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Desert Inn Country Club family album, page 01

Description

Printed text about the Desert Inn Country Club. The paragraph reads: "'A Beacon of Welcome.' This motto of Wilbur Clark's Desert Inn in the early 1950s is apropos even today. The years have been kind to us. Sure, we're a little older, but who can forget those glorious seasons? The Desert Inn and Country Club is the brightest beacon in Las Vegas as a club that offers the finest golf course and community fellowship. The PGA and LPGA recognizes the Desert Inn Country Club as a playland for some of its greatest innovative tournaments. On April 23-26, 1953, the most prestigious golf event in the world was inaugurated on this spanking-new course - the Tournament of Champions. Its unique format of allowing only winners of the PGA Tour compete made the Tournament of Champions an instantaneous success. For 16 years it flourished as Las Vegas' sports headliner. But the Desert Inn Country Club has remained in the golf limelight by staging brilliant, exciting events as regular stop on the LPGA Tour. The Country Club has been the scene of gala festivities since that first T-of-C. Let's reminisce... Our first social affair was featured in the Skyroom of the hotel on January 25, 1957. Membership in the club was closed that evening with 194 Las Vegas men and women holding membership cards. Today we number 275. Although the clubhouse was not to be completed until the latter part of March, with the formal opening scheduled in April, sketches of the building were displayed at the gathering. Allard Roen, club president, officiated at that first meeting, the purpose of which to acquaint members with the policies of the club. Introductions went to Moe Dalitz; Mrs. Helen (Jack) Doyle, president of the Women's Golf Association; and Merv Adelson, director and handicap chairman of the Men's Golf Association. Remember the awards ceremony? That was Mrs. Carmen Colahan and Jim Henderson who presented the trophies to Myron Friedman and Mrs. Roen for their victories in the 1956 men's and women's championship flight divisions. Mrs. Rose (Bill) Holler, winner of numerous tournaments to follow and honored by having an event named after her, was the woman's first-flight winner. A full-page account of our first social function was carried in the Las Vegas Sun, resplendent with pictures. An accompanying article said the new clubhouse "will feature a variety of facilities, among which will be a TV room, dining room, card room, a grill and a lounge." Through the years we have formulated friendships, renewed acquaintances and cemented relationships at numerous festivities in the Country Club and grill room, a popular gathering place to hash things over. We have celebrated and shared our moments at New Year's Eve parties, Grand Balls, Halloween parties, Easter egg hunts, Mexican Fiestas, installation ceremonies and at many other functions. This evening is something special, too. For tonight we honor the 25 presidents of the Desert Inn Country Club who helped formulate and host these wonderful occasions. As we celebrate this Silver Anniversary of our club, let's reflect on the past. Our Family Album captures many of those fine moments. Yes, the years have been kind to us. Some of our friends are gone. But who can forget the nice times we had together? Ah, memories...

The Dunes Hotel tower under construction: photographic film

Date

1960 (year approximate) to 1986 (year approximate)

Description

A view of the Dunes Hotel tower under construction. The famous sultan statue is visible in the foreground. The marquee is visible in the background advertising "Now in the Persian Room Vive Les Girls French Stage Spectacular 8:30 pm, 11:30 pm, 1:15 am" and "Persian Room All new direct from Paris Vive Les Girls! Produced by Danny Costello Star of the Ed Sullivan Show". The Dunes, which was themed after the Arabian Nights stories, opened on May 23, 1955 with 200 hotel rooms, located in several two-story buildings. From the time of its opening, the Dunes was known for the 35 foot tall fiberglass sultan statue that stood above its main entrance. In 1961, a 24-story, 250-room hotel tower, known as Diamond of the Dunes, was added to the northern part of the property, bringing the total number of rooms to 450. At the top of the tower was the Top O' the Strip restaurant and lounge. The tower was the tallest building in the state at the time. In 1979, the South Tower was added, expanding the hotel to 1300 rooms. A second casino in a separate, round building on the site opened in 1983 under the name Oasis Casino at The Dunes. In 1985, the sultan statue was moved to the golf course during renovations, and later caught fire, reportedly due to an electrical short. On November 17, 1992, the Dunes was sold to Wynn's company, Mirage Resorts, Inc., for $75 million. On January 26, 1993, the Dunes closed its doors for good. Steve Wynn bought the Dunes and started the redevelopment trend with the demolition of the 32-year-old North Tower. On October 27, 1993, the Dunes was demolished in a grand ceremony that involved major fireworks displays and the use of several "cannon blasts" from the English ship 'HMS Britannia' of Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. The 15-year-old South Tower was demolished 9 months later in July 1994, with no fanfare and minimal media attention. The Bellagio now stands in its place. The property is located at 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89109.

Image

neo000104-001

Description

Sign animation: Chasing, flashing, oscillating
Notes: The logo cabinets which adorn the entrances on the elevated walkways: The letters start with both rows of text in the off position. The top row flashes on, while the bottom row is dark then the bottom row illuminates, as the top row goes dark. Once the top row flashes off it flashes back on so that both rows of text are briefly illuminated simultaneously before they both go dark and the sequence stars over again. While this is going on the incandescent bulbs which line all of the raceways are chasing each other from left to right on the horizontal planes, while the arched sections chase each other downward. The triangular peaks which radiate around the top of the logo sign, flash on and off in a sequence which chase each other downward. First the top center peak flashes on, then the next sequential triangular channel on both sides illuminate simultaneously, flash off, then the next two in the series illuminate. The resultant effect is a chasing pattern starting from the top. The sister animation is located on almost the exact same design on the porte cochere. I would think the previous smaller sign would be based on the larger porte cochere. The other variance besides obvious size difference is the that the channel letters are filled with incandescent bulbs instead of neon. The animation is a bit simpler as well. The incandescent bulbs oscillate continuously while the triangular pan channels which create the radiating crown, animate. The neon in the channels chase each other as described in the smaller walk way version, while the text continues until the entire text flashes off, then on, off, then begin to animate once again. All of the bulbs, which line the raceways of the exterior edge of the porte cochere, as well as the encrustation of bulbs on the brass bull nose portion, animate in rapid succession. All the raceway bulbs chase each other while the bulbs on the brass portion continually oscillate. Animation continues on the east face of the building with the entrances first. The principle for these two signs is oscillation and chasing. All bulbs on the underside of the entrance, as well as in the logo, oscillate rapidly. All bulbs on the raceways chase each other. Further on the surface of the building as well, the Pepsi cola wall sign is found displaying a very unique form of animation, seen here on the strip. The signage for the Pepsi ad is located on the eastern wall. (Detailed in specific description) The Incandescent bulbs which fill the inside of the text that spells Pepsi, chase each other from left to right, leaving all the bulbs in its path illuminated, as if writing out the word Pepsi. The neon bars located within the tilted bottle of Pepsi are illuminated, and chase each other downward, leaving the bars it its path dark. As this sequence in taking place, the waving tubes of neon illuminate, flashed subtly making the neon appear as soda pouring out of the bottle. As the tubing flows then the vertical neon bars in the cup illuminate one at a time making the cup appear as if it is filling up. The text above each of the painted fires head, flashes back and forth as if talking to each other as well. ESPN ZONE animation: The letters in the vertical blade portion of the ESPN Zone illuminate one at a time, starting from the top. Once the entire phrase is lit, in flashes off then on then off, before restating. The orange and red neon tubing which resides inside the pan channels that represent flames flash on and off in a relaxed manner as if to animate the flickering of the flames. The small incandescent bulbs on the black portions above the main matrix reader board flash on and off subtly.
Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Video screen