May 21, 2024 • 47 mins
Step behind the neon glow with me as we venture into a radiant corner of Las Vegas history at the Neon Sign Museum. With Aaron Berger as our guide, we delve into a treasure trove of glowing lights that tell the story of Sin City.
🎰 Illuminating Las Vegas's Past and Preserving Its Glow 💡
Las Vegas's neon signs are more than just advertisements; they're historical landmarks that reveal the city's (dark and light) past. In this episode, you'll learn the ins and outs of neon sign restoration and how unique leasing arrangements inadvertently became a lifeline for preserving these glowing artifacts. Among the stories highlighted is that of the Moulin Rouge sign, which marked the first integrated casino in the United States and was created by a rarity in the sign industry, Betty Willis.
🎲 Weaving Neon into the Heartbeat of Las Vegas 💖
We'll also delve into the city's mission to weave these signs into the community's heartbeat, installing them in public spaces, and even enshrining their maintenance in law — exemplified by the legendary cowboy Vegas Vic. Whether you are looking for free aspirin, tender sympathies, or the brightest lights in town, the city that never sleeps has something for everyone.
🔗 Episode Links
Neon Sign Museum: https://neonmuseum.org/
Curator's Choice - A podcast for history nerds and museum lovers
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ayla Sparks (00:01):
Hi, I'm Ayla Sparks and this is Curator's Choice, a
podcast for history nerds andmuseum lovers.
From ancient relics to modernmarvels, each episode of this
show features a new museum and acurator's choice of some
amazing artifacts housed there.
These guardians of history willshare insights, anecdotes and
the often untold stories thatbreathe life into the artifacts
(00:24):
they protect.
Thanks for tuning in to thismighty oak media production and
enjoy the show.
So, first off, I have neverbeen to the neon sign museum.
I'm from nevada, I grew upthere, I did all of my college
there and I I'd done so muchthere, but I've never been able
(00:45):
to come to the Neon Sign Museum.
The few times that I've beendown to Vegas, I think it's
usually there's an event bookedand I don't get my ticket in
time.
I'm so stoked becauseeventually I will make it there.
There will not be any stoppingme.
Aaron Berger (00:57):
And we will be ready to welcome you.
The Neon Museum brings in about200,000 visitors a year and,
much to our sadness, we turnedaway 40,000 last year just
because of sellout nights.
So we have now reconfigured anddone a lot of changing up, of
expanding what we do, sohopefully that won't happen in
(01:20):
the future.
So you'll be able to get yourticket.
Come on in and I'll walk youthrough personally.
You'll have a good time.
Ayla Sparks (01:25):
That's incredible, though that's a pretty big deal.
So there are a lot of differentthings that you can do there.
But for someone who might justbe thinking, what the heck is a
neon sign graveyard?
What's going on at the signmuseum?
I'm so excited because it issuch a unique style of museum as
well.
So if someone who has neverheard of any of this before,
(01:45):
what would you say?
The museum is?
Aaron Berger (01:48):
So that's one of the greatest questions and it's
one I'm asked often, and wereally are at the root of what
we are.
We are the stories of Las Vegasand so I wouldn't call us a
history museum because we dothings with Sphere, which has
(02:08):
just opened to the public,hasn't even been around a year
yet.
We were there opening night.
We do things with ongoingprogramming with existing
properties, so it isn't alwayslooking back, it is very much a
now and today, but we aretelling the story of Las Vegas
and that is a great way to do it.
The largest way that I thinkpeople know us for doing it is
(02:30):
through the signage that you see.
So you refer to it as agraveyard.
It is a.
We get called a graveyard, ajunkyard, and what it is is
actually it's a boneyard.
And the reason it's called aboneyard is that sign
manufacturing companies whenthey are okay.
Something a little odd about LasVegas you can own the Riviera
(02:52):
property, the hotel, but thesign manufacturer owns the sign,
and so if I decide to blow upthe Riviera or I blow up the
Stardust and build Resorts Worldin place of the Stardust, the
sign goes back to the signmanufacturer, so they don't get
(03:13):
to blow that up and the reasonis that the sign manufacturer
leases that sign to the property, so they pay a fee every year
for the ongoing care of thatsign and keep it operating and
shining and beautiful in allperfect conditions and it's less
of an expense for the actualproperty owner.
But, as it turns out in our case, that's been an amazing source
(03:36):
of historic preservation for us.
Go to a sign manufacturinglocation.
You would walk behind thestorefront and you would see
what you see at our museum,which is a just mishmash of
different signage, some thatlooks like salvage, some that
has broken tubing, some that isin perfect working order.
(03:59):
But it was a place and it is aplace that a sign manufacturer
would go and say I need atransformer.
So they would run out to theyard, grab a transformer and
reuse it.
They would need more neontubing or need some scrap metal,
those types of things.
So we've recreated that at themuseum.
Ayla Sparks (04:16):
So this is.
That's remarkable.
Aaron Berger (04:18):
First of all, I had no idea Any long story.
Ayla Sparks (04:21):
Long explanation, but an amazing one.
So you're saying that that'sspecific to a lot of the signage
that's happening in Nevada.
Do you know if that's common inother places as well?
It's not as common.
Aaron Berger (04:32):
There are certainly sign agreements that
the manufacturers make withother properties around the
country.
It just comes down to what theproperty owner decides is best
for them.
So if they're going to go it'san expensive process, especially
(04:53):
when you're talking about neon.
Neon is an expensiveundertaking.
So to have someone else kind offoot that bill of the creation
of the sign and then theproperty owner to just maintain
the sort of service agreementwith it, it is a lot better for
financially viable in some ways,it makes a lot more sense
actually.
Ayla Sparks (05:09):
Obviously, it was great for you guys as a museum,
because all of these historicsigns have been saved, and then
I'm sure that they were at somepoint.
What are we going to do withall of these signs?
And hello, we have a great ideafor that.
Aaron Berger (05:22):
It actually was.
It was under our mayor at thetime, jan Jones Blackhurst.
Jan, mayor Jones at the timewas approached about a series of
signs that were in.
They were owned by Yesco, whichat the time was called the
Young Electric Sign Company.
They now go by the name Yesco,and Yesco had all of these again
(05:43):
, ranging from the HaciendaHorse and Rider that dates back
to the 50s.
You've got signs that date backquite a long time, some of them
as much as 70 years.
So you've got these incrediblepieces that are just sitting out
baking in the sun not doing anygood.
And it was under Mayor Jones'sadministration.
(06:04):
They decided to prioritize thisand they created a boneyard and
had it on a little cityproperty and you actually would
actually call.
So we opened in 2012, which isjust 12 years ago, but you would
actually have to call and say Iwould like to come see the
museum, and we went from 20,000visitors to now, as I said,
(06:26):
we're over 200,000 visitors, soin 10 years it's been amazing.
Ayla Sparks (06:30):
And what's really unique as well about something
like this is you can go and viewkind of almost gallery style
like you would at a typicalmuseum, but you guys have a lot
of photographers and a lot ofphotographic events that happen.
We do.
Aaron Berger (06:42):
So anyone armed with an iPhone can just wander
through and we are truly thegreatest Instagram backdrop in
the city, like there is nobetter place than to have that
sort of neon and light glow fromthe sort of vintage era of Las
Vegas behind you.
(07:04):
That is fantastic.
