From the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Theta Theta Omega Chapter Records (MS-01014).
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Daytime and nighttime views of the Barbary Coast signs on The Strip. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet.
Site address: 3595 Las Vegas Blvd
Sign owner: Coast Casinos
Sign details: Just West of the Maxim, on a strip of property adjacent to the Flamingo, the Barbary Coast appeared in 1977 dressed in Burgundy and gold with full wrap mansard canopies and simulated Tiffany glass fascias. YESCO's Brian Lemming drew from 19th century woodblock alphabet styles to create the new distinctive logo style. It has since earned the nickname Barbary Coast Block. Lemming's bull nose design paired two opposing drum elements, which tapered near midpoint and were ringed with traceries of traveling lamps alternating with decorative panels outlined in red neon. Other signage includes a pylon sign on Flamingo Rd., textual wall an logo signs, as well as LED display screens. The screens are located near walkways, which extend north/south across Flamingo road, and east/west across Las Vegas Blvd
Sign condition: Structure 5 Surface 5 Lighting 5
Sign form: Pylon; Fascia
Sign-specific description: Upon the south elevation of the building, eight foot tall channel letters spell the "Barbary Coast" logo. South of the main logo, two square poles support the Barbary Coast pylon, which is on the north side of Flamingo, facing east/west. The two legs play Atlas to a double backed, internally lit, message cabinet, with vinyl lettering. The two legs protrude through the top of the sign for a short distance before the main logo cabinet begins. It is about half the size in height of the internally lit message center and containing more elements of design. "Barbary Coast" is spelled in white channel letters and filled with incandescent bulbs, in the Barbary Coast text. The edges of the letters are actually narrow channels that house tubes of gold neon. The neon and the channels actually create the designed curves of the fonts. The centers of the top and bottom edges of the cabinet, are crafted into protrusions in the rectangular shape. They are placed cleverly shallow into the surface to almost seem as if they are resting on the width of the cabinet instead of being part of it. Being completely treated in a gold paint on its width edge, which are parallel to the straight portion of the cabinet edge width, helps with the illusion of the sections being separate entities. Orange and burgundy scroll works are graphically placed into the faces of these protrusions in the panel to finish them off. Headed west at the beginning of the actual property, the first vestiges of signage hangs above the parking garage. A triangular back lit cabinet is finished in polished gold aluminum with a raceway acting as an element, on the edge pointing north, then transforms into a raceway arrow pointed toward the entrance of the garage. The famed overhang creates an arch over the garage entrance, which is recessed all the way back to the main wall of the structure. Mirrors create the surface of the wall at the back of the tunnel vault, of the recessed arch. Upon the mirrored surface a channel logo for the "Drai's" nightclub, hangs quite high above the pedestrian's head. The logo is bordered with green neon and filled with incandescent bulbs. The entire sign is a shallow channel letter design allowing enough room for the depth of the bulb. Another arch and tunnel, with a mirrored wall, is located just west of the first arch. It plays host to a brass colored chandelier with spherical lamps. At ground level underneath the middle section of the famed structure where the main logo text resides, we have an entrance to the casino with a cabinet denoting that over the door. The cabinet is a mirrored face with a gold aluminum polished raceways with incandescent bulbs. The text spelling "Hotel Casino Entrance" is in gold polished channel letters and filled incandescent bulbs. Underneath the canopy, the faux Tiffany glass is separated on its edges by gold polished raceways with incandescent bulbs. Past the main entrance another tunnel arch is formed just past the "B" in Barbary main logo and plays host to a different entrance. It too has a brass chandelier and a mirrored cabinet of the same design as the afore mentioned entrance. The only difference is the text. It spells " Casino Entrance." The rest of the treatments for this sign are identical to the first entrance. On the northeast corner underneath the bull nose, a giant brass chandelier hangs in the center, supported with a multisided, mirrored column. The corner of the building is also an entrance. The west side of the building boasts two wall signs. The south side of the building plays host to the main logo text for the Barbary Coast facility, upon the fascias architecture. The middle of the sign is a long low rise arch. Giant channel letters spell Barbary Coast, above the row of faux stained glass squares, and stand independently away from the wall. They are filled with incandescent bulbs and bordered with neon. The interiors are painted red and the exteriors are treated in gold. Rows of red, vertical, neon tubes line the face of the facade behind the standing channel letters. Continuing around the corner upon the west face of the building the facade continues for a short stretch north after the corner rotunda. The wall of the building itself is where another Barbary Coast text logo resides It's large, and occupies a good