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Photographs of Tod Motor Motel sign, Las Vegas (Nev.), February 28, 2017
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Site address: 1508 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign owner: Ron and Carol Tadmor; Herb Sider
Sign details: Opened in 1962, the Tod Motor Motel was an exciting contribution to Las Vegas Boulevard. However, hard financial times and changing environments altered the motel scene after several years of being open. After a period of crime, new owners renovated the hotel from top to bottom: new facade, carpet, and furnishings. In 2005 ownership changed again and the new owners sought to expand the property. The neighboring properties, however, refused to sell and the owner of Tod tried to get approval to sell units as condos. The Tod Motor Motel has since closed and entrance is boarded up.
Sign condition: About 4-5, appears to have relatively low damage, if any
Sign form: Street pylon and porte cochere near front office
Sign-specific description: Green V-shape with "Tod motor Motel" in orange block letters overlaid, metal pole protruding atop "o" in "Tod" with red, outline sphere attached.
Sign - type of display: Neon
Sign - media: Steel
Sign - non-neon treatments: Blue, metal lettering placed on side and front of hotel, spells out "Tod Motor Motel," large painted flowers on side and front near blue lettering; pink, diamond-shaped railing along exterior
Sign environment: On the north end of the strip near the base of the Stratosphere, neighboring Dino's Lounge.
Sign - date of installation: 1962
Sign - date of redesign/move: Remodeled after new ownership, sometime in the mid-2000's.
Sign - thematic influences: Design and patterns similar to South Beach (Miami) hotels, tropical element. Also this sign has remnants of the 50's/60's motorist theme.
Survey - research locations: Assessor's page, Las Vegas Sun article https://lasvegassun.com/news/2007/mar/30/new-life-for-tod/ , Las Vegas Weekly video https://lasvegasweekly.com/photos/galleries/2008/may/22/tod-motor-motel/#/0
Surveyor: Carlyle Constantino
Survey - date completed: 2017-07-13
Sign keywords: Neon; Steel; Pole sign; Incandescent; Back to back; Backlit; Cantilever construction; Directional
Mixed Content
Northern Nevada Neon Photograph Collection
Identifier
Abstract
The Northern Nevada Neon Photograph Collection (1913-2010) is comprised of photographs of neon signs located mainly in northern Nevada cities and towns, including Elko, Ely, Carson City, Hawthorne, Reno, and Winnemucca. The collection consists of both digitized and born-digital photographs from multiple institutions and were gathered as part of a joint grant project.
Archival Collection
Alderman, Israel "Icepick Willie"
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Schafer, Bill
Bill Schafer is an active member of the Las Vegas, Nevada lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. He worked at the Las Vegas Bugle and served as managing editor throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Subsequently, he was also involved with the Las Vegas Night Beat, another LGBTQ publication in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has a female impersonator identity known as Wilhelmina Parsons. He was ordained as a minister by the Universal Life Church under his given name and as Wilhelmina Parsons.
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