You can also do a professionalphoto shoot, so we have
everything from high schoolgraduation photos to we've been
on the cover of Italian Vogue,so to every music video on earth
, and you name it.
It's a great, iconic place tobe.
Ayla Sparks (07:21):
So yeah, it's wonderful Hashtag, iconic Look
at me.
Wow, look at me being allmillennial over here.
Aaron Berger (07:28):
Love it.
Ayla Sparks (07:28):
So whenever you think about Nevada and I mean
every time I tell someone I'mfrom Nevada, they instantly go
oh, vegas.
When you think of it, you'relike Las Vegas, sin City.
You're walking down the strip,there's all these lights.
What kind of started off theflashy party vibe of Vegas
really.
Aaron Berger (07:46):
Las Vegas was an escape town.
It was the place that you wouldget away with it, and I mean
that in almost every sense.
So you would get away with itand from it, I think, is
probably the best way ofthinking about it.
And that could be you'd getaway from your wife, you would
get away from your family, youwould imbibe.
You know, gambling was thebirth of this town and really it
(08:12):
became this place of escape,and I think that's really
visible today as you look at thearchitecture of Las Vegas and
you see this sort of escapistarchitectural design.
Everything from New York, newYork to the Luxor, to the
Venetian canals you've got theentire world sort of brought
together in one small city.
(08:33):
So it is a lot of glitz, a lotof glamour, definitely a lot of
glitter.
But if you are able to lookpast that, you can see there is
an enormous amount of historicpreservation taking place here
and there's a lot of historythat's alive and well in this
city.
Ayla Sparks (08:50):
I love it.
I have been to Vegas a fewtimes, like I said, and every
time I go I don't drink and Idon't gamble and everyone's like
what are you even doing here?
And there's an incredibleamount of history in Vegas
itself and the surrounding areasand a lot of beauty as well.
So I think that this museum inparticular is perfect because it
really kind of takes thecombination of those two things
(09:11):
and puts them to the forefront.
Right, you have this flashy,amazing, fanciful kind of
escapist reality, but it's alsoincredibly tied to Nevada's
history, particularly Las Vegas.
So what are some of the older,the original signs and when neon
first started becoming seen inVegas?
Aaron Berger (09:30):
So you're going to see signs.
So the way I like to describeneon, especially in Las Vegas,
as you're from Nevada, you canappreciate this part of it which
is we're in the middle of adesert.
Right, in the case of Las Vegas, we're in a valley.
So imagine driving from LA andyou're driving to someplace like
(09:53):
Salt Lake City and you're goingthrough this vast, almost
Mars-like wasteland of there,their very, very few outposts of
any type of civilization, andso you see this orange glow of a
neon sign, maybe as much asfive miles, 10 miles ahead on
(10:15):
the road, that sign becomes thesort of beacon that says this is
a place for you to get a drink,this is a place for you to
spend the night, this is a placefor you to get a meal.
But you know that there'ssomething out there.
And so with that flat land, thatflat desert land and the
absence of other light, thatneon really became what grabbed
(10:38):
your attention.
So Las Vegas sort of blossomsand it takes that idea and
really wants to try and fightfor your attention now.
So it is my neon sign, has youknow, it is a static outline of
letters versus my neon sign thathas flashing light bulbs in the
(10:58):
center of it, which has my neonsign, which has this animation
and is showing you and welcomingyou into the sign.
So it's this sort ofone-upsmanship that is again
trying to get you to come intothe next location and spend your
money here versus there.
We work a lot with kids in thatthinking of, if you're going to
(11:19):
open a barbershop, what are yougoing to create that's going to
get someone to come to yourbarbershop instead of the
barbershop that's a block away.
So what does your sign looklike that makes you more
attractive and really describeswhat you do as a business.
Ayla Sparks (11:35):
That's great, and it makes a lot of sense too
whenever you think about, youknow, a growing Vegas fighting
for everybody's attention.
Aaron Berger (11:41):
It is.
It is the land of ADD.
Ayla Sparks (11:45):
Yes, because anytime you go into one of those
casinos too, I mean, it's justsensory overload with all the
mirrors and everything.
And that's pretty much by Imean it is by design for Vegas
as a whole itself, anyways.
Aaron Berger (11:54):
I think that you know Las Vegas is a place where
we have so much to offer thateven walking just from the
reception desk to your hotelroom, you can walk by
unbelievable blue chip artistsand amazing art installations
that have come from around theworld, that have been custom
(12:15):
made, that have you know sevenfigures that are important works
of art and here they're sort ofdecorative right.
They're not necessarily seen aspart of the arts and culture of
Las Vegas and I think it'ssomething that's really
overlooked and it's somethingthat we don't get enough credit
for is the fine art that we havehere in the city.
Ayla Sparks (12:37):
Yeah, there's a lot more to Vegas than gambling and
a red light district.
You got it.
Aaron Berger (12:43):
Yeah, there is a Vegas for people who hate Vegas.
I think is really the rule ofthumb to think of.
Ayla Sparks (12:51):
Definitely.
I know that we're going to betalking about some really cool
signs that you have, but I'mcurious what is the oldest sign
that you guys have and what areyou doing with the signs?
That tells a story.
Aaron Berger (13:04):
Sure.
So let me take the second partof that first, which is the
signs that tell stories.
So all of our signs tellfabulous stories and I think the
thing that mesmerized me aboutjoining the Neon Museum I've
only been here, I haven't beenhere three years yet, but I've
had almost 30 years in museums,and so it is.
(13:24):
I expected the Neon Museum tobe, you know, sort of a glitz
and glam kind of moment, andthen I came through and the
first sign that we came acrossis the Moulin Rouge, and we're
going to talk about that indetail and through that got to
learn about the civil rightsstory in Las Vegas.
And then, further down, welearn about some of the Western
(13:48):
architecture of the city and howthere's sawdust on the floor
and some of the first stoolsthat were put in front of SWAT
machines were actually coveredin saddles, just to give you
this sense of you know, you'rein the Wild West kind of idea,
and I love that sense of history.
I also love the fact that wetalk about Betty Willis.
(14:08):
Betty Willis was the woman whocreated the Welcome to Fabulous
Las Vegas sign.
That's so you know,unbelievably renowned and copied
everywhere, and she did itwithout a copyright.
She did it deliberately as agift to the city.
No-transcript Black communitystories of women.
(14:58):
These are all parts that areinterwoven into the experience
when you tour the Neon Museum.
Ayla Sparks (15:04):
It's a great way to start a story really is by
having a visual sign that canlead into this really cool
history.
Aaron Berger (15:10):
Yes.
Ayla Sparks (15:11):
So going to the Moulin Rouge?
Why is that, in particular, onethat you wanted to showcase?
Aaron Berger (15:17):
So the Moulin Rouge is a personal favorite of
mine for a couple of reasons.
One is the three reasons.
I think so.
One reason is that the MoulinRouge was the first integrated
casino in the US.
If you're Pearl Bailey, youwould perform on the strip.
(15:53):
You would be encouraged toperform on the strip because
people wanted to see these acts.
However, you came in the backdoor, you performed on stage,
you would travel eight miles tothe west side of town, to what's
called the historic west sideof town, which is the black
community of Las Vegas, and youwould stay in a black boarding
house.
So the Moulin Rouge is thefirst integrated property.
(16:13):
And they were famous for their2.30 am show.
So I know right, I'm in bed by7.30, am show.
So I know right.
