Rare Vintage Photos From The Early Days Of Las Vegas
Whether you call it Sin City, the City of Lights, the Capital of Second Chances, or America's Playground, you probably know that Las Vegas is a place where people go to stir up trouble and have fun. While Vegas isn't exactly tame by today's standards, it's got nothing on the Vegas of the past.
Keep reading to see some astounding vintage photographs of what Las Vegas looked like back in the day. Get ready for some real gangsters, gamblers, sharp-shooters, and daredevils.
Evel Knievel's High Flying Stunt
This is a photo of daredevil Evel Knievel sitting on his motorcycle in Las Vegas in 1967. That year, he attempted one of his most dangerous stunts. He hopped on his motorcycle and jumped over the giant water fountain outside Caesar's Palace. The arrows on the photo above show you where his jump started and where it ended.
This man kept thousands of Las Vegas residents and visitors entertained with his wild antics. There has never been another quite like Evel Knievel.
The Elephant Who Played Blackjack
This is one lucky elephant. It looks like he has a pocket blackjack in his hand (or trunk). They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but when you capture a photo of an elephant dominating a blackjack table, it's just too good not to share.
Everyone in the background of this photo doesn't seem to phased about the elephant in the casino. Maybe this was just a normal occurrence in Vegas back in the '50s.
The Marvelous Miss Cue!
If you're thinking, hey, that tiara looks a lot like a mushroom cloud, then you're right on the money. Leave it to Vegas to turn the Cold War into a beauty pageant. A few army guys had the brilliant idea to name Linda Lawson "Miss Cue" after a delayed nuclear test dubbed "Operation Mis-Cue."
In the 1950s, the Cold War was in the news constantly. There are many responses one could have to the threat of being blown to smithereens at any moment. This is one of them.
A Deathly Bet
While regular old gambling isn't exactly moral, it doesn't hurt anybody. Your wallet might be aching after a few rounds of roulette, but at least your body (and the bodies of everybody around you) stays intact.
In the 1980s, gambling was even more morally ambiguous than it is today. Back then, in Las Vegas, doctors used to make bets on when their patients would die. There are rumors that one nurse actually let a patient die just so she could win a bet.
What's Vegas Without A Few Brothels?
With prohibition gone and inhibitions at an all-time low, prostitution thrived in Vegas in the 1950s. This photo from 1954 captures the unbelievable moment when the feds raided the famous Roxie's brothel on Four Mile. Even the town's sheriff was taking bribes from brothel owners at the time.
Getting caught up in a brothel raid is the last thing that most men who go to Vegas for a good time are hoping for. The raid was too much of a deterrent for the ladies, though.
The Roof Is Literally On Fire
This is a photo of the Sands Hotel and Casino on fire after workers accidentally set off a spark that ignited the roof. Even though nobody was seriously injured, the fire caused a million dollars in damage.
If this happened today, you'd probably see a lot more iPhones in this shot trying to get a photo of the blaze. Still, someone managed to get a photo of the fire, with a camera much larger and much clunkier than an iPhone camera.
"Two Tonys" Show The Price Of Gang Life
Mobsters Anthony Brancato and Anthony Trombino - aka the "Two Tonys" - were two peas in a pod. The pair's violence and antics were sometimes too much even for the bosses. After robbing the Flamingo, the higher-ups had enough. The Two Tonys were shot dead in a car on Hollywood Boulevard in 1951.
Apparently, the mob likes to whack people in cars. Nothing good comes from being a gangster or mobster. It's more of an in the moment type "profession" if you will. You never know when things are going to go south.
The Real Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal
Robert De Niro's character in Casino was based on the very real Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, a onetime owner of the Stardust (with the mob's blessing, of course). You know a mobster is big when he is the main character in a motion picture. He had quite the reputation and created a big name for himself in the mob world.
Lefty survived the bombing (pictured above), which, by some accounts, was carried out by a mob enforcer who had an affair with Lefty's wife. While we're on the topic of sex in Vegas...
Women Getting It Done
Lefty was astute in his observation that sex appeal sells. After allowing women to become blackjack dealers at the Stardust, the casino's profits doubled. Soon, all other casinos followed suit. So, although the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice, it is often motivated by sex appeal and profits - and celebrities.
We told you men would do anything around attractive scantily clothed women. So when you mix in blackjack with that, there is no telling how much money was wasted at these table by grown men. Lefty was a smart man indeed.
