A view of the front of the Golden Nugget Gambling Hall. A banner advertising "Cooled by refrigeration always pleasant" is visible on the right-hand side of the building. The Nugget Saloon and a Shell gas station sign is visible in the background. The Golden Nugget opened in 1946, and is the first structure designed from the ground up to be a casino. Steve Wynn became the majority shareholder in 1973, and built the first tower in 1977. In 1984, the neon was removed from the building and the spa tower was built, along with the showroom. The third tower was opened in 1989. The hotel now has 2,419 rooms and suites. The casino's large hotel sign at its entrance off Fremont and Casino Center was removed in 1984 when the casino underwent renovations. The old sign presently sits at the YESCO (Young Electric Sign Company) sign yard.
Transcribed from back of photo: "Howard Hughes (in cockpit) warms up the XF-11 for its initial test flight. It is one of the world's fastest long-range photographic planes, July 7, 1946."
Description given with photo: "Hughes Holds Press Conference After Arrival, New York -- Mustached Howard Hughes stands alone as he is interviewed at Laguardia Airport late Sept. 11 after his arrival from Kansas City only recently recovered from injuries sustained when a plane he was testing crashed, Hughes flew to New York to confer with attorneys regarding the banning of a film he produced. Creditline (ACME) 9/12/46."
Howard Hughes (wearing hat) receives congratulations from Mayor Fiorello La Guardia at Floyd Bennett Airport in Brooklyn. The gentleman wearing a polka dot bow tie, standing behind the mayor is Grover Whalen. Mr. Whalen was president of the 1939 New York World's Fair.