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Transcript of interview with Michael S. Mack by Barbara Tabach, May 20, 2015
Date
Archival Collection
Description
In this oral history Michael Mack discusses his early memories of Las Vegas such as attending the Fifth Street School and activities him and his friends participated in. The interview also includes his memories of different members of the Mack family and their activities. He reminisces about his many visits to the Flamingo Hotel as well as being taken by his parent to floor shows. He also discusses what it was like to grow up Jewish in Las Vegas and the way Jews helped build the community.
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Sister Rosemary Lynch Photograph Collection
Identifier
Abstract
The Sister Rosemary Lynch Photograph Collection contains color photographs featuring or pertaining to Sister Rosemary Lynch participating in nuclear weapons protests at the Nevada Test Site and in international locations (approximately 1980-2002).
Archival Collection
Set of photographs including a wedding and Neighborhood Council
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Photographer's notations: XI-1, Wedding [crossed out: Eula B?, Johnnie Simmons], Neighborhood council, Russel Dorsey wedding.
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The Wheel of Rotary Las Vegas Rotary Club newsletter, March 2, 1950
Date
Archival Collection
Description
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Transcript of interview with Elliot B. Karp by Barbara Tabach, December 17, 2014
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Interview with Elliot B. Karp by Barbara Tabach on December 17, 2014. In this interview, Elliot Karp discusses growing up in a culturally Jewish household in New York and becoming more observant in his teenage and college years. He decided, after a trip to Israel and a year in a rabbinical program, that he wanted to be a "Jewish professional" with a focus on social work and community organizing, and attended a Master's program at Brandeis University. Karp goes on to talk about his work for the Jewish Federation in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and being recruited to come to Las Vegas. He talks about the challenges in the Las Vegas Jewish community and the Jewish Federation's role as an umbrella organization to partner with other agencies to grow and sustain a robust Jewish community in Southern Nevada.
On October 6, 1955, Elliot Karp was born in Mineola, New York to parents of East European heritage who identified as culturally Jewish. As a teenager, Elliot felt the calling to become kosher, balancing this practice with household norms that were not as strict. He eventually became shomer Shabbat just after enrolling at State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he majored in Political Science. After graduating from SUNY, Elliot spent a year living in Israel considering a path in rabbinical studies. By the end of his time, he decided on a different, yet related path, and registered as a graduate student in Brandeis University's School of Jewish Communal Service, on fellowship from Council of Jewish Federations. After graduating, Elliot moved to Columbus, Ohio to work for the Jewish Federation, focusing on fundraising, but was exposed to many different operational areas of the organization. After three years, Elliot was recruited to the Philadelphia office as its director of leadership development. He then left the Federation to work in development at Brandeis University, but after two years, returned to the Federation as the Cincinnati office's chief development officer. In 2008, Elliot received a call to take his highly cultivated leadership and fundraising skills to another Federation office: Las Vegas. After much consideration, he took the job - and challenge - as the office's new chief executive officer. Since then, Elliot has done much to promote communication, coordination and collaboration within the local Jewish community and beyond, through relationship building and successful fundraising efforts. His ultimate desire is to expand funding for programs that get more people involved in Jewish life - while also empowering community members define what a Jewish life means for them.
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Photographs of Caesars Palace signs, Las Vegas (Nev.), 2002
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Site name: Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Site address: 3200 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign owner: Park Place Entertainment
Sign details: Caesars Palace is located between the Flamingo Rd. on the western side of Las Vegas Blvd Caesars has grown over the years since it's opening, but remains the true to its classic form. Signage for the resort is limited compared to some but consists of significant pieces of signage such as two large pylon signs, a rotating sign for Planet Hollywood, building signage consisting of logo text, as well as a porte-cochere. The property itself is an over abundance of classic design form after another, mixed among modern amenities like an Omnimax theatre. Caesars Palace is a permanent icon in Las Vegas Imagery and folklore.
