McCarran Airport: Mid Century Modern

It doesn't look like it now, though the bones are all still there if you look close enough, but when I was a kid growing up in Las Vegas, McCarran Airport was a mid-century modern oasis.

The new terminal was designed by Los Angeles architect, Welton Beckett and it fit right in with the space age theme that was prevalant back then.  From the Landmark tower to the Convention Center, the new terminal would be right at home.

The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas has a wonderful collection of photographs and negatives from one of the busiest and best photographers of that era, Jay Florian Mitchell.  Mitchell came to Las Vegas in the early 1950s and began photographing the town.  You can chart the transformation of Las Vegas from a town into a growing city by looking at the photos and negatives that are in this collection.  Mitchell's work spans the mid-1950s to the late 1970s and includes aerials.

Here are some of McCarran Airport:

Classic Las Vegas Neon Memories

This is our last installment of this week's walk down memory lane.  Tomorrow, as promised, the point behind this trip down memory lane.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy and remember these places:

Blackjack Motel

Cardinal Motel (gone)

 

City Center Motel (gone)

 

Clark Inn Motel sign (gone)

El Sombrero Cafe (thankfully still standing)

El Dorado Club, 1988

Lucky Cuss Motel

Lucky Motel (still standing) but the sign is now in a private collection

New Town Tavern (thankfully still standing)

Showboat Sign (gone along with the Showboat)

Star View Motel (still standing) but the sign has been drastically altered

The Tod Motor Hotel (still going strong)

Fremont Street a long time ago

 

Las Vegas Convention Center Rotunda (gone)

Hacienda Horse and Rider preserved and restored and riding over Fremont Street

Classic Las Vegas Downtown Memories

How many of these do you remember?

As promised, there is a point to all of this.

Coasters from the Mint Hotel (gone)

 

The Blue Angel Motel circa 1957

 

The Blue Angel Motel, circa 2007

 

Nevada Club tourists (gone)

 

Ad ad for the Lady Luck, circa 1973 (sort of gone)

 

Golden Goose, circa 1973 (gone)

 

Fremont Street, 1991

 

The Ambassador Motel - 1952-2007 (gone)

 

Union Pacific Train Depot (gone), 1970

 

Chamber of Commerce ad, 1948

 

Main Street, 2008

 

Swim-In-Pool sign, (gone for now)

 

Not exactly downtown but the Skyway Drive-In (gone)

 

St Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church

 

International House of Pancakes

 

Tomorrow Classic Las Vegas neon!

 

Thanks to Allen Sandquist (RoadsidePictures) for letting us use these images!

More Classic Las Vegas Memories

How many of these do you remember?

There's a point to this extended journey down Memory Lane, I promise.  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy!

The Dunes Hotel (gone) Matchbook art

 

Aqueduct Building, Sands Hotel, 1991 (gone)

 

The Hacienda Hotel (gone) circa 1973 (notice all that desert)

 

Holiday Casino, circa 1970s (gone)

 

The Landmark, 1973 (gone)

 

Landmark, circa 1980s (sign is in the Neon Boneyard)

 

Las Vegas Strip, circa 1980s with the El Morocco (gone) and the La Concha lobby(moved) and its hotel wing (gone) in the foreground.

 

The Silver Slipper, circa 1970s (gone)

 

Stardust Hotel, circa early 1960s (gone)

 

Tropicana Hotel (signage gone) circa 1973

 

Thanks to Allen Sandquist (RoadsidePictures) for letting us use these images.