Text by Patrick Bell.
Today we are going to take another visit to Las Vegas. We have a top notch selection of photos from the fifties and sixties that are full of eye candy that is bound to be pleasing to anyone who enjoys looking back in the past. So let’s get started.
Our first stop is at the convention center where a family stopped for a pose and there is some sign work going on in the background. I am sure Las Vegas was and is a good place to be in the sign business. Their crane truck is to the left and a pre-’62 Volkswagen Type 2 Panel is in the center. Further to the right a coral over white ’57 Ford Country Sedan, and a tan ’56 Buick Special or Century Estate Wagon with a roof rack and that likely is a hotel customer delivery vehicle. Front and center is a white ’59 Cadillac Eldorado Seville, one of 975 built with a base price of $7401. The Eldorado Biarritz convertible was more plentiful with 1320 made and carried the same base price.
There is a lot to absorb in this shot from the early to mid-fifties where the cross street is North 5th. From the left is a ’49 or ’50 Nash Airflyte, behind it is a ’41 Dodge, heading away is a ’46-’48 Plymouth. Parked on the right starting in the foreground a ’51 Mercury Sport Sedan, ’52-’54 Ford Tudor Sedan, ’53 Chevrolet One-Fifty perhaps a Club Coupe, and a ’49 or ’50 Oldsmobile Futuramic Convertible Coupe.
Now we are at the Desert Inn with a full parking lot and in the same time period. In the foreground is a ’41 or ’42 Packard, blue ’51 or ’52 Oldsmobile, not sure of brown one, another blue Oldsmobile, this one a ’53, not sure of black or white one, green ’51 or ’52 Chrysler, ’53 Buick, and a blue ’53 Dodge.
This is a winter photo of the Thunderbird hotel, with its Art-Deco namesake perched at the tower’s top. From the left a ’53 Buick Special 2 door Riviera, in the center a ’50-’52 Plymouth 4 door sedan taxi, and to the right a ’51 Mercury Sport Sedan.
Here we are at the Sahara and another full parking lot. On the left edge a ’50 Chevrolet Styleline, in the center foreground a ’53 Packard Cavalier 4 door sedan, ’51 or ’52 Plymouth, and a ’50-’53 Cadillac. In the right foreground a ’51 or ’52 Cadillac Coupe with a continental kit, and a ’51 or ’52 Oldsmobile.
We are back downtown now in the late fifties and the Christmas season is underway while another sign company is at work. In the left driving lane a ’54 Ford Customline Tudor Sedan, parked starting in the foreground a ’53 or ’53 Nash, maroon ’46-’48 Plymouth coupe, ’57 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible, ’58 Pontiac Chieftain 2 door sedan, white over red ’56 Chevrolet Two-Ten 2 door sedan, and a ’55 or ’56 Chevrolet pickup. On the right side a post ’57 Volkswagen Type 1 and a ’58 Chevrolet Bel Air.
Let’s go check out the birds at the Bird Cage. From the left a ’52 Buick, ’55 Chrysler Windsor 4 door sedan, and in the background a ’58 or ’59 Rambler wagon. At the curb is a new one on me, a ’57 or ’58 Goliath 1100 2 door saloon, built in Germany by a subsidiary of Borgward. Following is a ’57 Pontiac Chieftain 4 door Catalina from California, and perhaps the tip of the left front corner of a ’57 or ’58 Plymouth.
This is the Algiers apparently before the crowd has arrived. On the right a ’53 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Coupe, in the background left a ’50 Ford Custom Deluxe Club Coupe, and to the right a ’48 or ’49 Hudson Commodore Custom Convertible Brougham. It is more likely a ’49 as the production numbers for ’48 were 64 and ’49 were 595. Either way, a very rare automobile.
Another downtown shot, this one highlighting the interesting gold colored parking meters. Front and center is a ’58 Pontiac Star Chief Custom 4 door sedan all the way from Texas, followed by a ’54 Dodge 4 door sedan, ’60 Oldsmobile and a ’54 Ford. In the driving lane heading away is a white Renault Dauphine, and parked on the right side beginning in the foreground is a ’57 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan, ’55 Pontiac 2 door Catalina, possibly a ’54 Oldsmobile 4 door sedan, and up ahead a black over red ’53 Mercury Monterey Special Custom convertible.
The Tropicana is our next stop where we will find a few open parking spots where plenty of oil drippers have parked in the past. In the outer row on the left side is a ’58 Ford Thunderbird, blue ’51 Oldsmobile 98 Deluxe Holiday Sedan, and a black ’59 Chevrolet Impala convertible. In the center row left side the left front corner of a ’59 Rambler, yellow ’57-’60 Opel Rekord 2 door saloon, white ’54 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Starfire both from California, grey ’40 Dodge Luxury Liner Special or De Luxe 4 door sedan that looks out of place, and a white over blue ’57 Plymouth Belvedere 4 door hardtop. In the right hand row a white ’56 Cadillac Series Sixty-Two convertible.