The Prettiest Showgirls In America
We can't discuss Vegas without showgirls, can we? They are a mainstay in the Las Vegas entertainment industry, and continue to be so to this day! This candid shot of showgirls strutting their stuff up on the stage gives us a glimpse of what type of women were chosen to perform.
You know Vegas had to have the prettiest of women be showgirls because it attracted more men willing to spend their money and some women too. But there was someone else who drew attention too...
Elvis Put Vegas On The Map
As soon as someone says "Vegas," one of two things come to mind: slot machines and Elvis impersonators. And this is as it should be. There are also tons of other impersonators like a Transformer or any given superhero you could think of but the Elvis one is the most iconic one. Elvis had many fans so it was perfect for him to be sort of a mascot of Vegas.
In addition to performing the city's anthem, Viva Las Vegas, Elvis's live shows drew millions of people. But so did the antics of the next guy on the list...
Muhammad Ali Outside The Riviera
Muhammad Ali was an athlete like no other. His antics, both in the boxing ring and outside of it, were an aesthetic delight that brought bragging to the level of art. Not only was he taking hits in the ring but he was fighting the battle for civil rights. There really wasn't another athlete like him. He is the definition of a generational athlete.
In this intimate photo, the champ is preparing for one of the several fights he took on in Las Vegas. Of course, Ali wasn't the only one to tower over others...(click to see the next slide!)
Check Out That Mushroom Cloud
You read that right; that cloud in the distance is a mushroom cloud. Back when the U.S. and Russia were arguing over whose explosions were bigger, Nevada was the military's testing ground. The explosions even became entertainment fixtures, as "sky rooms" offered unobstructed views of the blasts while serving "atomic cocktails." Now, do you believe that Vegas will think of anything to scam the good people out of their money?
Through mutation and all. However mutated it is, Vegas has the Wild West in its DNA, as seen in the next photo.
Frank Sinatra Takes On The Vegas Strip
This rare photo of Frank Sinatra captures him as he would want to be remembered - surrounded by beautiful women, living life his way. Old Blue Eyes was also known for his opposition to segregation; Sinatra refused to perform at clubs that banned fellow Rat Pack member Sammy Davis, Jr. onto the premises even while allowing him to perform.
Why would you even want to perform if you couldn't have your whole team with you anyway? Maybe if they lured him with women his tuned would have changed. Let's get back to sex and Vegas...
A Classic Vegas Gangster
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was one of the most notorious - and charismatic - gangsters of his era. He's also someone who put Las Vegas on the map. But being in charge of the famous Flamingo Hotel and Casino had its costs, as Siegel was gunned down in 1947.
Being a gangster doesn't really come with a happy ending most of the time. It could be a lucrative deal most of the time but it usually isn't worth it. Don't worry - Sin City has more violence in store for your guilty eyes...
When Cowboys Go To Vegas
This photo was taken in 1948. The two men playing the slot machines are real cowboys who traveled to Vegas while taking a break from wrangling cattle and mending fences. It'snot too often that you see real-deal cowboys in Vegas nowadays, or anywhere outside of a cattle farm, really.
It looks like these two friends aren't looking for a duel. They're just trying their luck at the casino like everybody else. Those vintage slot machines would be worth so much today.
Giddy Up On Over To The Roulette Table
Who would have thought that cowboys roamed the Las Vegas Strip, but there they were. You normally don't think of cowboys being in that environment. When have you ever seen a cowboy gambling in any movie or TV show? It would be quite hard to think of one off the top of your head. In this photo from 1935.
It looks as though gunslingers, outlaws, and frontiersmen are all gathered at some Texas saloon, gambling away their winnings. For an image of a Vegas cowboy that you'll never forget, click to see the next slide!
The Famous Cross-Eyed Cowboy
While New York has its "Naked Cowboy," Las Vegas had its "Cross-Eyed Cowboy." Those bulging eyes, that mustache-adorned smirk, and that heroic pose make you wonder if it was just tobacco that he was chewing. Why do you ask? Because why would a crossed-eyed cowboy be merrily roaming around Las Vegas showcasing his "uniqueness".
Some people out there just have no shame. We're sure that this world belongs to the Cross-Eyed Cowboy and we're just sharing it. Now, horses weren't the only four-legged creatures on the Strip - check out the next slide!
