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Neon and Nevada are inextricably linked. Nevada is the state that never sleeps, with bars and casinos open all hours of the night, lit up with glowing neon. Neon dazzles against the inky black skies of the Nevada desert. The panoply of these beautiful neon signs, with their artful typography and masterful designs, were, and still are, beacons of the Modern American West. Neon is almost synonymous with the west, with the boom and bust of casinos, and the bustling nightlife. From the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas and Reno to the glow in more rural towns such as Winnemucca, Elko, and Tonopah, the western mythos is illuminated with neon.
Neon was first invented in France in the 1920s, and became very popular around the world, especially in America. But no other state has quite the same associations to neon as Nevada. Since Nevada was for a time the only state that allowed gambling, and casinos were all illuminated in buzzing neon, neon is representative of that hard and fast drinking and gambling lifestyle. Neon made drinking and gambling glamorous. Today, you can walk into a grocery store or gas station in Nevada and play slot machines, and it’s lit up in neon. The distinct historical visual style of neon that has influenced design and commerce for decades, that was most popular in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, was constructed by elite neon craftsmen using cutting-edge technology. These signs combine typography and symbols related to socioeconomic happenings, natural landmarks, and western lore, signifying to locals and visitors alike that they are in fact in Nevada. This visual style was developed locally in the American West and spread coast to coast in the United States. From truck stops to motels to storefronts to casinos—neon is everywhere in Nevada. Or it was. The glow of neon is fading. Sadly, these iconic signs are increasingly under threat of demolition, or removal from their context. Their and rich largely unknown history could very well be lost in the wind, which is why the University of Nevada, Reno Libraries has partnered with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries, the Nevada Historical Society, and other experts and neon enthusiasts to create a digital archive to preserve and document Nevada’s iconic neon signs found far and wide across the state before they’re gone. The archive will live on a website that will be easily accessible to anyone interested in learning about the rich history of neon in Nevada. For over a year members and partners of the Neon in Nevada project have been working to collect images of neon across the state for the digital archive. This project is the brainchild of Katherine Hepworth, former associate professor of Visual Journalism in the Reynold’s School of Journalism, and Chris Church, associate professor of History at UNR. The two approached then Art Librarian, Amy Hunsaker, in 2018 about collecting images of neon signs in Nevada and creating a digital archive. They thought of Hunsaker because she had just worked on the Reno Street Art Project which documented street art across Reno in order to preserve it in a digital archive that was interactive and accessible to the general public. Church and Hepworth wanted to do something similar with the vintage neon signs found all over the state of Nevada. The project didn’t get off the ground until early 2020 when it received a grant from the Nevada State Library to fund the project. Hunsaker believes this is a project many people will love, since there is something so unique about the artistry and history of neon in Nevada. “It’s vintage neon! What’s not to love?” Hunsaker said. Some of Hunsaker’s favorite signs are those of the downtrodden motels on Fourth Street in Reno, like the Stardust Lodge. The typeface for the Stardust sign was actually invented specifically for that sign. Creators of neon are skilled artisans, known as “tube benders,” and they don’t just create signs to advertise businesses, they also create art. This is the art and history that Neon in Nevada is invested in protecting. Neon enthusiast Will Durham is a key member of the Neon in Nevada team, he has been traveling across the state for the past year collecting hundreds of pictures of neon signs for the digital archive. Durham, director of the Nevada Neon Project, is also a fifth and sixth grade teacher at Carson Montessori School. He worked with his fifth and sixth grade class to get a bill passed by the Nevada Legislature designating neon as the state element. While teaching his students about the history of neon, as well as the chemistry of it, he taught them about proposing and getting a bill passed by the legislature. Neon was recognized as the state element in April of 2019. While Nevada may be known as the “Silver State” nothing is more quintessentially Nevadan than neon signs. The digital archive of Nevada’s wonderful neon signs will go live in August 2021. People will be able to interact with and explore this rich visual history like never before. This will be a living archive that preserves these ephemeral signs, vestiges from the 30s, 40s, and 50s, meaning more pictures of signs can and will be added as they are collected. Neon in Nevada will also be hosting two virtual ARTown events on July 29th ahead of the website launch. One of the events will be a panel discussion featuring members of the Neon in Nevada team as well as neon experts and enthusiasts. The second event will be an interactive kids’ event hosted by Will Durham.
2 Comments
8/3/2023 08:54:00 am
Extremely pleasant article, I delighted in perusing your post, exceptionally decent share, I need to twit this to my devotees. Much obliged!.
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8/3/2023 01:55:45 pm
You can walk into a grocery store or gas station in Nevada and play slot machines, and it’s lit up in neon. Thank you for sharing your great post!
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