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Photographs of Rummel Motel sign, Las Vegas (Nev.), February 23, 2017
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Site address: 1809 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign owner: Yeh Chia-Hong
Sign details: The motel was founded by Marvin Rummel in 1945 (VintageLasVegas, n.d.), although the Clark County Assessor lists the original construction year as 1951 (Assessor, n.d.). Undated vintage postcards, one describing the motel as "new" (Rummel Motel, 1809 So. 5th St. U.S. 91 - L.A. Highway Las Vegas, Nevada original vintage postcard, n.d.) show that a two-story building was later added to the back of the motor court (VintageLasVegas). The addition may explain the discrepancy in construction dates. The Roles family purchased the property in 1958 (VintageLasVegas; Noted bowler, hotel owner dies, 2002). Ralph Roles also operated the Del Mar Motel (the Del Mar's sign, designed by Betty Willis, is now at the Neon Museum). A vintage postcard from 1958 shows that motel was endorsed by the Automobile Association of America and another automobile club (Garofalo, 2011). The motel was severely damaged by fire on April 30 2017 (VintageLasVegas; Hershkovitz, 2017) and is currently closed.
Sign condition: The condition is 2, fair. The lower portion of the cabinet is dented and access panels are damaged or missing. The upper portions of the cabinet display numerous metal patches. The plastic on the reader board has holes. The remaining neon tubing appears to be intact. All incandescent light bulbs are missing.
Sign form: Pylon sign
Sign-specific description: The sign is supported by a rectangular blue metal pylon. A blue metal-framed reader board and orange metal upper cabinet are cantilevered out from the pylon toward the street. In the center of the upper cabinet is an amoeba-shaped area which is painted black and outlined by white skeleton neon. Inside the black amoeba are individual cursive letters which spell out "Rummel Motel" in white paint traced by white skeleton neon. Atop the upper cabinet is a smaller orange metal cabinet which is wing-shaped. Above the wing is a blue metal circle. Inside the channel of the circle are six concentric circles of empty light sockets. On the outside of the circle is a semi-circular metal frame which holds five white skeleton neon five-pointed stars.
Sign - type of display: Neon, incandescent and reader board
Sign - media: Steel and plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Incandescent light bulbs and a reader board
Sign environment: This is located on Las Vegas Boulevard South just north of the Las Vegas Strip
Sign - date of installation: The current sign dates back to at least 1958, but probably is not the original motel sign. A vintage postcard shows that before the two-story addition, the motel had a simple double pole sign with the name "Rummel Motel" enclosed by an open oval (Rummel Motel, 1809 So. 5th St. U.S. 91 - L.A. Highway Las Vegas, Nevada original vintage postcard, n.d.). The colors, lettering style and oval shape of the former sign appear to have inspired the design of the sign seen in a postcard from 1958 (Garofalo, 2011). The latter sign, with heavy modification, is the sign seen on the property today. The sign as currently configured is recognizable in a postcard from the late 1950's or early 1960's (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.).
Sign - date of redesign/move: The circa 1958 sign (Garofalo, 2011) was supported by double poles. The pole on the street side of the sign can still be seen on the upper cabinet, but it no longer reaches to the ground. The pole on the motel side of the sign ran from the ground toward the center of the sign, and then doglegged inward toward the motel to support the sign from the side. That pole appears to be the same one now enclosed by the pylon. The shadow of the pole can be seen inside the current reader board, which was a later addition attached below the circa 1958 sign. Automobile club shields at the bottom of the circa 1958 sign have been removed. A black metal directional arrow pointing toward the motel from the street side of the sign has also been removed. A circular white or light yellow metal cabinet with concentric rows of incandescent lightbulbs in the interior and a semi-circle of neon stars on the exterior has been moved from the top of the former directional arrow to the top of the wing-shaped cabinet. The circa 1958 wing-shaped cabinet was flush with the street side of the sign and contained skeleton neon which advertised, "HEATED POOL". The current wing-shaped cabinet contains no neon and has been pushed to the center of the sign. The lower cabinet of the circa 1958 sign was painted orange and black, which is now all orange. The amoeba shape was painted blue and is now black. Below the amoeba were skeleton neon letters which spelled out, "NO VACANCY" and "24 HOUR ROOM SERVICE". The neon is now gone. A small black metal cabinet attached at the bottom of the sign contained what appear to be either painted or skeleton neon letters which state, "COOLED BY REFRIGERATION". That portion of the sign is now gone.
Sign - thematic influences: This sign showcases 1950's and 1960's Googie trends. This also conveys earlier motor court designs in the building and the sign.