portion of the area of the wall. The letters are designed in the same fashion as the letters on the pylon, painted white on the interior and treated gold on the exterior. Above and below the text, two cabinets crafted into scrollwork, similar to those seen on the pylon yet are not attached to the text. The cabinets are slightly recessed providing room for a border of gold neon. Below that and above an LED screen another logo for Drai's, as seen on the south elevation, hangs on the wall. A pair of LED screens flank the NW corner, on the west and south faces of the building. The LED screen on the south wall is at the end of an elevated walkway, that crosses Flamingo. The West wall LED is appropriation to the elevated walkway crossing Las Vegas Blvd, on the west side of the building as well. Another Drai's logo sign shares the west wall also. Along the fascia awning that wraps around the building graphics adorn the rounded panels, which simulate the Tiffany glass. Vertical raceways separate these panels. Neon borders each one of these panels as well as polished raceways along the top and bottom. Incandescent bulbs line all the raceways, as well as the outer edges of the underside. On the North wall of the building, just around the corner from the signage on the west face of the building, another Barbary coast logo wall sign is located on the top portion of the building. It is accompanied by an internally lit, plastic, message board, with vinyl lettering. The two pieces together sit in a slightly recessed niche, so that the board and the text are flush with the rest of the building. The letters are painted yellow on the inside, possess incandescent yellow incandescent bulbs on the interior. The letters are also treated with the same gold finish seen throughout the establishment.
Sign - type of display: Neon; Incandescent; LCD; LED
Sign - media: Plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Graphics; Paint
Sign animation: Flashing, chasing, oscillating
Notes: All incandescent bulbs on the polished, gold raceways, chase each other down their entire lengths. The bulbs inside the polished channel letters oscillate as well. The incandescent bulbs in the Drai's sign also oscillate. The pylon sign: The background of vertical red neon bars chase each other from the outer ends, until the entire background is illuminated, then the incandescent bulbs inside the letters chase down and fill the letters, which then oscillate. The text then steady burns, chases downward, then leaves the letters dark in it's path. Once the letters are dark then the neon background curtains open chasing from the center to either end. Once the neon goes dark, then the empty text chases downward again, oscillating, then chasing from top to bottom leaving the letters dark in it's path. The text on the west side of the building lights up one letter at a time, then oscillates, and then steady burns. The letters then oscillate again, shut of for a split second. Then each individual word lights up one at a time. "Barbary" then "Coast," "Barbary" then "Coast" again. On the last sequence of the individual words lighting up they stay lit, and turn off one letter at a time. The main marquee: Each letter of the main marquee illuminate one letter at a time, then oscillate. While they are oscillating then, the vertical red neon bars chase from either end of the sign illuminating each bar in it's path. Right before it reaches the center, the letters shut off briefly then lights up "Barbary" then "Coast," then they both oscillate. They shut off briefly lighting up one word at a time again, oscillating once more. This pattern runs one more time while the red background chases from the center to the ends leaving the rest dark in it's path. The letters remain dark until the red bars regenerate, by chasing outward from two different spots, meeting in the center and extending to the ends. By the time the background is regenerated then the text begins to light up again, rapidly from left to right as if saying "Barbary Coast." It does this a total of three times. All the while the background is opening and closing from the two spots a total of three times. Once the background regenerates one more time, then the letters flash off then on, then alternates with the background. Letters, then background, letters, then background, then off. The two are not lit at the same time during this exchange, but take turns lighting up.
Sign environment: The Barbary Coast sits in the unique intersection of Flamingo Rd. and Las Vegas Blvd, once the main four corners of the Strip. The majority of the surface of the building is located on Flamingo road, just off the strip, headed east. Walking underneath the covered awing on the south side of the building, the constantly pulsating incandescent bulbs and various sounds of the casino bombard a pedestrian, enveloping one until you meet the end of the establishment at either end. The large drummed corner, makes the rest of the adjacent facade hard to miss. Directly south, across Flamingo the Bally's multimedia pylon behemoth resides, and the vibrant Flamingo, sits snugly next to the Barbary Coast's north side. The two establishments of Flamingo and Bally's are considered akin, due to such close proximity. Once you exit the Barbary Coast, utilizing the portals on the west side, headed north, you are almost automatically standing in a small courtyard, in the grasp of the attractive, bright, pink and orange plumage of the Flamingo Hilton. The pedestrian traffic flows from one establishment to the next with ease.