Ayla Sparks (16:20):
I'm in bed by 7.30.
Aaron Berger (16:21):
The thought of a 2.30 show is a lot for me, but
if you think about these majoracts that are performing on the
strip, they would have an eighto'clock or nine o'clock start
and then they do a second showat 10 or 11 o'clock.
So it's the 2.30 show that youmight get again Aretha Franklin
on stage, or you might get FrankSinatra on stage, you may get
(16:44):
Bobby Darin, or you may getSammy Davis Jr, or it could be
all of them just appearing.
The other part, too, is thatthe Moulin Rouge is appealing to
middle-class Black tourists whoaren't able to stay on the
Strip.
So this is a very importantproperty because it is serving a
need of those that want tovisit Vegas but don't have the
(17:08):
ability to do so or arediscriminated against and not
allowed to.
So Moulin Rouge, despite itsincredible success, despite the
fact that in its time it's onthe cover of the Life magazine
for being this incredibledestination property, it closes
within six months and it filesfor bankruptcy.
(17:29):
Now there's a lot of Las Vegaslegend as to why that and
whether or not the mob wasinvolved because it was pulling
too much money off of the stripand it was becoming too
attractive.
That's a possibility.
But it is a fantastic propertyto talk about and really discuss
the civil rights movement.
You have to remember Las Vegaswas known.
(17:54):
It had a nickname of theMississippi of the West.
So we were very much adiscriminatory city that held
back people from just aneveryday experience that white
clientele could enjoy on aregular basis.
So that's one reason I love theMoulin Rouge.
The other is that it ispartially restored and so if
you're standing in front of it,the entire sign is lit.
(18:16):
It is beautiful and it's pinkand it's pink hue, so it's
Moulin Rouge.
It's taken after the MoulinRouge in Paris, so it speaks to
that Parisian influence, theMoulin Rouge.
Obviously you know the Rouge isreferring to pink or red, but
if it had been any other colorit wouldn't be as beautiful as
(18:39):
that sign really is.
It is also truly a beacon.
You can see that sign frommiles away A because of the size
, but B because of that pink.
But if you're standing in frontof it you can see where we have
restored the sign.
So you'll see some bubblegumpink neon tubes and you'll see
(18:59):
some coral pink.
The coral actually dates backto 1955.
So that's the original tubing,the original neon that was used
to create that sign.
It has endured Las Vegassummers of 120 degrees, las
Vegas winters below freezingmonsoons, windstorms all of that
(19:20):
time over 70 plus years.
It has endured all of that andagain.
At the end of the day, thistubing is glass.
It breaks that's what glassdoes but it has survived.
So I love that.
I love that you can see thatand experience that with that
sign.
Ayla Sparks (19:35):
I would like to point out as well that, though
it's got all of these signs,they're on the ground so people
can actually come up to them andsee them.
The signs are not up like howthey were in front of the hotel,
they're eye level, so youreally can see those.
Aaron Berger (19:49):
That's a really important point, and I'm glad
you said that that's exactlytrue, and we want you to be able
to see the sign in its detail.
We want you to hear that buzzthat only neon makes, which is
fantastic as well.
So the third thing about theMoulin Rouge sign that I love is
that it was also created byBetty Willis, the woman who
(20:10):
designed the Welcome to FabulousLas Vegas sign.
The handwriting of the signitself is actually Betty's
handwriting.
So if you look at this, you'llsee this amazing script that she
has, and this is before thedays of AutoCAD and any type of
(20:32):
kind of computer engineering.
She is scaling this outmathematically to make these
17-foot foot tall letters andscaling this all by hand.
It's really.
It's a beautiful, beautifulpiece that is also
architecturally spectacular.
Ayla Sparks (20:51):
I mean a seven foot tall letter.
Who doesn't want to go standnext to that?
Aaron Berger (20:54):
17 foot tall letter.
Yeah, it's amazing.
Ayla Sparks (20:57):
When Betty was making these signs.
What is the process for makingone of these kinds of neon signs
?
Aaron Berger (21:03):
It hasn't changed much, which is really
fascinating.
So neon started around 1905,and the process has not.
Again, there aren't computersreally engaged in this process.
It's very much an act ofcraftsmanship.
What happens?
The best way to do this viapodcast.
(21:24):
Imagine having a plastic strawand you take a plastic straw and
you bend it.
And if you bend it you're goingto get a V right.
It's going to have a crease inthe middle.
So the same thing would be truefor a neon tube.
If you were to heat it and bendit, you're going to get a
crease.
That crease is going to stopthe flow of neon and the gas and
(21:49):
the electricity.
So what the neon bender has todo is blow air into that tube so
that it expands to a pointwhere it remains consistent in
its width.
You blow too much air, you geta big bubble gum bubble.
If you don't blow enough air,you get a crease and again that
gas won't flow.
(22:10):
So it's an amazing art.
But again, there's no machinerydoing this.
This is an individual doingthis.
They have sheets of paper andthey lay them out and they map
out the tube.
Does it fit the shape?
Yes, it fits the shape.
I need to bend this a littlebit more.
I need to fold this back tocreate the letter that I need to
(22:31):
write, or I need to fold it sothat I can hide the electrode,
so that the electrode isn'tsomething that you're distracted
by.
So all of that's being thoughtthrough and planned into again
without the use of computers,and oftentimes you know you
don't go to school for this.
This isn't like HVAC repair,where you get certified in how
(22:53):
to do these types of electricalwork.
This is apprenticeship.
This is working under anotherneon bender and then being able
to work closely with them tolearn the craft.
Ayla Sparks (23:05):
Which is really remarkable, considering
basically, these guys areengineers, these guys and then
this gal Betty.
So she was not only a woman inthe field, but she was
practically an engineer for allpurposes of these neon signs.
Aaron Berger (23:16):
Absolutely so.
One of the things that themuseum has begun doing is
something called STEAM Saturdays.
So, from our perspective, ittakes science, technology,
engineering, art and mathematicsin order to make a sign.
So all of those components cometogether, all of them sit down
(23:37):
and create projects togetherthat are STEAM-based, because,
it is to your point, they areengineers, they're graphic
designers, they're electricians,they're all of that in order to
make this sign work and theyhave to, at the end of the day,
not just make it work, but italso has to do its original
purpose, which is attract youoff the street.
(24:00):
It has to meet that goal ofgetting you to come off the
street and come into thatproperty.
Ayla Sparks (24:05):
What is the difference between neon and just
a regular light?
Aaron Berger (24:09):
So neon is a gas.
It's a noble gas, and when it'scharged with electricity,
that's what gives it its glow.
So in most signs that we referto as neon signs, they're either
filled with neon gas or argongas.
One will produce a color.
Of one color, one will produceanother color.
Then you add powder coatings tothe tubes themselves and that's
(24:33):
how you get the variations incolor of that, but they're all
sort of under the umbrella of aneon tube or neon color.
Ayla Sparks (24:40):
So the two different ones argon what
natural color without any powderis argon?
Aaron Berger (24:45):
Argon will provide a yellow tube or a yellow color
, blue, green and white, whereneon gives you more of that red
coloring.
So the first neon signs are theones that we talked about.
That sort of orange glow out inthe desert horizon.
Those are true neon signs.
(25:06):
You add argon, that's whereyou're going to get into some of
those yellows and blues.
So if you add that powdercoating inside the tubing,
that's where you can get intosome more really fun brighter
colors, brighter, differentvariations in color.