This is the same street as photo #9 with the ’58 Pontiac in the foreground, plus a few years and looking the other way as both photos show the Monte Carlo Cocktail Lounge. In the foreground a ’60 Ford Galaxie Town Victoria at home with a Nevada license plate, a ’39 Chevrolet Master 85 or Master De Luxe Town Sedan, ’55 Ford Tudor Sedan, ’55 Pontiac 4 door sedan, and a ’52-’54 Ford. In the street a ’55 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe, and at the far curb a ’55 Pontiac 2 door Catalina, ’57 Ford, and down further a black ’59 Cadillac.
Now we have a bank located so we can head there after a good day in the casinos. On the left a ’57 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Sedan, ’62 Cadillac Sedan de Ville Six Window, and a ’61 Chevrolet Apache C10 Fleetside long bed with a six cylinder.
We have a nice variety of cars at the Riviera except there are no Chrysler products. In the lower left corner is a ’58 Oldsmobile. The ones on the lower level must be part of the LA Angels crowd as they are all from California. From the left a ’63 Chevrolet Impala, post ’61 Volkswagen Type 1, ’64 Impala Sport Sedan, ’62 Rambler Classic Custom 4 door sedan, another Classic, this one a’64 660 4 door sedan, and a ’63 Ford Falcon 4 door sedan. On the upper level from the left a sweet looking ’64 Ford Galaxie 500 XL 2 door hardtop, ’61-’63 Lincoln Continental convertible, clean ’55 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe, and in the background a black ’59 or ’60 Cadillac coupe.
One last stop at the Stardust in the late sixties as we close our tour. From the left partially behind the guy with the big nose a ’65 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport or Caprice, ’67 or ’68 Ford Thunderbird, ’68 Pontiac Catalina or Executive, and a ’51 or ’52 Chevrolet Styleline Sport Coupe sitting up high. In the center a ’64 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Super Sport Coupe.
Thanks for joining us and have a great day!
Class distinction stands out nicely in these pics. Luxury cars and imports parked at the casinos, ordinary cars downtown.
I’m rather struck by the drab, uniform paint colors (on the cars, not the signage) in many of these, particularly at the Desert Inn and Sahara. Was that blue/turquoise color really that popular in the ’50s?
That long line a cars . all about the same color has me curious too. Rentals?
I enjoyed the photos, and sure enough saw the range from Ford/Chevy/Plymouth to Cadillac.
Since you mentioned the signs: evidently a whole lot of that work was the Young Electric Sign Corporation’s, going back many decades. Lots of photographs and business records and stuff (not all of it visible online) at UNLV, including a “sign graveyard” photo from 1986: https://special.library.unlv.edu/ark%3A/62930/d1dn42p7t
Lots of memories from Las Vegas and I don’t gamble. Mom & Dad taking us kids in the 1950s. Days at the swimming pool and just roaming alone which wouldn’t happen today. Later Moms boyfriend would fly us to Vegas in his Cessna most months. Think Mom liked Caesars best as I remember that most. For a few young years my allowance was paid with silver dollars. Years later when I was in Houston and designing upscale fashion department stores a few times a year my employer would send me to Vegas to check out the retail stores. About the same time I had a German roommate which I only saw twice a month. He was a high roller and most months would go Vegas and the MGM Grand paid for everything including airfare. His last trip I did not go with him and that was when the MGM caught fire. Never heard from him again. A few weeks later got a visit from the FBI asking if I had heard from him. All I really knew about him was his business was buying & selling commodities. Best roommate ever as he was seldom around until he was never around. Later I moved to NYC and I was designing casino hotels. I like my glitz and sparkle.
This is a great post. Won’t bore everyone with the details, but that shot of the Stardust speaks volumes. What great times were had there. RIP, ‘duster. Thanks, Rich and Patrick.
As a movie fan, I can`t help thinking about ‘Ocean`s ll’ when I see these pictures. That is the real and best ‘Ocean`s ll’ and NOT any of the newer and frankly lousy remakes or ‘reboots’
That flick is horrible. It’s supposed to be though.
Bank of Nevada pic :
“Now we have a bank located so we can head there after a good day in the casinos”
Or, a place to stop before going inside the casino for a possible good day.
My first view of Las Vegas was in June 1966 driving southbound in US 15 when moving from Maryland to Los Angeles. It was a tiny island of light off in the distance. Next time I saw Las Vegas was in 2014 and it wasn’t a tiny island of light anymore from any direction. I only recall the Pioneer from 1966 with that tall cowboy. Today I pretty much don’t care for Las Vegas except for hiking in the parks surrounding the city, in the cooler months that is, such as Valley of Fire. Also walking around the old residential neighborhoods that are untouched by progress.
My attention is drawn to the ’57 Pontiac at the “Bird Cage.”
Its pale blue wheel rims, beneath its dog dishes, match the color of the pale blue accent stripe, running horizontally down the body.
in most other cases, painted wheel rims match the dominant body color.