Sign manufacturer: YESCO
Sign designer: Brian K. Leming (bull nose and wrap around fascia)
Sign - date of installation: 1977
Sign - date of redesign/move: LED screens were added to the west and south faces of the building
Sign - thematic influences: A good phrase to describe the thematic influence would be that of a turn of the century ambiance. With it's logo style derived from 19th century woodblock prints, canopies covered in faux Tiffany glass, ornate brass tracings, and distinctive mansards, the decor is reminiscent of a bustling turn of the century gala or festival.
Sign - artistic significance: The full wrap fascia design by Leming, is reminiscent of older Fremont street properties such as the Golden Nugget, and Binion's Horse Shoe. The pedestrian passes underneath the pulsating signage, next to the entrances to the facility. It is a significant design maximizing the space with its design.
Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday
Survey - date completed: 2002
Sign keywords: Chasing; Oscillating; Flashing; Pylon; Fascia; Neon; Incandescent; LED; LCD; Plastic; Paint; Graphics
Mixed Content
From the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Theta Theta Omega Chapter Records (MS-01014) -- Chapter records file.
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Michael Signorelli, long-time Las Vegas resident and builder of many local homes, apartments and hotels, describes his upbringing, career, and stellar reputation as part of the “Building Las Vegas” oral history project. Raised in Rhode Island, the only child of an Italian-American father and a Southern Baptist mother, Michael’s early life was influenced by his father’s disability as a World War Two veteran and his non-English speaking paternal grandparents, who owned and ran a grocery store. Talking of his experiences in helping them run the grocery store he says, "I became a businessman at the age of twelve." His military service during the Vietnam War landed him at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. Once here, Michael furthered his education at UNLV, obtaining both his MEd and PhD degrees. In Las Vegas Michael began his work in the housing arena working for Sun Home Builders and his non-profit work, helping to raise funds for the newly formed Rape Crisis Center. Signorelli went on to work for Howard Hughes's Summa Corporation, where he successfully fought against a discrimination lawsuit brought by twenty-one female dealers. In 1978 Michael started his own company, Nicro Corporation, and began building homes in the Las Vegas valley with land he acquired on a hand-shake and a verbal contract. He continued his non-profit work, which included coordinating Lady Bird Johnson’s Green Thumb project for Nevada and the Pacific Northwest. In the 1980s Signorelli was recruited by the Fitzgerald Group, where he was involved in non-gaming operations for their many hotels, cattle ranch, and an in vitro clinic. In this interview, Signorelli describes his non-Las Vegas building projects in Mesquite and Laughlin. He built the Mesquite Star hotel and casino by overcoming multiple hurdles around water access and money. Despite twice obtaining a loan for one hundred million dollars, he was never able to successfully complete the Laughlin hotel and casino, due to legal issues from his partner’s family trust. Signorelli also shares his idea for a unique hotel and casino called the Nev Star that involved his successful negotiation of a waiver to Senate Bill 208. Signorelli concludes his interview by talking about his ownership of the world-famous Golden Steer Steak House restaurant, which opened in 1958. Under Signorelli’s ownership the Golden Steer has been featured in national publications and claims many legendary fans such as NACAR driver Mario Andretti, who in 2016 celebrated his seventy-six birthday at the Golden Steer. Signorelli’s love of Las Vegas and its many positive traits come forth as he talks about his daughter and her achievements and suggests Vegas promoters should do a better job about what great schools, medical care, and government we have in Las Vegas.
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Commencement program from University of Nevada, Las Vegas Commencement Programs and Graduation Lists (UA-00115).
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On April 27, 1981, Darin Toldisky interviewed Cecile Dotson Crowe (born October 17th, 1911, in Millville, Utah) at Clark County Library in Las Vegas, Nevada. This interview covers Mrs. Crowe’s account of the building of Hoover (Boulder Dam). Mrs. Crowe discusses the Six Companies, Boulder City, and recalls President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s visit to Nevada by train to dedicate the dam on the 30th of September, 1937.
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Oral history interview with Cindy Baca conducted by Barbara Tabach on May 22, 2019 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. Cindy Baca, born and raised in Las Vegas, talks about her family and occupation as a librarian at Escobedo Middle School. Cindy's twin daughters were present and injured during the Route 91 Festival and October 1 shooting. She describes their experiences and the Random Acts of Kindness project she piloted at her school after the incident.
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Commencement program from University of Nevada, Las Vegas Commencement Programs and Graduation Lists (UA-00115).
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