Old Las Vegas Socks
Description: The Dunes was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It opened on May 23, 1955, as the tenth resort on the Strip. It was initially owned by a group of businessmen from out of state, but failed to prosper under their management. It also opened at a time of decreased tourism, while the Strip was simultaneously becoming overbuilt with hotel rooms. A few months after the opening, management was taken over by the operators of the Sands resort, also on the Strip. This group failed to improve business and relinquished control less than six months later.
Description: The Sands Hotel and Casino was a historic American hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, United States, that operated from 1952 to 1996. Designed by the architect Wayne McAllister, with a prominent 56-foot (17 m) high sign, the Sands was the seventh resort to open on the Strip. During its heyday, it hosted many famous entertainers of the day, most notably the Rat Pack and Jerry Lewis.
Description: The $5 million Hotel Sahara opened on October 7, 1952, with an African Sahara theme. Attendees to the grand opening included Ray Bolger and Gus Greenbaum. It was the sixth resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip. Max Maltzman was the architect, and Ragnar Qvale was the interior designer. The Sahara utilized a modern and simple design. The North African desert theme was conveyed only minimally in the Sahara's architecture. Outside, the only depiction of the theme consisted of fake camels and Arabian people. The interior included statues of Arab guards.
Description: Riviera (colloquially, "the Riv") was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada, which operated from April 1955 to May 2015. The casino was first proposed by Detroit mobster William Bischoff as the Casa Blanca, and received a gaming license in 1952. Bischoff later withdrew from the project, which was taken over by Miami businessman Samuel Cohen. By March 1955, Cohen, identified as a member of Miami's S & G gambling syndicate, was no longer part of the investment group, though rumors persisted that he secretly maintained an involvement. Marx Brothers Harpo and Gummo held minority interests at the opening.
Description: In late 1945, mobster Bugsy Siegel and his partners came to Las Vegas. Vegas reportedly piqued Siegel and his mob's interest because of its legalized gambling and off-track betting. At the time, Siegel held a large interest in Trans America Wire, a racing publication. Siegel began by purchasing El Cortez on Fremont Street for $600,000. His expansion plans were hampered by unfriendly city officials aware of his criminal background, so Siegel began looking for a site outside the city limits. Hearing that Wilkerson was seeking extra funding, Siegel and his partners posed as businessmen and directly bought a two-thirds stake in the project.
Description: The Dunes Hotel was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, that operated from May 23, 1955 to January 26, 1993. Designed by architects John Replogle, Robert Dorr Jr., Milton Schwartz and Maxwell Starkman, it was the tenth resort to open on the Strip. Bellagio now stands on the former grounds. In the early 1950s, Al Gottesman, the retired owner of a movie theater chain who was living in Miami, received a request from two developers for a $58,000 loan that would be used to purchase desert property for a Las Vegas hotel. Gottesman agreed to provide funding in exchange for a small portion of the hotel's profits. Gottesman provided an additional $16,000 to hire an architect for the new project.
Description: El Rancho Vegas was a hotel and casino at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. It opened in 1941, as the first resort on the Strip, known then as part of Highway 91. It was located at what is now the southwest corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. The El Rancho Vegas was conceived by Thomas Hull, who owned several hotels in California and wanted to expand his operations to Las Vegas. He decided to build his new resort along Highway 91, on desert land located just outside of city limits. Hull intended to target motorists traveling from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, although his remote location was met with skepticism.
Description: The Algiers Hotel was an Arabian/Persian-themed hotel located at 2845 South Las Vegas Boulevard on the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. The Algiers was opened in 1953, as a 110-room sister property to the adjacent Thunderbird hotel and casino. The Algiers was noted for mostly retaining its original design throughout its operation, giving it the appearance of an older Las Vegas hotel. In 1991, the property was earmarked for possible condemnation because the hotel's construction resulted in the misalignment of nearby streets, resulting in increased traffic.
Description: The Last Frontier Hotel is best known as the second resort built on the fledgling Las Vegas Strip, located along historic Highway 91. Built several miles south of downtown Las Vegas, the Last Frontier was completed in 1942, a year after the debut of its neighbor, the El Rancho Vegas.
Description: A forgotten slice of old Las Vegas music culture, reimagined as a weathered mid-century music shop souvenir. Art Deco architecture, desert sunset, palms, pianos, organs, records and radios come together in a richly detailed vintage storefront illustration inspired by the era when neighborhood music stores were destinations of their own. Finished with aged screen-print texture and classic Nevada colors for collectors of retro Americana, historic Las Vegas, record shops and vintage music ephemera.