Survey - research locations: Clark County Assessor, Parcel No. 162-03-310-007, Retrieved from http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/assessor/Pages/PropertyRecords.aspx?H=redrock&P=assrrealprop/pcl.aspx Garofalo, M. (2011 November 2). Still standing-Rummel Motel. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintageroadtrip/6304823598/ Hershkovitz, R. (2017 April 30). Fire damages vacant downtown Las Vegas motel. Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved from https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/downtown/fire-damages-vacant-downtown-las-vegas-motel/ Las Vegas motels-Then and now. (n.d.). Rummel Motel. Retrieved from http://stefanidrivesvegas.com/8.html Noted bowler, motel owner Roles dies. (2002 July 30). Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved from https://lasvegassun.com/news/2002/jul/30/noted-bowler-motel-owner-roles-dies/ RoadsideArchitecture. (n.d.) The Rummel Motel. Retrieved from http://www.roadarch.com/signs/nvvegas3.html Rummel Motel, 1809 So. 5th St. U.S. 91 - L.A. Highway Las Vegas, Nevada original vintage postcard. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Rummel-Motel-1809-So-U-S/dp/B00P9LEQCS VintageLasVegas. (n.d.). Rummel Motel. Retrieved from http://vintagelasvegas.com/post/160953547509/rummel-motel-1809-s-las-vegas-blvd-built-by
Surveyor: Mitchell Cohen
Survey - date completed: 2017-09-18
Sign keywords: Pylon; Neon; Incandescent; Reader board; Plastic; Steel
Mixed Content
Jose Leonardo Martinez oral history interview: transcript
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Oral history interview with Jose Leonardo Martinez conducted by Barbara Tabach and Nathalie Martinez on August 19 and 29, 2020 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Session 1: Jose discusses his childhood and what it was like growing up during the Salvadoran Civil War. He recounts the dangers he's faced and how he made his way to the United States after traveling through Guatemala and Mexico. Subjects discussed include: Salvadoran Civil War; Ciudad Arce, El Salvador; Guatemala; Mexico; Los Angeles, California. Session 2: Jose continues his discussion of growing up in El Salvador and the violence he witnessed in the country's army during the 1980s. He also talks about his personal life after moving to the United States and his experiences navigating gang culture in Los Angeles, California. Jose recounts his previous jobs, his schooling, how he met his wife, and his family's move to Las Vegas. Subjects discussed include: El Salvador army; gang violence.
Text
Transcript of interview with Pamela Gale by Margaret Louis, July 10, 1995
Date
Description
Text
Transcript of interview with Flora Hannig-Kellar by Michael Taylor, March 27, 1981
Date
Archival Collection
Description
On March 27th, 1981, collector Michael D. Taylor interviewed housewife Flora Hannig-Kellar (born January 24th, 1902 in Washington, Utah) in Henderson, Nevada. This interview is Flora Hannig-Kellar’s personal account on growing up in Nevada. She discusses home and family life and local social and recreational activities. During the interview Mrs. Hannig-Kellar also shares some of the poetry she wrote about Nevada and her family, specifically her children and grandchildren.
Text
Interview with John Frederick Campbell, January 14, 2005
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Text
Lisa Levine (University of Nevada Regent) oral history interview conducted by Magdalena Martinez: transcript
Date
Archival Collection
Description
From the Lincy Institute "Perspectives from the COVID-19 Pandemic" Oral History Project (MS-01178) -- Elected official interviews file.
Text
Southern Nevada Historical Society Photograph Collection on Basic Magnesium, Inc.
Identifier
Abstract
The Southern Nevada Historical Society Photograph Collection on Basic Magnesium, Inc. contains photographs of the construction of Basic Magnesium Inc.'s plants and buildings from 1941 to 1942. The photographs primarily depict aerial views of the plant site and various buildings, including the administration building, tent camp, chlorination buildings, electrolysis facilities, electrical distribution systems, and warehouses. The photographs also depict Lake Mead and the early buildings in Henderson, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Las Vegas Art Museum Records
Identifier
Abstract
The Las Vegas Art Museum Records (1952-2009) contain administrative files, press, marketing materials, and scrapbooks that document the history of the Las Vegas Art Museum (LVAM). Collection materials include exhibition files, annual reports, financial statements, board meeting agendas and minutes, event invitations, press releases, and newspaper and magazine clippings documenting the museum's activities. Materials include photographs from museum events as well as photographs of artwork displayed as part of visiting and permanent exhibitions. Audio and video recordings include interviews with museum staff and local news coverage of events. Also included are architectural floor plans for the Sahara West Library, which was used as a gallery space for LVAM. Digital files in this collection include recordings and presentation slides from LVAM lectures with curators and artists. Other digital files include photographs from LVAM events and workings files from LVAM staff.
Archival Collection
Six Companies, Inc. Hoover Dam Photograph Collection
Identifier
Abstract
The Six Companies, Inc. Hoover Dam Photograph Collection (1931-1935), consists of approximately 400 black-and-white photographic prints contained in two photograph albums and an additional twenty-one loose black-and-white photographic prints with ten corresponding photographic negatives.
Archival Collection
Robert Woodruff Photograph Collection
Identifier
Abstract
The Robert Woodruff Photograph Collection (1900s-1970s) consists of ninety-seven black-and-white photographs of locations and events in Clark County, Nevada. Locations include Las Vegas, Henderson, and Searchlight, Nevada, as well as the Hoover Dam. The majority of the images were taken between 1934 and 1962.
Archival Collection