Daytime and nighttime views of the Casa Malaga signs on the Strip. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet.
Site address: 4615 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign details: The Casa Malaga resides on the east side of the strip, among the decaying roadside motels. The property is in the style of most of the motels in the area. A small office sits up front, with a drive next to it, and leading to a parking lot in the back of the property. The parking lot is surrounded on the east, north, and south sides by one story groups of rooms. The pole sign resides in the front parking lot, next to the street
Sign condition: Structure 2 Surface 2 Lighting 2
Sign form: Pylon
Sign-specific description: The main advertisement for the establishment is the roadside pole sign which faces north /south. It consists mostly of a single white, steel pole with a double-backed steel cabinet. The cabinet is an eight-sided geometric figure, appearing as a swollen cross shape. The middle, horizontal section being larger and wider, than the cross member. The white cabinet is treated with red painted text. The top section reads "Casa," the second "Malaga," and the third reads "Vacancy." All of the texts are in capital letters lined over the contours with bent tubes of neon. Just below the top cabinet, two single-faced cabinets sandwich the pole, facing north/south. The white cabinet with white faces contains vinyl lettering. On the east and west faces of the small office up front, channel letters with clear plastic faces, a gold polished band around the edges, and maroon, and red neon on the interior.
Sign - type of display: Neon; Incandescent
Sign - media: Plastic
Sign animation: Flashing, chasing
Notes: The channel letters which spell motel on the south and west wall of the main office chase. The two signs take turns flashing on, one then the other, as the first shuts off. The incandescent bulbs, which line the bottom of the roofline of the office, chase each other as well.
Sign environment: The Casa Malaga resides between the Little Church of the west and the Glass Pool Inn.
Sign - thematic influences: The only theme present is its significance in design to the classic roadside motel. It falls into this theme seen throughout the southern end of the strip. The tall double-backed pole sign, small front office, and surrounding lengths of rooms, all fit into this motif.
Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday
Survey - date completed: 2002
Sign keywords: Flashing; Chasing; Pylon; Neon; Incandescent; Plastic

Evening and nighttime views of the Happi Inn signs on the Strip. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet.
Site address: 3939 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign details: The Happi Inn resides on the corner of Mandalay and Las Vegas Blvd, stretching east, ending at Gilles street. The property is the largest of the small roadside sites. The signage, however, is limited. Three pole signs and an internally lit cabinet comprise total signage. The two pole signs, being the tallest, reside on the north end of the property while a small vertical pole sign resides on the top of the building's roofline. The small internally lit cabinet sits over the drive, next to the main office.
Sign condition: Structure 3 Surface 4 Lighting 3 Notes: The structure of all the signs appear to be intact, with no visible, severe damage. Various lighting is out an all the signs, with the small roof line pole sign, no longer being lit. The internally lit cabinets on the sign within the pole sign furthest east, are no longer lit as well. The surfaces of the sign are intact, but are worn.
Sign form: Pylon; Fascia
Sign-specific description: Two pole style pylons, reside on the north end of the property. On the rear of the property on the corner of Mandalay Bay and Gilles Street, is a simple design. A single white, steel pole, supports three, two- sided cabinets stacked on top of each other to create the shape. A small white, horizontal, rectangular, cabinet, has a white face with "Office" painted in red text, and a red arrow pointing to the west. It sits slightly off center the center pole. A tall, thin, vertical, rectangular cabinet, is painted orange, and has the world "Motel," spelled in all capital, white neon letters. Centered on top of this cabinet, another internally lit cabinet, white cabinet, crowns the sign. The cabinet has a green face with white text spelling "Happi Inn" in all capital letters. The main pole sign for the property is similar to the previous piece, but a bit more elaborate. As the white pole rises up from the ground it is met with a pair of black, cabinets, sandwiching the north and south sides of the pole. The sign itself faces north south. The cabinets are white faced with text painted upon the surface. Above the two cabinets, a double-backed cabinet is crafted into an "L" shape, facing north, and facing south it would be a "J" shape. Either way it is a horizontal cabinet, which makes a horizontal turn to the east. The foot of the character curves down to a point, while the vertical section, runs up the west side of the white pole, which continues upward. The vertical surface contains the text "Motel" that is written horizontally downward in all capital, white, painted text. The graphic text is shadowed over with neon tubing. The horizontal section has the words "vacancy" written in white all capital text, with red neon lying over the surface. The top of the sign is crowned with a double backed, six sided, geometric cabinet. The surface is green written in capital, white text, with the word "Happi" written in an arched pattern, with "Inn" written horizontally below that. Over the entrance to the driveway, stretching into the east-end of the lot, is a small, internally lit cabinet, with rounded ends. The face of sign is green plastic with "Happi Inn" written in all capitals, in a two lined text. White, scroll-type designs, flank, both sides of the text. Just past the Psychic Sessions, palmistry establishment, actually standing on the corner of the building, a vertical pole sign, rises in the sky. I single red pole shoots upward a short distance, with five double-backed square cabinets being speared through the center. Each cabinet, also red, contains 1 letter from the word "Motel, in all capitals." The letters are overlaid with neon as well/ Pointing down toward the property, an angled arrow, crafted in the same fashion and material as the cabinet, is positioned just below the east side of the cabinet containing the letter "E."
Sign - type of display: Neon; Incandescent; Backlit
Sign - media: Steel; Plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Paint
Sign animation: Chasing, flashing, oscillating
Notes: the letters inside of the letters of the tower actually oscillate.
Sign environment: The Happi Inn is part of the distinctive section of the Strip comprised of older roadside motels, met with a few of the larger resort casinos. Facing west on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Mandalay Rd., the property resides in the shadow of Luxor. To the north, vacant land reaches until ended by the Tropicana property.
Sign - thematic influences: There appears to be no apparent theme associated with the Happi Inn other than the fact that it belongs to the style and genre of the roadside motel design seen throughout the southern end of the strip.
Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday
Survey - date completed: 2002
Sign keywords: Chasing; Pylon; Fascia; Neon; Incandescent; Backlit; Steel; Plastic; Paint

