9/9/13

The SAHARA HOTEL, in 1955 Las Vegas


In the days of shooting film you had to make decisions about the shots you took before you took them, especially with color film. You only had so many shots on a roll, you didn't know if you would be near a place to buy more film, the developing and prints would cost a lot...on and on. So the shots had to matter. They had to be something you really wanted. So how is it that out of the box of slides of a visit to Las Vegas in 1955 only two actually show Vegas landmarks? The majority of the shots show friends and family milling around the tarmac at the Vegas airport. Obviously the photographer had his priorities.

Doesn't it seem strange to see a Vegas hotel pool without any people around it?


Click on image to see it larger.

The Sahara Hotel no longer exists. It opened in 1952 and closed in 2011. Once upon a time it was one of the hot swinging spots on the strip.
The hotel once showcased some of the biggest stars on the Strip, including comedians Don Rickles and Johnny Carson and singers Dean Martin and Tina Turner. The Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon originated from the Sahara for 20 years. And the Sahara in 1964 brought the Beatles to Las Vegas for $25,000, though it hosted their show in the Las Vegas Convention Center because the hotel's 600-seat showroom couldn't handle the crowd, according to the Sun. (SOURCE: CNN)
To read more about the Sahara click here to visit Classic Las Vegas.

3 comments:

  1. I guess I'm odd. I'd rather see people scurrying around the airport tarmac. However, if I'm going swimming... this is my sort of crowd!

    :)

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  2. This is Eddie's camera again isn't it? I bet Mr. Big don't like crowds, so they booked all the rooms.

    Then again Charlie may be splashing around in the deep end and scaring away all the kids.

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    Replies
    1. Oh my, Charlie in Vegas in the pool. That would be so cool.

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