A Look Inside the Defining Era of 1950s Las Vegas
See the best photos before the EDM takeover.
The 1950s were a defining era of Las Vegas. It's a decade that saw the rise of the Riviera, the Sands, and the Dunes, where the likes of Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop flocked to the Strip along with millions of other tourists. There were dancers, mobsters, weddings, and the glitz of post-war America.
Customers gamble at a Las Vegas casino pool in 1957. Gambling wasn't the only attraction during this decade, as some of the biggest stars of film and music performed and brought entertainment to the city.
Dean Martin performs at the Sands in 1957. The Copa Room was the showroom for the hotel, and it was the stage for some of the greatest names in the entertainment industry.
Mamie Van Doren sings "Teddy Bear" during her first night club appearance at the Riviera Hotel in 1957. The sex symbol is known for being one of the first actresses to imitate the look of Marilyn Monroe.
Frank Sinatra performs at the Sands in 1954. He typically played at Sands three times a year, sometimes a two-week stint, which brought in a lot of business.
Cars drive down Fremont Street in Las Vegas in 1955. The street was named in honor of explorer John Charles Frémont and is located in the main downtown casino corridor.
Hotel owner Jake Freedman rolls dice at a craps table at the Dunes in 1955. The casino closed one year after Freedman bought it.
Former heavyweight champion Joe Louis signs a contract purchasing part interest in Las Vegas's $3,000,000 Moulin Rouge Hotel in 1954.
Fremont Street at night in 1955. It is among the most famous streets in the Las Vegas Valley, besides the Las Vegas Strip.
Showgirls perform Jackpot at a casino in 1955. The showgirls worked constantly, sometimes even up to three appearances in a day.
Frank Sinatra and Audrey Hepburn at the Sands in 1956. The two actors were both Oscar winners the same year (1954), yet never appeared in a film together.
Actress Jayne Mansfield, singer/actress Rita Moreno, and actress/dancer Gloria Paul at the roulette table in the Dunes casino in 1955.
Actors Peter Lawford and Judy Holliday by the pool of the Sands in 1953. The two were costars in the romantic comedy It Should Happen to You.
Opera singer Marguerite Piazza watches guests play roulette at the Sands in 1955. After her opera career she joined the supper-club circuit, performing jazz and pop in venues like the Sands in Las Vegas.
Sammy Davis Jr. during his wedding to Lory White at the Sands Hotel in 1958. They would divorce two years later.
Frank Sinatra and actress Ava Gardner at the opening of his nightclub in 1951. The couple got married that year.
Showgirls dance on stage in 1952. The iconic Vegas showgirl first started in the 1950s and the idea came from Paris.
Actress Jayne Mansfield poses by the pool of the Dunes hotel in 1955. She died in a car accident at the age of 34.
Bert Lahr plays dice in 1952. He is best known for his role as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz.
Liberace and Elvis Presley jam backstage at a night club in 1956. They first met when Liberace went to the Frontier to see Presley perform. Presley returned the favor and went to the Riviera to see Liberace's act.
Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra, and Kim Novak at the Sands hotel on September 14, 1956. During its heyday, the Sands was the center of entertainment and activity on the Strip.
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