located in the front row of shops, surrounded with bushes. The environment is pedestrian heavy. Sign manufacturer: Federal Signal Sign - date of installation: 1985-1989 Sign - thematic influences: The theme present in the polo towers revolves around its name, and references to the sport of polo. But the only exterior images that reference the theme are the logos themselves. The sign itself is more akin to roadside pylon signs, utilizing a number of different sign techniques functions to create an interesting mix of design. The color scheme does seem to reference the time of its inception, that being the eighties. The eighties is recognized with the usage of teal, pink and gold. The brass cabinet enclosed in plexiglass, references the typical Vegas adornment. Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday Survey - date completed: 2002 Sign keywords: Chasing; Flashing; Pylon; Fascia; Neon; Incandescent; Backlit; Steel; Plastic; Paint; Oscillating
The Hialeah Motel sign sits at 1924 Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet. Site address: 1924 Fremont St Sign owner: La Jolla Development Group, LLC Sign details: The current building was constructed in 1951 (Assessor). One source states that Tinkler's Motel may have been open on the site in the 1940's (VintageVegas.com, n.d.). A vintage postcard circa late 1940's-early 1950's advertises "Tinkler's Motel Hialeah", although the sign shown in the photograph states" Tinkler's Motel" (CardCow.com, n.d.). A vintage postcard circa 1950's-early 1960's shows the current name,"Hialeah Motel" (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.). Sign condition: Condition is 3, fair. The cabinets are intact with no major rust damage. On the east side of the sign, the paint is flaking moderately on the upper arrow cabinet. On the west side, the paint is flaking severely on the upper arrow cabinet as well as the lower cabinet. Most of the incandescent light bulbs around the upper cabinet remain. All of the neon tubes are gone from both the lower and upper cabinets. Sign form: Pole sign Sign-specific description: The lower cabinet is shaped like three rectangles stacked upward in increasing size. The pole runs through the cabinet, which is cantilevered toward the street. The upper cabinet is shaped like an arrow pointed at the motel. The pole and lower cabinet are painted forest green. On the lower cabinet, hand painted sans serif letters state, "Hialeah 1924 VACANCY". The exterior of the upper arrow-shaped cabinet is painted black. The interior is white. The cabinet is channeled and holes for neon tubing are evident, but no neon remains. Yellow incandescent light bulbs outline the exterior of the cabinet. At the center of the pole on the hotel side is a horizontal pole from which a small sign may have hung previously. Sign - type of display: Incandescent light bulbs, but the sign also had neon tubing at one time. Sign - media: Steel Sign - non-neon treatments: Incandescent light bulbs Sign environment: This is located on East Fremont and has many other motels surrounding it though many of the neighboring motels are shut down. Sign - date of installation: Possibly 1940's, likely circa 1950's-1960's Sign - date of redesign/move: A vintage postcard circa late 1940's-early 1950's (CardCow.com, n.d.) shows a small sign which has either been replaced or modified over time. The sign consists of three cabinets mounted symmetrically on a pole. The lower cabinet is painted white and states, "AIR CONDITIONED" or "AIR CONDITIONER". The large central cabinet is black and states, "MOTEL". The smaller upper cabinet is painted black and advertises, "Tinkler's". A vintage postcard circa 1950's-early 1960's (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.). shows the current pole and cantilevered lower cabinet without the upper arrow-shaped cabinet. On the lower hotel side of the sign hangs a small yellow sign. Some or all of the lettering is traced with neon letters. By the late 1980's, the motel arrow had been added (VintageLasVegas.com, 2017). "MOTEL" is spelled out in red neon inside the channel of the arrow. The lower cabinet is painted green. "T.V." is spelled in black sans serif letters outlined in white. "Hialeah" is painted in white sans serif letters traced by clear neon letters. Below Hialeah is illegible clear neon, possibly "AIR CONDITIONING" or "AIR CONDITIONER". At the bottom of the lower cabinet "HAMBURGERS", "HOT DOGS" and "VACANCY" are spelled out in white san serif letters. A photograph taken sometime between the 1980's and 2008 (Jacobson, n.d.) shows the lettering on the lower cabinet simplified to the current design, except "T.V." is still painted to the left of "HIALEAH". Three yellow skeleton neon waves underline "T.V." and two more indistinguishable neon tubes of the same type sit over the "T". Some neon around "HIALEAH"in the lower cabinet and all of the neon around "MOTEL"in the upper arrow-shaped cabinet remain. By 2008, the sign had reached its current design (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.). Sign - thematic influences: Horseracing (the motel name references Hialeah Park Racetrack in Hialeah, Florida; vintage postcard shows grass and racetrack type fencing [Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.]) Sign - artistic significance: This location maintains the Horse Racing theme with their name. They also showcase 1940's (possibly), 1950's-1960's eras themes with emergence and prominence of the motor courts during those eras. Survey - research locations: CardCow.com. (n.d.). Tinler's [sic] Motel Hialeah. Retrieved from https://www.cardcow.com/281785/tinlers-motel-hialeah-las-vegas-nevada/ Clark County Assessor, parcel no. 139-35-803-004. Retrieved from http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/assessor/Pages/PropertyRecords.aspx?H=redrock&P=assrrealprop/pcl.aspx Jacobson, J. (n.d.). Hialeah Motel [private image, copyright applies]. Retrieved from http://www.pbase.com/easystreet/image/103828763 Las Vegas motels then and now. (n.d.). 15: Hialeah Motel. Retrieved from http://stefanidrivesvegas.com/2.html VintageLasVegas.com. (n.d.). Downtown Las Vegas hotels & casinos 1931-2000. Retrieved from http://vintagelasvegas.com/downtown VintageLasVegas.com. (2017 February 2). Hialeah Motel. Retrieved from http://vintagelasvegas.com/tagged/Hialeah-Motel Surveyor: Mitchell Cohen Survey - date completed: 2017-08-23 Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Steel; Pole sign; Directional
Information about the High Hat Regency that sits at 1300 S Las Vegas Blvd. Site address: 1300 S Las Vegas Blvd Sign owner: Tarighi Bahman and Farideh Sign details: The building was constructed in 1958 (Assessor). A vintage postcard from the 1950's-- or more likely the 1960's (based upon the automobiles pictured)-- shows that the business was previously named the Chevron Motel (Las Vegas motels then and now). Sign condition: Condition is 3-4, fair to good. The pole, cabinets and reader board are in good condition. Moderate rust is evident around the edges of the top cabinet. The paint is generally in good condition, although there white patches (from repairs?) on the chevron. The neon tubing is entirely intact. Most of the incandescent light bulbs are present, except for the underside of the lower cabinet, where they are completely absent. Sign form: Pole Sign Sign-specific description: A single round white metal pole supports the sign, which is cantilevered toward the street. The cabinets form a rectangular "C" which is open on the motel side. The interior of the "C" surrounds a chevron which points toward the motel. On top of the motel side of the upper cabinet is a metal top hat and cane. The sign is attached to the pole at the side of the lower cabinet, the point of the chevron and the bottom of the upper cabinet. The background color of the sign is sky blue. The bottom of the face of the lower cabinet has the word "VACANCY" painted in white sans serif letters. The letters are traced in white skeleton neon. To the left, the word "NO" is spelled out in clear skeleton neon sans serif letters. Above the neon letters is a white metal reader board which has a row of clear incandescent light bulbs running along the top, bottom and motel side edges. A single row of clear incandescent light bulbs runs the entire length of the street side of the sign. On the street side of the chevron is a blue metal cabinet with the word "MOTEL" spelled in white channel letters. The channels are outlined by white neon tubes, while the interior of the channels are filled with clear or white incandescent light bulbs. On the motel side of the "MOTEL" cabinet is a blue chevron which is covered with clear or white incandescent light bulbs. The top cabinet features the words "High Hat" spelled out in white cursive letters. Below is the word "REGENCY" painted in white sans serif letters. All wording is traced by white skeleton neon. On top of the motel side of the upper cabinet is a white top hat with a blue hat band. Running through the hat is a white cane. The hat and cane are traced by white skeleton neon. The hat is covered with white or clear incandescent light bulbs. Sign - type of display: Neon, incandescent, reader board Sign - media: Steel, plastic Sign - non-neon treatments: reader board Sign animation: Light bulbs flicker Sign environment: Las Vegas Boulevard South, north of the Las Vegas Strip near other motels and wedding chapels. Sign - date of installation: c.1950s Sign - thematic influences: Elegance, sophistication, high society, boomerang/chevron, 1950's, 1960's, mid-century Survey - research locations: Assessor's website Survey - research notes: Connolly, D. (2012 July 21). Chevron Motel. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisconnolly5059yahoocom/7635650456 Hagopian, M. (2011 January 28). No vacancy in vintage Vegas. Retrieved https://hyperallergic.com/15738/no-vacancy- vintage-vegas/ Las Vegas motels then and now. (n.d.). Chevron Motel. Retrieved from http://stefanidrivesvegas.com/8.html RoadsideArchitecture. (n.d.). High Hat Regency Motel. Retrieved from http://www.roadarch.com/signs/nvvegas.html Seltzer, D. J. (2014 June 1). High Hat Regency Motel sign in Las Vegas [Video recording]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bQdw48LVrA Survey - other remarks: A vintage postcard circa 1950's-1960's shows the Chevron Motel sign as a simple pole mounted with a reader board and two light boxes which form a "C" shape open toward the motel (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.). A later postcard features the same sign with a chevron in the center and a semi-circular arch which encloses a light ball above the upper cabinet (Connolly, 2012). The current sign retains the chevron, the metal frames of the light boxes and reader board (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.). A hat and cane have replaced the arch and light ball at the top of the sign (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.). The light boxes have been replaced with metal cabinets with incandescent and neon displays (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.). The sign is pictured in a vintage postcard circa 1950's-1960's (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.). At that time it advertised the Chevron Motel. Surveyor: Mitchell Cohen Survey - date completed: 2017-09-06 Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Steel; Plastic; Reader board; Pole sign; Flickering