Las Vegas Memories courtesy of Life Magazine

 

In its heyday it was called the Mirage.  The motel sat on the Highway 91 aka the highway to Los Angeles.

With its pool sited in front of the motel, passing motorists could look over and see swimmers enjoy a cool dip in the aqua water on a hot summer day.  It was a great example of roadside architecture.

When Steve Wynn decided to build his first hotel in the mid-1980s, he decided to call it the Mirage.  He had to buy the rights to the name from the owners of the motel.  A deal was made and Mirage Motel became the Glass Pool Inn.

Its distinctive pool graced the roadside until the spring of 2005 when the motel and the pool were demolished.  It is now an empty lot.

Showgirls take a moment to play a slot machine hoping Lady Luck will smile upon them.

 

Keno players hoping for that lucky number.

 

Photos courtesy of the Life Magazine/Google Archive

Las Vegas in the 1950s

More photos from the Life Magazine/Google Archive:

This was taken by Life photographer, Loomis Dean, in 1952.  Back then, $3,000,000 was a lot of money.

Today the same plot of land would sell for considerable more.  I have to say, I do enjoy seeing all that

desert.  Reminds me of the Las Vegas of my youth.

 

Comedian Phil Silver gets in on the showgirl act in another great Loomis Dean picture from the Las Vegas Strip, circa 1952.

 

The famous Dinner Show audience watches the opening act, possibly the Copa Girls from the famed Sands Hotel.  This is another photo by Loomis Dean that captures the quaintness and the energy of the Las Vegas Strip of our collective memory.

 

 

Las Vegas World War II Bond Rally

 

 

Today's Las Vegas picture from the Life Magazine/Google Archive is the wonderful photo from 1943.

The police are guarding $500,000 in silver that is part of World War II bond rally.  It could be at the El Rancho Vegas, the Hotel Last Frontier or one of the small gambling joints on Fremont Street.

The photographer was John Florea.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Lonnie NEEDS You!

 

You've seen the back of the house as you pass by on Sandhill in the Paradise Crest neighborhood.  The Space Capsule that peeps over the fence along with the observatory and more!  Well, to long-time residents it is known as the home of Dr. Lonnie Hammargren.

Our pal Uncle Jack LeVine  calls Dr. Lonnie the Godfather of Preservation in Las Vegas.  Dr. Lonnie has been collecting pieces of Las Vegas and Nevada history for years.  In addition, he has been an avid collector of American history as well as Internationally.  He also collects the arcane and little known artifacts as well.  Over the years, Dr. Lonnie's collection has grown so much that it now fills up two houses and spills out over the yards.

For 364 days a year, a tour of the house is only available by invitation only.  But once a year, on the Sunday following Nevada Day, Dr. Lonnie and his wife, Sandy, open the doors and invite everyone to join them in the celebration.

The Annual Hammargren House of History's Celebration of Nevada Day will be on Sunday, Nov. 2nd from 1:00 - 5:00 pm.  This year, to help cover costs of organizing and putting on this wonderful event, the charge will be $5.

The Friends of Classic Las Vegas will be holding hourly raffles and helping out.  Raffle tickets will be a $1 a ticket or 6 for $5.  Proceeds will go to help the FCLV help save our history.

Volunteers are needed to help direct traffic and such.  If you would like to volunteer and help out, please contact Jack LeVine at www.veryvintagevegas.com

It should be fun afternoon so if you have never been to Dr. Lonnie's but always wanted to go, here's your chance!

We hope to see you there!