Ayla Sparks (25:21):
Definitely really fun.
Brighter colors, brighter,different variations in color,
Definitely so.
Moulin Rouge, this beautiful,gigantic sign made by this
incredibly well-known womanengineer what was his journey
from being taken down after?
So the Moulin Rouge was onlyopen for six months, Correct?
So it was created then sixmonths.
And then what was his journeyto eventually coming to the
museum?
Aaron Berger (25:42):
So that's a story.
So the sign was saved.
I believe it was saved by thecity and, strangely, the
building burned down shortlythereafter.
So it was a great save onbehalf of the city and so it's a
wonderful act of preservation.
And again, we're a city thatbuilds things, then blows things
(26:05):
up, and then builds them againand then builds them and blows
them up.
So we're about to have anotherimplosion coming this fall and
people are excited.
They're trying to figure outhow to, you know, get tickets
and see it Nevada is known forexplosions.
Unfortunately, unfortunately,atomic and otherwise, yes, but
(26:43):
it's true, and so you know,we're known for that and we
celebrate it.
And really, if you think aboutit, while I think, at heart I'm
a historic preservation,evolving, constantly changing,
and part of that process isimplosion.
So we do go in aggressively and, with the case of the Tropicana
, we've been working very, veryclosely with them, preserving as
much as we can in preparationfor that upcoming implosion.
Ayla Sparks (27:04):
That's going to be another event to behold, I'm
sure.
Aaron Berger (27:06):
It will be, it will be another one, yes, yes it
will.
Ayla Sparks (27:09):
So it sounds like there might have only been a few
different companies who madethe multitude of signs.
Is that correct?
Aaron Berger (27:17):
There were several that did in this area.
I think Yesco is the mostprolific.
They did quite a few of thesigns.
Almost 200 of our signs arefrom.
Yesco is the most prolific.
They did quite a few of thesigns.
Almost 200 of our signs arefrom Yesco.
Of what we see in ourcollection, yesco does
tremendous work and is sort ofin many ways the go-to for a lot
(27:38):
of the larger properties theydid and even today, at I think
102 years old now, they did thelettering on top of the Legion
Stadium.
I mean, you name it, that'sYesco.
So we're very fortunate to havepartnered with them in creating
and again going back to theBoneyard we recreated the Yesco
Boneyard in our efforts with theNeon Museum.
Ayla Sparks (28:03):
How many signs do you have in your collection?
Aaron Berger (28:04):
It's a great question.
So we have about 250 that areon display.
I have another 600 that are instorage.
So that's one of our biggestgoals is to get these guys out
of storage and out into thecommunity.
So you've got about a littleover an acre of land that you
(28:25):
can walk through at the museum.
Again, those 250 signs if Iwere to have all 800, 900 out
there, you would hit asaturation point pretty quickly.
Our effort is to try and getthese signs into civic plazas.
We've started a new partnershipwith the city of Las Vegas
(28:46):
Plaza's.
We've started a new partnershipwith the city of Las Vegas.
It's actually, I think, myfavorite sign is going to be
installed there this fall.
It's a sign that says freeaspirin and tender sympathy.
And the reason was it was on aconvenience store in front of a
convenience store, kind of gasstation that was on the outside
of town.
A convenience store, kind ofgas station that was on the
(29:09):
outside of town.
And the legend behind it isthat, as you were coming into
Las Vegas from LA, you wouldstop there, you would give the
owner $20 and he would writeyour name on an envelope, put it
in a little shelf and you couldgo and lose your shirt on the
strip, but you would always havethat $20 to get gas to get back
to LA on the strip, but youwould always have that $20 to
(29:29):
get gas to get back to LA.
And so this free aspirin andtender sympathies he really
leaned into.
All that is Las Vegas, and sowhat I love is we partnered with
the city and that sign is goingto be installed in the medical
district here in Las Vegas,which is just the perfect
marriage, I think, so I'm reallyexcited about that.
Ayla Sparks (29:47):
And what's perfect about that as well is it could
almost be a walking tour outsideof the museum.
If you have enough of them thatare kind of out and around,
that's awesome.
Aaron Berger (29:56):
We do.
We have about a dozen that arealong Las Vegas Boulevard and
that walking tour is indevelopment.
So we do have it available onour website, where you can learn
about the signs right now.
We are in the process of alsoworking with the city to have
some historic markers made foreach one of those existing signs
, so that you know what ishistoric versus.
(30:19):
You know what's an adornment,what is something that's a prop
that was made, what's anadornment, what is something
that's a prop that was made.
Especially, as you get close toFremont Street, there are a lot
of things that have just beenmade versus what really dates
back.
You know again, 50, 60, 70years.
Ayla Sparks (30:33):
Is there anything in particular that you can see
in style or in, I guess,brightness of color, if you are
someone coming through Vegas anda trained eye could tell the
difference between, possibly onethat's historic and one that's
brand new?
Aaron Berger (30:46):
Yeah, so I love that.
That's a great question.
So one of the things I love totake people up and down Fremont
Street.
So Fremont Street is really theorigin point of Las Vegas,
where the Plaza Hotel and Casinostands right now.
That was where the originaltrain station was and really the
birthplace of the city.
(31:07):
So I like to take people thereand then just kind of walk them
up Fremont Street.
And one of the things that Ialways encourage people to look
for and it's really best seensort of on the Golden Gate
Casino, which is right acrossthe street from the plaza.
But if you look at the GoldenGate, you're going to see these
metal rungs that are attached tothe front of the sign.
(31:31):
And if you see the Golden Gate,it goes up about I don't know
50 feet in the air and it's gota series of neon outline and
flashing bolts.
So the rungs are there becausesome poor schmo had to climb up
that ladder and change out thoselight bulbs and this is all
(31:54):
pre-OSHA right.
So this is definitely not thesafest act in the world.
And so as you go through thecity and especially Fremont
Street, look at some of thesesigns.
If you see these metal rungsthat are sort of sticking out.
That don't really make sense.
With the sign it was formaintenance.
It was totally there so thatsomeone could climb up, change
light bulbs, fix neon tubes.
(32:15):
If there was damage in some way, they would go through and fix
it that way.
So yes, that's the thing tolook for.
Ayla Sparks (32:22):
That is so cool.
I'll be looking the next time Ido get to come into Vegas.
Aaron Berger (32:26):
Yep, you'll see it on, like the Hacienda Horse and
Rider which is at FremontStreet, las Vegas Boulevard,
again, the Golden Gate, many ofthe signs that you see of Vegas
Vic, which is underneath thecanopy on Fremont Street.
You'll see these pegs,basically, that are sticking out
of the metal.
Ayla Sparks (32:50):
I think, if I have to look back and think of my
most iconic sign that I canpicture, I don't know exactly
which one it is, but it's theman who has the cowboy hat, who
has the bent leg, who is movinghis cowboy hat like this.
Aaron Berger (32:56):
Correct, that's Vegas Vic.
Ayla Sparks (32:58):
Oh, that is Vegas Vic.
Aaron Berger (32:59):
That is Vegas Vic, created by the Chamber of
Commerce and is just sort ofthis.
He was here to welcome peopleto the city, so he is under the
canopy.
The original is still there.
It is actually again Las Vegaslaw of being quirky and weird.
The law is that if you have aneon sign underneath the canopy
(33:20):
on Fremont Street, it must belit, so you cannot turn it off,
and it must be maintained.
