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Neon Nevada
Each night, as twilight descends on cities and towns across Nevada, the desert night sky is lit with the glow of hundreds of neon signs. Whether the signs are a part of the shimmering onslaught of Las Vegas's Glitter Gulch, a lone cowboy beckoning travelers on Interstate 80, or a simple martini glass on a tavern sign, they are an element of Nevada's cultural heritage. After all, in the words of one veteran sign maker, "Neon and flashing lights mean Nevada. Without neon and flashing lights, you might as well be anywhere."
In the early 1970s, Swan and Laufer set out to chronicle this cultural heritage in photographs as a means of preserving an art form that was at the time fast dying out. Neon Nevada combines these photographs, many of signs no longer in existence, with newer photos of signs installed during the recent renaissance in neon. It is a lighthearted, charming record of images from the generic to the unforgettable.
The accompanying text provides a brief history of neon sign-making, from its beginnings in Paris to its spread across the United States, pointing out in particular how it found its perfect setting in Nevada. The text is also a captivating description of how Swan and Laufer came to fall in love with neon - a love that the reader will grow to share - and of their travels in search of signs to immortalize.
In the early 1970s, Swan and Laufer set out to chronicle this cultural heritage in photographs as a means of preserving an art form that was at the time fast dying out. Neon Nevada combines these photographs, many of signs no longer in existence, with newer photos of signs installed during the recent renaissance in neon. It is a lighthearted, charming record of images from the generic to the unforgettable.
The accompanying text provides a brief history of neon sign-making, from its beginnings in Paris to its spread across the United States, pointing out in particular how it found its perfect setting in Nevada. The text is also a captivating description of how Swan and Laufer came to fall in love with neon - a love that the reader will grow to share - and of their travels in search of signs to immortalize.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 25, 2013
nice breakdown of the history of Neon signs (in pictures and text)in the state of Nevada.
May 14, 2012
As a westerner who has travelled all around Nevada and the Southwest, I LOVED this book. I am so glad that these authors have captured the lost neon of the old west and rpeserved it in this book.
May 14, 2012
More love for this new book of Nevada neon! The writing and pictures are wonderful and the important preservation of neon art even better.
October 12, 2021
My favorite thing about this book is the remarkable photos. Neon is incredibly hard to photograph and they get it right in this. If you love neon signs this is a must own book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews