Vintage Signs Installed on Las Vegas Boulevard
By Tricia McCarter-Joseph | Online Only | Sept. 11, 2009
"The Slipper" during its restoration
Credit: Neon Museum
Sin City will sparkle just a little bit brighter when restored antique neon signs adorn Las Vegas Boulevard. Sponsored in part by the Federal Highway Administration, 17 signs will be restored as part of the Las Vegas Boulevard Scenic Byways Plan that has been 10 years in the making, according to city officials.
So far, three vintage signs dating from the 1950s and 1960s - including the so-called Silver Slipper, Bow and Arrow, and Binion's Horseshoe - have been restored. Phase one of the project began this summer, according to Danielle Kelly, operations manager at the Neon Museum, which is overseeing the restoration project.
The Binion's Horseshoe and the Bow and Arrow signs have been installed on the Boulevard, and the Silver Slipper will be up next month.
"The signs are integral to the fantasy dreamscape of Las Vegas. In many respects, the signage is the architecture of classic Las Vegas," Kelly says. "The history of sign design and its pop culture significance goes hand in hand with the cultural significance of Las Vegas."
It took six weeks to repair the Silver Slipper, according to Mark Whitehouse of San Diego-based Ultrasigns, which is restoring the structures. Workers had to sand it, replace wiring, and repair cracks and dents.
Eight years ago, 3.4 miles of Las Vegas Boulevard was designated a scenic byway. The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration offers this nationwide program to help preserve and enhance selected roadways. A 2007 federal grant of more than $200,000 helped spearhead the restoration project and has been aided by private donors and the City of Las Vegas.
For Kelly, the jewel on her crown is the Silver Slipper sign that stood atop the Golden Slipper Saloon and Gambling Hall, which will be installed in front of the rescued La Concha Motel lobby and will house the Neon Museum's new facility.
"We are so very, very proud to see her once again grace the Boulevard in all her shimmering, sparkling glory," Kelly says. "We can't wait to see them in the twilight."
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Comments
Submitted by MonaAnn at: October 6, 2009
This is so cool to see some of Vegas' history being brought back. The strip with all the lights & attractions is great, but the original casinos and history are gone. Thanks for bringing some of the origins of Vegas back.