The Las Vegas Strip has been changing over the years. Gone
are some of the iconic hotels that I remember visiting when I was younger –
much younger. Like the Landmark, the Frontier, the Aladdin, the Desert Inn, the
Sahara, the Sands, Westward Ho and Vegas World. All closed, all demolished.
But the sign I miss the most is the Stardust. Whenever I
drove down South Las Vegas Boulevard at night, I’d always crane my neck looking
for its beautiful sign.
I didn’t know this, but according to the docent tour guide
at the Las Vegas Neon Boneyard Museum, the sign is actually based on a nuclear
mushroom cloud, and the sparkly lights were supposed to represent the nuclear
fallout, cosmic star dust as it were.
The half-million dollar sign was erected
in 1967, replacing the old circular sign that had been standing since the Las
Vegas landmark was built in 1958.
Alas, all that’s left are photos, some movies and videos,
and memories. Oh, and remnants of the old sign at the Las Vegas Neon Boneyard.
To wit:
This “Stardust” identification is in the Google type font,
and was replaced in 1991 by a Futura typeface. That’s all that remains of the
hotel made famous by the original Lido de Paris production show, and the casino's former (way former) owners with supposed ties to the mob.
2 comments:
I have in my possession the letter "T", from the old Jestson / Electra Jag lettering that stood on the roadside Statdust sign from 1967-1991 when they replaced it with that newer and much less inspiring new font that lasted until the casino closed. I was in Vegas when the letters with the cool Jetson font was being taken down and being replaced with the newer and blander new lettering. During the transition, the Jetson letters were all piled up in the parking lot. Well, to make a long story short, my friends and myself took a letter a piece to take back home to By with us (I'm was always fascinated with old school Vintage Vegas). My friend took the "S", my other friend took the "R" and I took the "T"...We actually packed them in the plane cargo to take back with us to NY, all we had to do was pay a $75 shipping fee for each letter and knock out all the neon tubing that still were in the lettering. Sadly, my two friends passed on and am unable to find the "S" and the "R" that they had, even after much inquiry with their families... However, I'm still in possession of the "T"...It's been a pride of mine for years. It's in a little rough shape but noting any professional restoring couldn't handle. I reasearched that the Stardust Letters now reside in the boneyard, but I think only the facade letters from the real early days. I never saw any letters from the roadside sign that stood all those years and was undoubtedly the most beautiful sign ever to soar above the Vegas Strip. And since my friends and I recovered them from a junk pile in the parking lot when they were being replaced in 1991, I may hold the only letter left in existence. I used to put x-mas lights in the frame and have it in my backyard but now as I live in an apartment, I have it in storage. I'm reaching out to you because I saw an article on your interest on such things and hoping if u might have any ideas on what, if anything I can do to let this unique piece of Vegas History be shared with someone with a true passion in history such as this. It's a shame that I have it locked away in a storage unit. Since I had it outside in my backyard illuminated with my own lights for many years, it did suffer some rust. But its totally in tack with even the back plate. A simple resteration just to buff it up is all it would need. I would love to share it with people who appriciate what this represents as much as I do....any ideas, advice or information would be greatly appricated..Danny 631-449-4472. Thank you
I have in my possession the letter "T", from the old Jestson / Electra Jag lettering that stood on the roadside Statdust sign from 1967-1991 when they replaced it with that newer and much less inspiring new font that lasted until the casino closed. I was in Vegas when the letters with the cool Jetson font was being taken down and being replaced with the newer and blander new lettering. During the transition, the Jetson letters were all piled up in the parking lot. Well, to make a long story short, my friends and myself took a letter a piece to take back home to By with us (I'm was always fascinated with old school Vintage Vegas). My friend took the "S", my other friend took the "R" and I took the "T"...We actually packed them in the plane cargo to take back with us to NY, all we had to do was pay a $75 shipping fee for each letter and knock out all the neon tubing that still were in the lettering. Sadly, my two friends passed on and am unable to find the "S" and the "R" that they had, even after much inquiry with their families... However, I'm still in possession of the "T"...It's been a pride of mine for years. It's in a little rough shape but noting any professional restoring couldn't handle. I reasearched that the Stardust Letters now reside in the boneyard, but I think only the facade letters from the real early days. I never saw any letters from the roadside sign that stood all those years and was undoubtedly the most beautiful sign ever to soar above the Vegas Strip. And since my friends and I recovered them from a junk pile in the parking lot when they were being replaced in 1991, I may hold the only letter left in existence. I used to put x-mas lights in the frame and have it in my backyard but now as I live in an apartment, I have it in storage. I'm reaching out to you because I saw an article on your interest on such things and hoping if u might have any ideas on what, if anything I can do to let this unique piece of Vegas History be shared with someone with a true passion in history such as this. It's a shame that I have it locked away in a storage unit. Since I had it outside in my backyard illuminated with my own lights for many years, it did suffer some rust. But its totally in tack with even the back plate. A simple resteration just to buff it up is all it would need. I would love to share it with people who appriciate what this represents as much as I do....any ideas, advice or information would be greatly appricated..Danny 631-449-4472. Thank you
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