Daytime views of the Tourist Bureau signs near the Las Vegas Strip. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet.
Site address: 5191 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign owner: John Morris
Sign details: The Las Vegas Tourist Bureau is the first establishment on the strip after the McCarran Gates. It located in the south end of the property that is also occupied by the Klondike Motel Casino.
Sign condition: Structure 4 Surface 3 Lighting 3 Notes: Some of the lighting no longer works, and the surface seems to be deteriorating in spots. The structural integrity is good.
Sign form: pylon, fascia
Sign-specific description: The Las Vegas Tourist Bureau is the first establishment on the strip after the McCarran Gates. It located in the south end of the property that is also occupied by the Klondike Motel Casino. Upon the small low-rise structure, white, internally lit message centers wrap the flat roofline of the north and west sides of the building. The cabinet's steel housing is painted yellow to match the borders of the doors below. The cabinets form a giant entablature with giant black vinyl lettering. The north face reads "Show Tickets" in all capitals, and the west face reads "Grand Canyon" in smaller all caps lettering on the left hand side. Three words in the large all caps text reads "Tours," "Rooms," and weddings. Above the internally lit cabinets, the roof rises up several more feet, and is finished in red steel siding, with vertical panels made to look like wood. It is the same as the treatment seen on the Klondike. On the surface of this upper extension and above the cabinets, yellow raceways form a series of arches all along the fascia. They are lined with yellow incandescent bulbs. Standing right next to the entrances on the west face is the giant, double pole, pylon sign. The giant blue poles telescope up three levels, before a horizontal, rectangular, internally lit, yellow cabinet, lined with incandescent bulbs on the widths edge. The plastic face is white with red text. "Las Vegas" is written on the left-hand side at an angle in two lines, and "Tourist Bureau," written horizontally in two lines, in all capital text. A steel grated platform sits just above the cabinet on two extensions of the poles. The platform runs well beyond the edges of the backlit cabinet. On top of the grate a black LED message center runs the length of the platform. Next to the driveway into the small parking lot, a small internally lit sign stands street side. The small sign is two yellow steel cabinets, with white plastic faces, and incandescent bulbs running along the width's edge. They are treated to match the message cabinet on top of the main pylon sign. On top of a thin blue, steel post, a smaller cabinet supports another slightly larger one. The top cabinet reads "Entrance" in faded, red, all capital text. Just below the text on the face of the cabinet, a faded red arrow points east toward the parking lot. Neon tubing is crafted to create a reproduction of the shape, hovering over the surface. The bottom cabinet reads "Parking" in the same text, and condition. The three signs together form a cohesive, matching set of signage appropriate for the property. The sign is actually cohesive with the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign on the median just west of the actual structure.
Sign - type of display: neon, incandescent, backlit
Sign - media: steel, plastic
Sign animation: Chasing
Notes: The incandescent bulbs chase each other around the perimeter of the sign.
Sign environment: Just to the west on the median is the famous "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign, and the Klondike to the north. An expanse of field reaches south, past an attached structure on the south side of the building. That field is the airfield. The structure is highly visible from the north, but a bit less from the south due to heavy foliage placed directly south of the giant pylon. The Giant pylon is highly visible, but has high competition in it's midst. The Klondike when illuminated is very bright, and the Welcome to Las Vegas sign's popularity attracts a great amount of attention. The Las Vegas Tourist Bureau is sort of an afterthought.
Sign - thematic influences: The theme associated around these signs is not so evident. Yes they are the typical elements such as the internally lit cabinet and the border of incandescent bulbs. It is a roadside pole sign design, but it is a bit unique to it's area for it is extremely tall in its surroundings, and it is a double pole supporting internally lit cabinet. The thematic influence is also evident in relation to it's surroundings. It's coloring, and basic principle of design is based on the neighboring welcome to Las Vegas sign. The are both double poled, internally lit, and have incandescent bulbs which chase each other around the outside edge. The coloring of the Tourist Bureau sign parts corresponds with the same parts as the Welcome to Las Vegas sign as well.
Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday
Survey - date completed: 2002
Sign keywords: Pylon; Fascia; Neon; Incandescent; Backlit; Steel; Plastic; Chasing

From the Sister Klaryta Antoszewska Photograph Collection (PH-00352). Written on sign: "Sagebrush Alliance Las Vegas Nevada".

From the Sister Klaryta Antoszewska Photograph Collection (PH-00352). Written on sign: "Sagebrush Alliance Las Vegas Nevada".

A car decorated with political signs, 1930.