No Pockets? No Problem
Why, water, of course! In between rounds of Marco Polo and sunbathing, why not try your luck at a swimming pool craps table? The casinos finally aborted this gimmick after dealers and patrons started losing chips and getting the pristine fabric on the tables wet. In hindsight, who was the person who thought of this?
Why did the casino heads give this the okay to go into operation? Wouldn't the money get wet? But not even swimming pool craps could have made the subject of our next photo as happy as she is!
Vegas Was Thriving In The '50s
Once prohibition was abolished in 1933, Vegas really started getting into its groove. By the '40s and '50s, Vegas was full of tourists and those tourists' pockets were full of money. These people were ripe and ready to make bad decisions and blow all of their hard-earned cash on a table game or a slot machine.
Most of these tourists wore their fanciest clothes to the casino. It was something of a tradition to go out looking as clean-cut as possible while engaging in some rather dirty behavior.
Swinging Into Action
Yes, you are seeing a casino with trapeze showgirls overhead. That is next level entertainment. There really is no place quite like Las Vegas if you sit down and think about it. Well, at least in America that is. Just imagine if these lovely girls were swinging over your head while you are trying to enjoy your gambling.
Never put it past Sin City to think up new combinations aimed at distracting tourists from realizing how much money they're actually spending. Forget the mortgage - look, a clown! Or, as we'll see in the next slide - look, a nuclear bomb!
The Fabulous Miss Atomic Bomb
Yes, it's the world-famous Miss Atomic Bomb! Doesn't the outfit look explosive? Doesn't she look like she is exploding with beauty? This mysterious showgirl, whose stage name was Lee A. Merlin is now a timeless symbol of Sin City, and rightfully so! The city hits you like the bang of an atomic chain reaction.
Be it the violence, the drinks, the sex, or the gambling, the old saying is true: Whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas! So when you arrive, don't be surprised if something that has never happened to you before takes place.
Gambling Saved Federal Express
Struggling to keep Federal Express afloat in the 1970s, founder Frederick Smith took the last $5,000 he had to Las Vegas. The crazy move worked and Smith cashed out with $27,000. The money paid his company's jet fuel for a week. Now that's what we call risky business.
There is no story about what Smith did to keep the company alive after, but we promise it didn't happen in Vegas. And if it did, it stayed there!
Your Ice Cream Wish Is Their Command
Famous aviator and innovator Howard Hughes made a strange request while staying in Vegas once. Staying at the Desert Inn, Hughes demanded that 200 gallons of banana nut ice cream from Baskin Robbins be flown in.
The hotel complied. Days later Hughes changed his mind, saying he would only eat chocolate marshmallow ice cream. For the next year, the Desert Inn gave patrons free ice cream. What we're wondering is why didn't Vegas have a Baskin Robbins in the first place?
Before The Bright Lights
This is what Las Vegas looked like before all the neon signs, blinking lights, and big casinos rolled into town. Las Vegas was a frontier town like any other frontier town. This photo was taken in 1906, which was shortly after Vegas was incorporated as a city by Mormon developers.
It didn't take long before Vegas became the thriving metropolitan center we know today. In 1931, Nevada legalized casino gambling and reduced residency requirements for divorce to six weeks.
Noel Coward Made Vegas Proud
In 1955, Noel Coward made his first-ever North American appearance in Las Vegas. During his shows, he entertained the audience with music and stories. In this picture you see him taking full advantage of the bleak Vegas desert.
His surrounding brilliantly contrasts his lively personality and dapper suit. There's nowhere in the world quite like Las Vegas, Nevada. The other option is he got lost and decided instead freaking out, it was the perfect moment for a photo shoot!
Another Day, Another Atom Bomb
Here's a frightening picture of an atom bomb being tested in Las Vegas in "Doom Town." Yes, the military called the town in Las Vegas they used for testing, "Doom Town." It's fitting, though, the chance anyone in this house survived is zero. Don't worry, there was no one this house. Structures like this were specifically built for these disturbing tests.
Sammy Davis Jr. Makes Us Swoon
Hey look, it's Sammy Davis Jr. performing in Las Vegas in 1961. The performance was in honor Dean Martin, who was in town celebrating his birthday. Looks like he got the best birthday present ever! Who wouldn't want a musical legend to serenade them on their birthday with a full band? Let's hope Martin gave Davis a good tip for his incredible performance!
Horses!