The city that never sleeps,that's it, so it is important
that we are preserving thathistory.
So I actually had to do aninterview with CNN because Vegas
Vic went out and there was alot of scuttlebutt about that.
Ayla Sparks (33:41):
Yeah, what happens if a sign does go out?
Aaron Berger (33:43):
It has to be repaired.
So they just call a repair guyand they're like go out, it has
to be repaired.
Ayla Sparks (33:45):
So they just call a repair guy and they're like
immediately this has to be done.
Aaron Berger (33:48):
The owner is responsible for maintaining it
and making sure that it is inworking order.
So yeah so it was.
These are the kinds of things,but Vegas Vic is fantastic.
He's a great, you know cowboy.
And then inside Circa, which issort of diagonally across from
where Vegas Vic is positioned,inside the Circa Casino is Vegas
(34:12):
Vicky and Vegas Vicky is.
There was actually a weddingbetween the two of them.
They're officially married.
So, Vegas Vicky, I know exactly.
But you know we've talked tothe folks who at one point Vegas
Vicky had fallen into renownedsign maker and now she sits
literally in the heart of Circa.
(34:49):
So wherever you go in thecasino you can sort of see a
different avenue or a differentsight line of Vegas Vicky
staring back at you and she'sgot her big cowboy hat, her big
grin and she's a well-endowedcountry lady.
The proper welcome to Vegasright there, you got it Exactly
(35:09):
yeah.
Ayla Sparks (35:10):
So there is also another really interesting sign
that you'd like to talk about,and this particular plant.
As a conservation person, yuccais fantastic in so many ways,
but I'm sure you're going to bemore of talking of the neon sign
variety, yucca.
Aaron Berger (35:25):
The neon sign variety, but it does support
your concept that Yucca isfabulous.
So that's fair, totally fair.
So the Yucca Motel sign isanother favorite.
It's a favorite with a lot ofour visitors, but also with me
as well, when we talk about thatcraftsmanship of how to make a
neon sign and that we're makingthese bends, and we talked about
(35:48):
the plastic straw and making aV.
So if you look at the top ofthis yucca sign and you see the
yucca bloom, it is nothing but abunch of squiggly little twists
and turns and it is a beautifulflower that has been created
out of neon and it's done in away that all of the electrodes
(36:10):
are hidden to the best of theirabilities.
In most cases, with most signs,you can put an electrode behind
a piece of metal, but this iscompletely exposed, and so with
that, the person who made thisand we don't know who made it,
but the person who made thispiece was so thoughtful as to
find ways to keep your eyefocused on that beautiful flower
(36:30):
and not necessarily theelectrical parts of it, and get
lost in that.
So I love that piece from anartistic standpoint.
That's where I see the artistryof neon and also its
functionality.
Ayla Sparks (36:44):
And what was the sign for?
Was there a yucca hotel?
Aaron Berger (36:47):
It was a yucca motel and if you look at the
sign, you'll see that where theword yucca is placed, it's
actually sort of center point inan arrow that's kind of
directing you into the parkinglot, and then the yucca plant is
on top with that beautifulflower in white above that.
So it's really, it's a strikingpiece.
(37:09):
And again it all goes back towhat can I as the property owner
, what can I make that's goingto get you to pull off the road
and come into my property?
So is it beautiful, Is itflashy, Is it?
You know saying the right words, what is it that's going to
make you come see me instead ofthe guy next door?
Ayla Sparks (37:29):
Yucca would get me in because I would be like in
this city of lights and trafficand you know like people, flashy
things, there's a little bit ofnature brought into this one,
so the hook line sinker me rightthere.
Aaron Berger (37:42):
You'll love the photo I'll show to you.
You'll love it.
Ayla Sparks (37:44):
Awesome.
So we know that you can come dothe pictures.
You can walk around in theamazing boneyard not graveyard,
the boneyard and check out thesesigns.
Do you guys have any eventsthat you do yearly that are kind
of big?
If someone's going to try tomake it, they should try to come
to those.
Aaron Berger (38:00):
So we have been very fortunate.
In the last two years alone Ithink we've lit four or five
signs.
So a sign lighting is alwaysexciting.
It's when we take a sign out ofthe boneyard and it goes away
for a few months and is restored, brought back to its original
glory.
There's an enormous amount ofhistoric research that goes into
(38:22):
this.
The last one we did was thepalms and that was a.
It was on a billboard.
This neon sign was attached toa billboard advertising the
palms, but we ended up finding aphotograph someone had taken of
just the freeway where thatsign had been and we were able
to do some color matching as aresult of that photo.
(38:43):
So it's incredible how we kindof dig through to find what's
accurate from the timeframe.
So lighting is always great fun.
The next one coming up isactually May 19th.
We are lighting three signs,all from the Flamingo.
The Flamingo is the longestrunning property on the Strip
(39:04):
and so these are two signs thatare by Raul Rodriguez and they
are feathers that were on thefacade of the Flamingo.
And then we have the marquee,the big kind of plume, as well,
and that was done by Bill Clark,all of which from 1976.
Those have been restored overfive months.
(39:24):
So right now if you come to themuseum if you were to come to
the museum today you wouldliterally see a flat dirt patch
with a piece of plywood over ahole as we're waiting to put
that sign back into installation.
So right now we're doing theunderground electrical work, all
the fun that goes with that.
(39:45):
So that sign lighting is greatfun.
The other thing that we haveannually is something called
Duck Duck Shed.
So Duck Duck Shed I know it's acrazy name, but Duck Duck Shed
refers to, specifically,architecture of Las Vegas.
There was a book written 52years ago called Learning from
Las Vegas and it was by threeYale professors and in it they
(40:08):
discussed buildings being eitherducks or decorated sheds.
And so we took that and we hadsome fun with it and called it
Duck Duck Shed.
We have a four-day celebrationof Las Vegas architecture,
design and culture.
We bring people in fromliterally all over the world and
we did tours of the home ofSiegfried and Roy and you got to
(40:30):
get in and see how they livedand we had dinner inside the
Lion Pens at their house.
We had lecturers who talkedabout how it was to build an art
collection inside the casinos.
We've had people who've talkedabout what it's like to move
historic buildings down LasVegas Boulevard, so it's a great
(40:51):
four days.
Duckduckshedcom is a great wayto learn about that too.
It's a lot of fun.
Ayla Sparks (40:56):
And when does that happen?
Aaron Berger (40:57):
So it's usually.
It'll be in.
The spring of 25 will be thenext one, but it is about 40
programs in four days.
It's food, drink, merriment,lectures, tours, walking tours,
helicopter tours, you name it.
We do it all.
Ayla Sparks (41:14):
That sounds amazing .
I might have to make that tripto Vegas and finally visit the
museum Come on, come on, we'llshow you a good time.
The last time we were in VegasI was tired of taking all the
selfies, which I guess wasprobably anti-neon sign museum,
right, but uh.
So my husband and I got littlelegos that replicated ourselves,
and so we started takingselfies with the lego and then
(41:36):
the thing in the background.
So I have this gorgeous littlelego picture of us in front of
the flamingo I love that.
That's fantastic that would befun.
We'll come do it and we'll doit in front of the signs.
Aaron Berger (41:47):
One of the things we're doing I think starting
next or no, starting later thisweek is we are asking the public
to just send us your photos ofthe flamingo.
