20 Old-School Las Vegas Photos From the 1950s and ’60s

An aerial view from 1965 reveals how isolated the Strip’s resorts still were, with pools, parking lots, and neon signs surrounded by stretches of undeveloped desert. The hotels appear like illuminated islands connected by one long road. Modern Las Vegas has filled nearly every visible gap, making these photographs difficult to reconcile with today’s metropolitan sprawl. The image captures a brief moment when spectacle had arrived, but empty landscape was still winning the argument visually.