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

Backstage photographs from the Dunes in the early 1960s reveal showgirls preparing towering feathered headdresses, jeweled costumes, and elaborate stage makeup before curtain time. The polished spectacle out front depended on careful engineering behind it, including costumes that demanded balance worthy of professional athletes. These images replace effortless glamour with pins, mirrors, concentration, and crowded dressing rooms. The feathers may have looked weightless under spotlights, but somebody still had to carry the tropical bird upstairs.