So it's just sort of getting upto that excitement of lighting
the sign.
So you'll have to send it inand we'll tag us on the social
media platforms and we'll get itout there and let the world see
(42:08):
.
Ayla Sparks (42:09):
And they can revel in your Lego people.
That's great.
Aaron Berger (42:12):
A Lego couple.
Ayla Sparks (42:13):
Yes, well, thank you so much.
This was really interesting.
I just love doing these becauseI get to learn so much of
different kinds of history, andNevada always has a very special
place in my heart.
So thank you so much foragreeing to come on and talk
about what you guys offer,because it's a lot.
Aaron Berger (42:30):
It's my pleasure and thank you for your interest
and please, when you do come totown, let us know.
We'll make sure you have a goodtime, oh, I will.
Ayla Sparks (42:37):
So there is also another really interesting sign
that you'd like to talk about,and this particular plant.
As a conservation person, yuccais fantastic in so many ways,
but I'm sure you're going to bemore of talking of the neon sign
variety, yucca.
Aaron Berger (42:52):
The neon sign variety, but it does support
your concept that yucca isfabulous.
Ayla Sparks (42:57):
So that's, fair.
Aaron Berger (42:58):
Totally fair.
So the yucca motel sign isanother favorite.
It's a favorite with a lot ofour visitors, but also with me
as well, when we talk about thatcraftsmanship of how to make a
neon sign and that we're makingthese bends, and we talked about
the plastic straw and making aV.
(43:19):
So if you look at the top ofthis Yucca sign and you see the
Yucca bloom, it is nothing but abunch of squiggly little twists
and turns and it is a beautifulflower that has been created
out of neon and it's done in away that all of the electrodes
are hidden to the best of theirabilities.
(43:39):
In most cases, with most signs,you can put an electrode behind
a piece of metal, but this iscompletely exposed, and so with
that, the person who made thisand we don't know who made it,
but the person who made thispiece was so thoughtful as to
find ways to keep your eyefocused on that beautiful flower
and not necessarily theelectrical parts of it, and get
(44:02):
lost in that.
So I love that piece from anartistic standpoint.
That's where I see the artistryof neon and also its
functionality.
Ayla Sparks (44:11):
And what was the sign for?
Was there a yucca hotel?
Aaron Berger (44:14):
It was a yucca motel and if you look at the
sign, you'll see that where theword yucca is placed, it's
actually sort of center point inan arrow that's kind of
directing you into the parkinglot.
And then the yucca plant is ontop with that beautiful flower
in white above that.
So it's really a striking piece.
(44:36):
And again it all goes back towhat can I, as the property
owner, what can I make that'sgoing to get you to pull off the
road and come into my property?
So is it beautiful?
Is it flashy?
Is it?
You know, saying the rightwords, what is it that's going
to make you come see me insteadof the guy next door?
Ayla Sparks (44:56):
Yucca would get me in because I would be like in
the city of lights and trafficand you know, like people,
flashy things there's a littlebit of nature brought into this
one, so that would hook linesinker.
Flashy things there's a littlebit of nature brought into this
one, so that would hook linesinker me right there.
Aaron Berger (45:09):
You'll love that.
You'll love the photo.
I'll show it to you.
You'll love it.
Ayla Sparks (45:12):
Awesome.
Thank you so much for tuning inand supporting Curator's Choice
, a Mighty Oak Media production.
If you enjoyed the show, pleaseconsider subscribing and rating
the show on Apple Podcasts,spotify, youtube or wherever you
get your podcasts.
If you love a museum and wouldlike to hear it featured in an
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(45:35):
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I'll do my best to reach outand see if I can get them to be
on the show.
You can also view articles,artifacts and more by following
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Thanks for listening toCurators Choice, a podcast for
history nerds and museum lovers.
Hi, I'm Ayla Sparks and this is Curator's Choice, a
podcast for history nerds andmuseum lovers.
From ancient relics to modernmarvels, each episode of this
show features a new museum and acurator's choice of some
amazing artifacts housed there.
These guardians of history willshare insights, anecdotes and
the often untold stories thatbreathe life into the artifacts
(00:24):
they protect.
Thanks for tuning in to thismighty oak media production and
enjoy the show.
So, first off, I have neverbeen to the neon sign museum.
I'm from nevada, I grew upthere, I did all of my college
there and I I'd done so muchthere, but I've never been able
(00:45):
to come to the Neon Sign Museum.
The few times that I've beendown to Vegas, I think it's
usually there's an event bookedand I don't get my ticket in
time.
I'm so stoked becauseeventually I will make it there.
There will not be any stoppingme.
Aaron Berger (00:57):
And we will be ready to welcome you.
The Neon Museum brings in about200,000 visitors a year and,
much to our sadness, we turnedaway 40,000 last year just
because of sellout nights.
So we have now reconfigured anddone a lot of changing up, of
expanding what we do, sohopefully that won't happen in
(01:20):
the future.
So you'll be able to get yourticket.
Come on in and I'll walk youthrough personally.
You'll have a good time.
Ayla Sparks (01:25):
That's incredible, though that's a pretty big deal.
So there are a lot of differentthings that you can do there.
But for someone who might justbe thinking, what the heck is a
neon sign graveyard?
What's going on at the signmuseum?
I'm so excited because it issuch a unique style of museum as
well.
So if someone who has neverheard of any of this before,
(01:45):
what would you say?
The museum is?
Aaron Berger (01:48):
So that's one of the greatest questions and it's
one I'm asked often, and wereally are at the root of what
we are.
We are the stories of Las Vegasand so I wouldn't call us a
history museum because we dothings with Sphere, which has
(02:08):
just opened to the public,hasn't even been around a year
yet.
We were there opening night.
We do things with ongoingprogramming with existing
properties, so it isn't alwayslooking back, it is very much a
now and today, but we aretelling the story of Las Vegas
and that is a great way to do it.
The largest way that I thinkpeople know us for doing it is
(02:30):
through the signage that you see.
So you refer to it as agraveyard.
It is a.
We get called a graveyard, ajunkyard, and what it is is
actually it's a boneyard.
And the reason it's called aboneyard is that sign
manufacturing companies whenthey are okay.
Something a little odd about LasVegas you can own the Riviera
(02:52):
property, the hotel, but thesign manufacturer owns the sign,
and so if I decide to blow upthe Riviera or I blow up the
Stardust and build Resorts Worldin place of the Stardust, the
sign goes back to the signmanufacturer, so they don't get
(03:13):
to blow that up and the reasonis that the sign manufacturer
leases that sign to the property, so they pay a fee every year
for the ongoing care of thatsign and keep it operating and
shining and beautiful in allperfect conditions and it's less
of an expense for the actualproperty owner.
But, as it turns out in our case, that's been an amazing source
(03:36):
of historic preservation for us.
Go to a sign manufacturinglocation.
You would walk behind thestorefront and you would see
what you see at our museum,which is a just mishmash of
different signage, some thatlooks like salvage, some that
has broken tubing, some that isin perfect working order.
(03:59):
But it was a place and it is aplace that a sign manufacturer
would go and say I need atransformer.
So they would run out to theyard, grab a transformer and
reuse it.
They would need more neontubing or need some scrap metal,
those types of things.
So we've recreated that at themuseum.
Ayla Sparks (04:16):
So this is.
That's remarkable.
Aaron Berger (04:18):
First of all, I had no idea Any long story.