Sign condition: Structure 4 Surface 4 Lighting 4
Sign form: Pylon; Fascia; Porte-cochère
Sign-specific description: The YESCO pylon is located at the northern side of the property and is constructed of black painted steel and centers around a base of four columns aligned in a row. The sign faces north/south. The four columns rise out of the ground about six feet in the air before a long horizontal, gold bordered, rounded end cabinet, that reads and points to free covered parking. The text is graphically applied and internally lit. The cabinet is lit from the backside with neon, creating a halo behind the sign. The columns continue upward until they are met with the triangular cabinet, pointing east, with the two faces, being occupied a color LED message center. The interior edge of the face of the sign is bordered with green neon. Above the visible top edge of the wedge shaped message boards, the Caesar's Palace logo if illuminated in red neon upon a rectangular section created out of two entablatures, stacked on top of each other. The top entablature reads "Caesars" in red letters and "Palace" in the second row The two are capped with pediment lined on the interior edge with gold neon and a back-lit Caesar's logo. The exterior of the cabinet is polished aluminum, with metal channel letters. The original pylon built much earlier, utilized six-column shafts capped with golden statuary, secured to a large concrete base. When facing the columns, facing north, or south, the majority of the view of the vertical pieces is taken up by the giant internally lit message center, with removable lettering. The outer edge is crafted the same as the face of the other pylon, but it is bordered in pink neon. The four center columns supports an entablature supporting the logo text, and above that a pediment rounds out the classic architectural combination. The top half of the pediment is larger and supports the text "Caesars," while the lower, narrower section reads "Palace". The entire pediment is striped horizontally with bands of aqua neon that creates a field for the text. The text is in the stylized roman text, in channel letters, and lined with red neon. One of the most attractive pieces of signage is the Caesars porte-cochere. The famous fountains lead up to the main entrance, which is shadowed by the massive porte-cochere, which is one of the few remaining on the strip that displays such grandeur. The Porte-cohere is a hulking collection of levels, stacked upon on another, but grow in size as each level steps upward. The rest looks as if a massive set of plaster steps were turned upside down and placed over the entrance. The edge of each level is lined with brass treatments that are repeated vertical poles of polished brass, greeting a repeated striping pattern. From behind this treatment and pushed further back beyond the human eye, a rose colored glow is produced by intense lighting fades into a soft halo as it dies out toward the edges. The mass and girth of the structure is helped out visually by the angles chosen to in its design. The entire construction seems to sag under it's own weight, for each level is slightly cupped into a concave shape. Each levels edges are concave as well, producing a illusion of movement in space. To the right of the porte-cochere there is still the aqua tinted light pouring out of the latticework, that fills the arcade of arches. On the main tower directly behind the porte-cochere, the red neon logo is present as well as elsewhere on the building as well. Facing east this particular set of letters looms high over head. The section of the building is a vertically elongated temple front, stretching the height of the building. Four pilasters run the vertical length of the building, holding black spans of tinted windows in between. They each are topped with golden Corinthian capitals, which hold up the classic entablature and pediment. "Caesars Palace" is spelled across the entablature in channel letters and filled with red neon. In the pediment above a golden crest of Julius Caesar's profile flanked by two encompassing olive branches. The crest is ambiently lit with white light. The tower just behind the main building also supports text on its east face as well. As the narrow edge of the tower, the vertical plane rises upward but is flat and smooth until it reaches the top section. It is essentially a giant entablature created out of the temple fronts on either side that wrap around to meet on the width. On this flat plane, "Caesars Palace" is spelled in the classic lettering and neon treatment seen on the building letters just below that. The building itself is ambiently lit but the profile of Caesar above the text is not a brightly lit as the other. On the south side of the parking garage, on the western edge of the property, the channel letter logo reads in red neon as well.
Sign - type of display: Neon; Incandescent
Sign - media: Steel; Plastic; Masonry
Sign - non-neon treatments: Paint
Sign animation: Chasing, flashing, oscillating
Notes: The V-shaped red channels on the silver main pylon chase each other downward toward the ground. The main text on the pylon animates as well. The letters light up one at a time with red neon from left to right as the arrows continue to chase downward. The logo/text sign located above the giant replica of the Harley Davidson, animate as well. The incandescent bulbs which fill the text, spelling the name of the establishment, oscillate, steady burn, then shut off, and then restarting the sequence. The letters that spell cafe on the lower portion of the sign animate in concert and with the same sequence as the main text.
Sign environment: Caesars Palace sits in one of the biggest and busiest sections of the strip, and has always been a mainstay. The ambiently lit classic features of architecture seem almost specter like moments, with the blazing red eyes of the Caesars text staring from afar. From the street, the actual structures are set a bit back from the street, seeming rather distant. Construction is currently present around the exterior edges of the property, which rather dampens effect of the theming, but everything shines through. The theme does step out to the street with the statuary, creeping out to pedestrians and the pylon signs. The main signs are street side, pointing toward the casino. Headed south on the west side of the street the two pylon signs lead up to the porte-cochere. Standing underneath the porte-cochere looking out, the fountains provide a picturesque scene to see the other side of the street. The buildings loom high over head. The environment contains elements, which can be seen repeated throughout hotel exteriors. The large water element, the Classic architectural design motif, and the spectacular porte-cochere are still evident in properties built today. Even though Caesars continues to evolve with the current trends, all of these elements were presenting its original design.
Sign manufacturer: Pylon 1: YESCO Pylon 2: Ad Art
Sign - date of installation: 1966, 1998
Sign - date of redesign/move: On-going additions since 1966
Sign - thematic influences: Caesars Palace may be the first themed resort, which has taken its theme to an extreme the likes of which had never been seen before. Ever since it's original inception in 1966, Caesars Palace has sought to give its guest the most of the Ancient Roman theme. Caesars is simply dripping with imagery and architecture that is steeped in the theme of Ancient Rome. No matter where you go there are collections of statuary, domes and columns, false temple fronts create the facades of the towers, and low geometric hedges and cypress trees all add to the theme. Any themed property can draw influence from Caesars Palace, and still stands as one of the highest markers for competitors to be judged by.
Sign - artistic significance: Very important signage that can be seen reflected in many aspects of non-casino culture. Caesars Palace is one of the icons of American popular culture, and the distinctive Romanesque neon is a big reason why.
Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday
Survey - date completed: 2002
Sign keywords: Pylon; Fascia; Porte-cochère; Neon; Incandescent; Steel; Plastic; Masonry; Paint
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