Okay, maybe it's not that surprising to see horses in the desert. America was known as the wild west at one point! Still, this awesome image makes Vegas look like it hasn't escaped the west. Sure, this cowboy doesn't have chapps on or pistol strapped to his side, but he does have moxie. And a cowboy hat. And cowboy boots. He might be John Wayne in the flesh! According to our sources, however, his name is H.C. Nickerson and he's from Boston.
Old Timey Gambling For The First Time
This picture was taken inside the El Rancho, the first resort hotel on the strip. This couple clearly doesn't know how to gamble. They need to be in front of the machine! The El Rancho opened in 1942. While gambling was alive in well in Vegas before that, it's hard to think there was a time when the strip wasn't filled with hotels, casinos, and bright lights!
The Tragic Ending Of Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard was a popular actress in the 1930s and early 1940s. Sadly she died in a plane crash over the Las Vegas desert in 1942. The photo above, while showing nothing graphic, features soldiers preparing to lower her body down from the wreckage. During her peak, she was the highest paid actress in Hollywood. She married Clark Gable in 1939 and left him a widower upon her death.
Down For The Count
You've already see Muhammed Ali, but here's another picture capturing a classic fight from Vegas' past. This is Sonny Liston walking away after knocking out Leotis Martin. The victory secured the North American Heavyweight Championship for Liston. The victory was seen live by more than 2,000 patrons in the main showroom of the international hotel.
A Very Sinatra Opening Night
What a sight to see the whole Sinatra gang together in 1969. The family showed up in full force for the opening night of Frank Jr's show at Ceasar's Palace. Frank Sr. looks regal next to his daughter Nancy Sinatra. And in between Nancy and Frank Jr. is Nancy Barbato, Frank Sr's first wife. Yep, Nancy Sinatra, like her brother Frank, is a Jr.!
Fisher And Stevens Together At Last
Married in real life, Connie Stevens and Eddie Fisher became the first real-life couple to perform in Vegas at the same time. Here they sit on a patch of grass with their shows being advertised in the background. Taking place in 1969, this little of piece of history one for the ages. These days there aren't a lot of Vegas firsts, so when we find pictures of originals we have to appreciate them!
O.J. Simpson Teaching Football
In 1969, O.J. Simpson was on top of the world. Here we see him in Vegas teaching Ann-Margaret how to throw a football. After this, we assume he went gambling. Of course, the next couple decades would not be good for the NFL Hall of Famer. In the 1990s he was put on trial for murdering his wife, Nicole. A lengthy and well-documented trial followed and he was found innocent.
A Triple Threat
In case you couldn't tell, this is Tom Jones, Priscilla Presley, and Elvis Presley posing together for a legendary picture. Elvis was in town to watch Jones perform. We're told he was cheered loudly for his entertainment brother. Jones and Elvis were often compared to each other for their similar tastes in fashion and performance styles. The real fashion queen is Priscilla, though. We mean, look at that hair!
A Mugshot For The Rest Of Us
Proof that what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas is seen above. Jim Morrison isn't looking too proud being booked by the LVPD here. The lead singer of the doors was picked up in Vegas in 1968. We don't know what trouble he was getting into that January, and we're not sure we want to know! Tragically, Morrison died three years later of a drug overdose.
Elvis Ties The Knot
Elvis Presley was inseparable from Las Vegas. He loved the city so much it's where he marries Priscilla in 1967. The happy couple cuts their wedding cake above. The wedding looks surprisingly traditional from what we can see. Not only did Elvis get married in Sin City, he was the last person we would consider traditional. Unfortunately, the happy marriage was anything but During their six-years together, Elvis cheated on Priscilla constantly and she divorced him.
Debbie Reynolds, Hotel Owner
Before writing this we didn't know Debbie Reynolds owned her own hotel in Las Vegas. She does and this is proof. Here is Debbie Reynolds in 1985 getting crazy dancing down the hall of "Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel." Guests look just as shocked as us that the popular singer and actress also owns real estate. She's not losing money gambling anymore. Don't forget, the house always wins!
Two Big Boppers Sharing A Laugh
Vegas mainstays Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin share a laugh in the picture above. Taken in 1979, Sinatra was in Vegas to receive the Pied Piper award from ASCAP. The award honored Sinatra for his 40-year career. Coincidentally, the day of this photo was Frank's birthday. No better place to forget your 64th birthday than Las Vegas with Dean Martin!
