The Cornerstone Ceremony at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Photographed as part of the UNLV Special Collections and Archives' Building Las Vegas collecting initiative started in 2016. This photo series documents ongoing construction work at the Resorts World Las Vegas site.

Photographed as part of the UNLV Special Collections and Archives' Building Las Vegas collecting initiative started in 2016. This photo series documents ongoing construction work at the Resorts World Las Vegas site.

Photographed as part of the UNLV Special Collections and Archives' Building Las Vegas collecting initiative started in 2016. This photo series documents ongoing construction work at the Resorts World Las Vegas site.

The world famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada" sign sits at 5200 South Las Vegas Boulevard. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet.
Site name: Welcome to Las Vegas neon sign
Site address: 5200 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign owner: YESCO
Sign details: The sign was originally installed 1959, quickly became an iconic sign for Las Vegas. Betty Willis never trademarked the sign. Betty Willis died at 91 in 2015. Betty Willis also designed the Moulin Rouge and Blue Angel Motel signs. The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign is on the National Register of Historic Places. This is a 25 foot sign which is considered smaller than a lot of the other signs in Las Vegas.
Sign condition: 5, Taken care of by YESCO and Clark County
Sign form: Pylon
Sign-specific description: The base of this sign is a blue rectangle outline. The main portion of the sign is a white rhombus shape. Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas written in red and blue on a translucent white background. The word "Welcome" is spelled in red skeletal neon on Silver Coins with each letter on its own coin. On the back of the sign it states Drive Safely Come back Soon. This plastic portion of the sign is surrounded by incandescent light bulbs. On the top left portion of the sign where the blue base of the sign comes out of the top of the sign is the famous red star that is outlined in neon.
Sign - type of display: Incandescent, Neon and back lit plastic.
Sign - media: Steel and plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Plastic back lit portion
Sign animation: Chaser for Incandescent light bulbs on the border of the sign.
Sign environment: This sign is in the median of Las Vegas Blvd. near the South most end of the Strip. This location has Mandalay Bay to the west of it and the airport to the east.
Sign manufacturer: Western Neon
Sign designer: Betty Willis
Sign - date of installation: 1959
Sign - date of redesign/move: Mid 2000s redesign of the median to accommodate parking for visitors.
Sign - thematic influences: This sign is designed in the Googie style. This sign also has symbolism with the words Welcome, as each letter is on a silver coin to represent Nevada as the Silver State.
Sign - artistic significance: One of the most Significant signs for Las Vegas. It is easily recognizable and ingrained as part of Las Vegas culture.
Survey - research locations: Las Vegas Sun article https://lasvegassun.com/news/2009/may/21/fabulous-las-vegas-sign-garners-historic-designati/ , Vegas website https://www.vegas.com/attractions/on-the-strip/welcome-las-vegas-sign/ http://www.lasvegaswhereto.com/welcome-las-vegas-sign/ Neon Museum Tour outline , Vintage Vegas http://vintagelasvegas.com/search/welcome+to+fabulous+las+vegas
Surveyor: Wyatt Currie-Diamond
Survey - date completed: 2017-09-09
Sign keywords: Chasing; Plastic; Backlit; Steel; Incandescent; Neon; Pylon

Tourists cross Las Vegas Boulevard from the Mirage to Harrah's Hotel and Casinos. Pedestrian overpasses have become a popular way of keeping tourists safe and traffic flowing on the Strip, but their expense and footprint make them difficult for all locations. Moving pedestrians along the Strip safely has become a major effort over the years.

The Las Vegas Hostel sign sits at 1322 East Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Sheet.
Site address: 1322 E Fremont St
Sign owner: Downtown Lodging LLC
Sign details: This building was originally constructed in 1973 for commercial living accommodations and motel purposes. Previous to the Las Vegas Hostel opening in late 2014/early 2015 it was USA hostel whom used the sign box that the Las Vegas Hostel currently uses today. They have 38 rooms of different variety and 158 beds as a cheaper option that the hotels. They also offer packages to do tours of surrounding places such and the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam. They also claim to be the only Hostel in Las Vegas with a pool.
Sign condition: 4.5- The sign box was recently repainted and the plastic portion of this sign is relatively new and both still are in good condition
Sign form: Pylon
Sign-specific description: This sign has a reddish/pink steel beam base. There are two sign boxes the top one is a rectangle shape and the bottom one is a oval-rectangular shape. Currently the top rectangle box does not have any signage in it but if it did it would be a plastic or steel sign that would be down lit by an LED spotlight. The bottom one has a plastic back lit sign with the hostel's logo. Their logo entails "Las Vegas Hostels" in modern bright colored block fonts. The "Las" letters are a bright orange, the "Vegas" letters are a magenta pink, and "Hostels" in a bright light blue.
Sign - type of display: Plastic Back lit sign
Sign - media: Steel and Plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: LED and Plastic back lit signage
Sign environment: On the Intersection of East Fremont St and 14th street. A few blocks from the Fremont East District but is in a neighborhood with many different motels though many of them are currently closed
Sign - date of installation: The sign boxes have been up like this since at least 2007 but with different logos within the sign boxes
Sign - date of redesign/move: Late 2014/ early 2015 they repainted the beam and boxes of the sign and inserted the Las Vegas Hostel logo.
Sign - thematic influences: Since this sign was re-purposed and redesigned it shows how Vegas is constantly changing but can reuse old signs from previous properties.
Sign - artistic significance: The bright colors in the sign show that they are going for a modern vibe which works since they opened in the past few years and have events such as pool parties that appeal to the youth that comes through Vegas.
Survey - research locations: Las Vegas Hostel Website http://lasvegashostel.net/en_US/rooms/, Assessor's page, google maps satellite and roadside view
Surveyor: Emily Fellmer
Survey - date completed: 2017-09-09
Sign keywords: Plastic; Backlit; Steel; Pole sign