Jay's Motel and Magic Wand

Here's a 1960's chrome card of Jay's Motel and Benny's Coffee Shop, in Elko, Nevada.  I especially like the Googie architecture sign out front, with the ovals framing the names of the establishments and the big "magic wand" with the starburst at the end.

Elko is called the "Heart of Northeastern Nevada," basically because there is nothing else there for miles around.  It's on the highway, though, so there were a number of motels like this one for the folks traveling between Salt Lake City and Reno.

Jay's is now a Budget Inn, and they went and lopped off the top of the top of the sign, halfway up.  Here's the proof:

I kind of like the older version better!

All Hail Caesar!

Once upon a time, Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas may have been a little bit alone on the Strip.  The place wasn't as built up, back when this postcard was produced just after 1966, when it opened.  But, did it really look that desolate back then?

I don't think so!  Look closely, and I think you'll agree.  The desert background, in both top and bottom shots, is exactly the same.  The crafty graphic designer cut out the two views of the hotel (old school, way before Photoshop, way before personal computers) and plopped them onto the same background.  It's especially obvious on the left hand side of the pictures, where you can see the same mountain rise in the distance, and the same road going off into the vanishing point with an asphalt area to its left!  Maybe this would be an acceptable practice for pictures on two different postcards, but for two pictures on the same postcard?  This graphic artist should have had his license revoked!!

Union Station, Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Union Pacific Station was the best example of Streamline Moderne in Las Vegas. It was built in 1940 and replaced a 30-year-old Spanish-style station. It was demolished in the mid-1960s to build the Union Plaza Hotel. Amtrak continued train service to the back of the hotel until 1993.

The Union Plaza Hotel, now called the Plaza Hotel, announced in September, 2010 that it was closing its 1,037-room hotel tower and will lay off more than 400 employees, in order to make upgrades and re-open in a very difficult economy. The Plaza is the white building in the foreground of this photo:

Progress?!