Ayla Sparks (04:21):
Long explanation, but an amazing one.
So you're saying that that'sspecific to a lot of the signage
that's happening in Nevada.
Do you know if that's common inother places as well?
It's not as common.
Aaron Berger (04:32):
There are certainly sign agreements that
the manufacturers make withother properties around the
country.
It just comes down to what theproperty owner decides is best
for them.
So if they're going to go it'san expensive process, especially
(04:53):
when you're talking about neon.
Neon is an expensiveundertaking.
So to have someone else kind offoot that bill of the creation
of the sign and then theproperty owner to just maintain
the sort of service agreementwith it, it is a lot better for
financially viable in some ways,it makes a lot more sense
actually.
Ayla Sparks (05:09):
Obviously, it was great for you guys as a museum,
because all of these historicsigns have been saved, and then
I'm sure that they were at somepoint.
What are we going to do withall of these signs?
And hello, we have a great ideafor that.
Aaron Berger (05:22):
It actually was.
It was under our mayor at thetime, jan Jones Blackhurst.
Jan, mayor Jones at the timewas approached about a series of
signs that were in.
They were owned by Yesco, whichat the time was called the
Young Electric Sign Company.
They now go by the name Yesco,and Yesco had all of these again
(05:43):
, ranging from the HaciendaHorse and Rider that dates back
to the 50s.
You've got signs that date backquite a long time, some of them
as much as 70 years.
So you've got these incrediblepieces that are just sitting out
baking in the sun not doing anygood.
And it was under Mayor Jones'sadministration.
(06:04):
They decided to prioritize thisand they created a boneyard and
had it on a little cityproperty and you actually would
actually call.
So we opened in 2012, which isjust 12 years ago, but you would
actually have to call and say Iwould like to come see the
museum, and we went from 20,000visitors to now, as I said,
(06:26):
we're over 200,000 visitors, soin 10 years it's been amazing.
Ayla Sparks (06:30):
And what's really unique as well about something
like this is you can go and viewkind of almost gallery style
like you would at a typicalmuseum, but you guys have a lot
of photographers and a lot ofphotographic events that happen.
We do.
Aaron Berger (06:42):
So anyone armed with an iPhone can just wander
through and we are truly thegreatest Instagram backdrop in
the city, like there is nobetter place than to have that
sort of neon and light glow fromthe sort of vintage era of Las
Vegas behind you.
(07:04):
That is fantastic.
You can also do a professionalphoto shoot, so we have
everything from high schoolgraduation photos to we've been
on the cover of Italian Vogue,so to every music video on earth
, and you name it.
It's a great, iconic place tobe.
Ayla Sparks (07:21):
So yeah, it's wonderful Hashtag, iconic Look
at me.
Wow, look at me being allmillennial over here.
Aaron Berger (07:28):
Love it.
Ayla Sparks (07:28):
So whenever you think about Nevada and I mean
every time I tell someone I'mfrom Nevada, they instantly go
oh, vegas.
When you think of it, you'relike Las Vegas, sin City.
You're walking down the strip,there's all these lights.
What kind of started off theflashy party vibe of Vegas
really.
Aaron Berger (07:46):
Las Vegas was an escape town.
It was the place that you wouldget away with it, and I mean
that in almost every sense.
So you would get away with itand from it, I think, is
probably the best way ofthinking about it.
And that could be you'd getaway from your wife, you would
get away from your family, youwould imbibe.
You know, gambling was thebirth of this town and really it
(08:12):
became this place of escape,and I think that's really
visible today as you look at thearchitecture of Las Vegas and
you see this sort of escapistarchitectural design.
Everything from New York, newYork to the Luxor, to the
Venetian canals you've got theentire world sort of brought
together in one small city.
(08:33):
So it is a lot of glitz, a lotof glamour, definitely a lot of
glitter.
But if you are able to lookpast that, you can see there is
an enormous amount of historicpreservation taking place here
and there's a lot of historythat's alive and well in this
city.
Ayla Sparks (08:50):
I love it.
I have been to Vegas a fewtimes, like I said, and every
time I go I don't drink and Idon't gamble and everyone's like
what are you even doing here?
And there's an incredibleamount of history in Vegas
itself and the surrounding areasand a lot of beauty as well.
So I think that this museum inparticular is perfect because it
really kind of takes thecombination of those two things
(09:11):
and puts them to the forefront.
Right, you have this flashy,amazing, fanciful kind of
escapist reality, but it's alsoincredibly tied to Nevada's
history, particularly Las Vegas.
So what are some of the older,the original signs and when neon
first started becoming seen inVegas?
Aaron Berger (09:30):
So you're going to see signs.
So the way I like to describeneon, especially in Las Vegas,
as you're from Nevada, you canappreciate this part of it which
is we're in the middle of adesert.
Right, in the case of Las Vegas, we're in a valley.
So imagine driving from LA andyou're driving to someplace like
(09:53):
Salt Lake City and you're goingthrough this vast, almost
Mars-like wasteland of there,their very, very few outposts of
any type of civilization, andso you see this orange glow of a
neon sign, maybe as much asfive miles, 10 miles ahead on
(10:15):
the road, that sign becomes thesort of beacon that says this is
a place for you to get a drink,this is a place for you to
spend the night, this is a placefor you to get a meal.
But you know that there'ssomething out there.
And so with that flat land, thatflat desert land and the
absence of other light, thatneon really became what grabbed
(10:38):
your attention.
So Las Vegas sort of blossomsand it takes that idea and
really wants to try and fightfor your attention now.
So it is my neon sign, has youknow, it is a static outline of
letters versus my neon sign thathas flashing light bulbs in the
(10:58):
center of it, which has my neonsign, which has this animation
and is showing you and welcomingyou into the sign.
So it's this sort ofone-upsmanship that is again
trying to get you to come intothe next location and spend your
money here versus there.
We work a lot with kids in thatthinking of, if you're going to
(11:19):
open a barbershop, what are yougoing to create that's going to
get someone to come to yourbarbershop instead of the
barbershop that's a block away.
So what does your sign looklike that makes you more
attractive and really describeswhat you do as a business.
Ayla Sparks (11:35):
That's great, and it makes a lot of sense too
whenever you think about, youknow, a growing Vegas fighting
for everybody's attention.
Aaron Berger (11:41):
It is.
It is the land of ADD.
Ayla Sparks (11:45):
Yes, because anytime you go into one of those
casinos too, I mean, it's justsensory overload with all the
mirrors and everything.
And that's pretty much by Imean it is by design for Vegas
as a whole itself, anyways.
Aaron Berger (11:54):
I think that you know Las Vegas is a place where
we have so much to offer thateven walking just from the
reception desk to your hotelroom, you can walk by
unbelievable blue chip artistsand amazing art installations
that have come from around theworld, that have been custom
(12:15):
made, that have you know sevenfigures that are important works
of art and here they're sort ofdecorative right.
They're not necessarily seen aspart of the arts and culture of
Las Vegas and I think it'ssomething that's really
overlooked and it's somethingthat we don't get enough credit
for is the fine art that we havehere in the city.
Ayla Sparks (12:37):
Yeah, there's a lot more to Vegas than gambling and
a red light district.
You got it.
Aaron Berger (12:43):
Yeah, there is a Vegas for people who hate Vegas.
I think is really the rule ofthumb to think of.
Ayla Sparks (12:51):
Definitely.
