20 Rare Photos Reveal The Old Glamour Behind America's 'Sin City'

When you think of Las Vegas, you probably think of chiming slot machines, strippers, and the strip flanked by huge brightly lit casino hotels. But it wasn't always that way. Once upon a time, Las Vegas, Nevada was just this dusty little town that had a few low-profile casinos. Take a look back at vintage Las Vegas for some serious nostalgia. Las Vegas, 1906 The San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad was officially completed in 1905, and what was left behind was a cute little desert town far smaller than what you'd find today. Fremont Street, 1921 Lake-Eglington/UNLV Special Collections Fremont Street, which would later become the most happening part of Las Vegas, was little more than a small town main street in 1921. Gambling Casino, 1935 Because of the construction of the Hoover Dam in the early 1930s, there was a huge influx of people living and working in Las Vegas. Gambling was legalized in 1931 and casinos started popping up soon after. Fremont Street, 1944 Ed Clark/UNLV Special Collections Once casinos became such a big attraction, Fremont Street was the main drag that drew in gamblers. Golden Nugget, 1950s Neat Stuff After World War II, there was a huge boom for Las Vegas gambling. So many new casinos and hotels popped up between 1946 and 1955, though still barely anything compared to what you see now. Las Vegas Casino, 1950s Neat Stuff The interiors of casinos looked a lot different back then compared to now. For one thing, they were a lot brighter inside. Vegas Vic Neat Stuff The neon cowboy for the Pioneer Club, named Vegas Vic, was a staple of Fremont street. People who had never even been to Vegas could recognize him. Showgirls Las Vegas showgirls were a huge attraction, and even the smallest casinos had shows. Frank Sinatra, 1955 In the 1950s, Las Vegas was frequented by a laundry list of big-name celebrities, and Frank Sinatra was a king among famous men. Miss Atomic Bomb, 1957 shootingparrots.co.uk Vegas also drew people in with atomic bomb testing. They detonated their first atomic bomb in the desert outside of town, with a huge crowd watching in 1951. They went on to detonate over 100 bombs at the Nevada Test Site. Fremont Street retrolandusa/Flickr Over the years, Fremont street became more brightly lit. Neon signs filled the sky, many of which had moving parts like the famous cowboy sign. Las Vegas From Above, 1964 Daily Mail Las Vegas began to change. While Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas was the place to be, Las Vegas Boulevard, known as the Las Vegas Strip, became the new happening area to build huge casinos. The Lights Of Las Vegas, 1966 Keystone-france/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images After a while, the lights on Fremont Street began to have a retro feel. It was seen as the old-fashioned part of Vegas. Tanya The Elephant, 1966 Vegas was not opposed to publicity stunts. When Tanya, an elephant that performed at the Dunes Hotel and Casino, played at the blackjack table, people loved it. Woman Playing Craps, 1963. The late '60s brought a lot of racial tension in Las Vegas. Segregation was a national issue at the time. Sahara, 1960s retrolandusa/Flickr When city officials were slow to desegregate, the crime bosses that ran Las Vegas casinos put the pressure on. After all, they wanted to make more money by allowing everyone into their casinos, regardless of color. Dunes Hotel Alamy When the 1970s came along, there was a huge boom in the Las Vegas population. More and more people were flocking to the casinos. Entering Las Vegas, 1970s Keystone-france/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images Since the Las Vegas strip became the mecca for gambling, they built this "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign in 1959. What's funny is that the Las Vegas Strip isn't actually in Las Vegas. It's just outside the city limits. Caesar's Palace, 1971 retrolandusa/Flickr As time went on, hotels and casinos got bigger and more lavish. Caeser's Palace was the first completely themed hotel on the Strip. Fremont Street, 1979 Gary Thompson/Las Vegas Review-Journal People have mixed feelings about Las Vegas now. Gamblers love a night of losing money, but, as you can see from this graffiti, others think it's a town of moral decay. What do you think? Credit: Allday Related: Like Vintage Glow Sticks, Many Neon Signs Are Making A Comeback In Vegas

20 Rare Photos Reveal The Old Glamour Behind America’s ‘Sin City’

by Zack Walkter
Published July 6, 2017

Las Vegas, 1906

Fremont Street, 1921

Gambling Casino, 1935