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Neon Baby!

Neon Baby!

We’ve recently returned from Las Vegas, where we visited one of the coolest institutions in the world: The Neon Museum, located on the far northern end of The Strip. The museum, about to celebrate its 15th anniversary, and ready to open its new visitors center next year (a rehab of the swooping, Paul Williams-designed La Concha Hotel), features a beautiful jumble of over 150 old signs that tell the story of Vegas, from mobster Bugsy Siegal’s El Cortes Hotel and Casino to the Moulin Rouge, Vegas’ first integrated casino, to the Atomic Age Stardust.

 

 

The signs, scattered around the museum’s “boneyard” in rough chronological order,  also reveal the rich history of sign-making talent in the city, from companies like the Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO) and designers like Betty Willis, who designed the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” marqee. As Robert Venturi reminded us, the city has influenced much of our country’s roadside aesthetic.  Here’s a small sampling of what we saw. Enjoy! (Photos Courtesy Neon Museum)


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