Las Vegas: 1905-1965

by Lynn M. Zook, Allen Sandquist, Carey Burke

Overview

Everyone thinks they know the story of Las Vegas: the showgirls, the gambling, the mob. But Las Vegas has always been much more. Families have lived here since its founding in 1905. After 1931, legalized gaming became the big tourist draw, and following World War II, the town began to market itself as "America's Playground." That is when the famed Las Vegas Strip came into its own and downtown was dubbed "Glitter Gulch." These vintage postcards show how Las Vegas evolved from a dusty railroad town into the "Entertainment Capital of the World," while remaining a city filled with families and pioneering souls.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738569697
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	02/25/2009
Series:	Postcard History Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,087,299
Product dimensions:	6.52(w) x 9.26(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Lynn M. Zook is a noted historian, preservationist, and filmmaker dedicated to preserving the 20th-century history of her hometown through her Web site and blog. Allen Sandquist, a Las Vegas photographer, has collected postcards since he was a young boy. Carey Burke is a lifelong collector of Las Vegas ephemera, including postcards, pictures, and menus.

Editorial Reviews

Title: POSTCARD HISTORY OF LAS VEGAS
Author: Connie Mancillas
Publisher: Traveling Nevada
Date: 4/10/09

The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas will host an autograph reception and panel discussion on the history of Las Vegas in postcards on Friday, May 8, 2009.

Authors Lynn Zook, Carey Burke, and Allen Sandquist have compiled Las Vegas, 1905 - 1965 [Arcadia Publishing, 2009], which details the history of the city through hundreds of black-and-white postcards, from its post-auction beginning in 1905 to the height of its golden age as a resort destination in 1965. Few who know Las Vegas today will recognize its agricultural roots in images of the Stewart Ranch, the shady neighborhoods that grew up between the world wars, or the small, unpretentious motels and auto courts once scattered around the city. Las Vegas's resort industry matured during the 1950s and '60s, and postcards from the book reflect the mid-century modern elegance of such vanished hotel casinos as the Hacienda, Desert Inn, and the New Frontier.

All three authors grew up in Las Vegas. Zook, founder of the history website classiclasvegas.com, has long been preserving her hometown's story through oral histories and panel discussions. Allen Sandquist, a photographer whose images of Las Vegas have been widely published, and Carey Burke are both avid collectors of Las Vegas ephemera and memorabilia. The postcards in Las Vegas, 1905 - 1965, were culled from Sandquist's and Burke's collections, as well as from the archives of the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas.

Zook, Burke, and Sandquist will autograph their book at the museum from 5:30 - 7:00 pm, and will discuss their project afterward from 7:00 till 8:00 pm. Refreshments will be provided by the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas Volunteer and Docent Council.

The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas is located at 700 Twin Lakes Drive in Lorenzi Park. The museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. General admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors 55 and over, and free to children 17 and under.

The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas is one of seven museums managed by the Division of Museums and History, an agency of the Nevada Department of Culture Affairs. The Department serves Nevada's citizens and visitors through cultural and information management, presentation and promotion of cultural resources, and education. The Department also includes the State Historic Preservation Office, Nevada State Library and Archives, and the Nevada Arts Council. For more information, call Teresa Moiola at [phone].

From the Publisher