I know that we're going to betalking about some really cool
signs that you have, but I'mcurious what is the oldest sign
that you guys have and what areyou doing with the signs?
That tells a story.
Aaron Berger (13:04):
Sure.
So let me take the second partof that first, which is the
signs that tell stories.
So all of our signs tellfabulous stories and I think the
thing that mesmerized me aboutjoining the Neon Museum I've
only been here, I haven't beenhere three years yet, but I've
had almost 30 years in museums,and so it is.
(13:24):
I expected the Neon Museum tobe, you know, sort of a glitz
and glam kind of moment, andthen I came through and the
first sign that we came acrossis the Moulin Rouge, and we're
going to talk about that indetail and through that got to
learn about the civil rightsstory in Las Vegas.
And then, further down, welearn about some of the Western
(13:48):
architecture of the city and howthere's sawdust on the floor
and some of the first stoolsthat were put in front of SWAT
machines were actually coveredin saddles, just to give you
this sense of you know, you'rein the Wild West kind of idea,
and I love that sense of history.
I also love the fact that wetalk about Betty Willis.
(14:08):
Betty Willis was the woman whocreated the Welcome to Fabulous
Las Vegas sign.
That's so you know,unbelievably renowned and copied
everywhere, and she did itwithout a copyright.
She did it deliberately as agift to the city.
No-transcript Black communitystories of women.
(14:58):
These are all parts that areinterwoven into the experience
when you tour the Neon Museum.
Ayla Sparks (15:04):
It's a great way to start a story really is by
having a visual sign that canlead into this really cool
history.
Aaron Berger (15:10):
Yes.
Ayla Sparks (15:11):
So going to the Moulin Rouge?
Why is that, in particular, onethat you wanted to showcase?
Aaron Berger (15:17):
So the Moulin Rouge is a personal favorite of
mine for a couple of reasons.
One is the three reasons.
I think so.
One reason is that the MoulinRouge was the first integrated
casino in the US.
If you're Pearl Bailey, youwould perform on the strip.
(15:53):
You would be encouraged toperform on the strip because
people wanted to see these acts.
However, you came in the backdoor, you performed on stage,
you would travel eight miles tothe west side of town, to what's
called the historic west sideof town, which is the black
community of Las Vegas, and youwould stay in a black boarding
house.
So the Moulin Rouge is thefirst integrated property.
(16:13):
And they were famous for their2.30 am show.
So I know right, I'm in bed by7.30, am show.
So I know right.
Ayla Sparks (16:20):
I'm in bed by 7.30.
Aaron Berger (16:21):
The thought of a 2.30 show is a lot for me, but
if you think about these majoracts that are performing on the
strip, they would have an eighto'clock or nine o'clock start
and then they do a second showat 10 or 11 o'clock.
So it's the 2.30 show that youmight get again Aretha Franklin
on stage, or you might get FrankSinatra on stage, you may get
(16:44):
Bobby Darin, or you may getSammy Davis Jr, or it could be
all of them just appearing.
The other part, too, is thatthe Moulin Rouge is appealing to
middle-class Black tourists whoaren't able to stay on the
Strip.
So this is a very importantproperty because it is serving a
need of those that want tovisit Vegas but don't have the
(17:08):
ability to do so or arediscriminated against and not
allowed to.
So Moulin Rouge, despite itsincredible success, despite the
fact that in its time it's onthe cover of the Life magazine
for being this incredibledestination property, it closes
within six months and it filesfor bankruptcy.
(17:29):
Now there's a lot of Las Vegaslegend as to why that and
whether or not the mob wasinvolved because it was pulling
too much money off of the stripand it was becoming too
attractive.
That's a possibility.
But it is a fantastic propertyto talk about and really discuss
the civil rights movement.
You have to remember Las Vegaswas known.
(17:54):
It had a nickname of theMississippi of the West.
So we were very much adiscriminatory city that held
back people from just aneveryday experience that white
clientele could enjoy on aregular basis.
So that's one reason I love theMoulin Rouge.
The other is that it ispartially restored and so if
you're standing in front of it,the entire sign is lit.
(18:16):
It is beautiful and it's pinkand it's pink hue, so it's
Moulin Rouge.
It's taken after the MoulinRouge in Paris, so it speaks to
that Parisian influence, theMoulin Rouge.
Obviously you know the Rouge isreferring to pink or red, but
if it had been any other colorit wouldn't be as beautiful as
(18:39):
that sign really is.
It is also truly a beacon.
You can see that sign frommiles away A because of the size
, but B because of that pink.
But if you're standing in frontof it you can see where we have
restored the sign.
So you'll see some bubblegumpink neon tubes and you'll see
(18:59):
some coral pink.
The coral actually dates backto 1955.
So that's the original tubing,the original neon that was used
to create that sign.
It has endured Las Vegassummers of 120 degrees, las
Vegas winters below freezingmonsoons, windstorms all of that
(19:20):
time over 70 plus years.
It has endured all of that andagain.
At the end of the day, thistubing is glass.
It breaks that's what glassdoes but it has survived.
So I love that.
I love that you can see thatand experience that with that
sign.
Ayla Sparks (19:35):
I would like to point out as well that, though
it's got all of these signs,they're on the ground so people
can actually come up to them andsee them.
The signs are not up like howthey were in front of the hotel,
they're eye level, so youreally can see those.
Aaron Berger (19:49):
That's a really important point, and I'm glad
you said that that's exactlytrue, and we want you to be able
to see the sign in its detail.
We want you to hear that buzzthat only neon makes, which is
fantastic as well.
So the third thing about theMoulin Rouge sign that I love is
that it was also created byBetty Willis, the woman who
(20:10):
designed the Welcome to FabulousLas Vegas sign.
The handwriting of the signitself is actually Betty's
handwriting.
So if you look at this, you'llsee this amazing script that she
has, and this is before thedays of AutoCAD and any type of
(20:32):
kind of computer engineering.
She is scaling this outmathematically to make these
17-foot foot tall letters andscaling this all by hand.
It's really.
It's a beautiful, beautifulpiece that is also
architecturally spectacular.
Ayla Sparks (20:51):
I mean a seven foot tall letter.
Who doesn't want to go standnext to that?
Aaron Berger (20:54):
17 foot tall letter.
Yeah, it's amazing.
Ayla Sparks (20:57):
When Betty was making these signs.
What is the process for makingone of these kinds of neon signs
?
Aaron Berger (21:03):
It hasn't changed much, which is really
fascinating.
So neon started around 1905,and the process has not.
Again, there aren't computersreally engaged in this process.
It's very much an act ofcraftsmanship.
What happens?
The best way to do this viapodcast.
(21:24):
Imagine having a plastic strawand you take a plastic straw and
you bend it.
And if you bend it you're goingto get a V right.
It's going to have a crease inthe middle.
So the same thing would be truefor a neon tube.
If you were to heat it and bendit, you're going to get a
crease.
That crease is going to stopthe flow of neon and the gas and
(21:49):
the electricity.
So what the neon bender has todo is blow air into that tube so
that it expands to a pointwhere it remains consistent in
its width.
You blow too much air, you geta big bubble gum bubble.
If you don't blow enough air,you get a crease and again that
gas won't flow.
(22:10):
So it's an amazing art.
But again, there's no machinerydoing this.
This is an individual doingthis.
They have sheets of paper andthey lay them out and they map
out the tube.
Does it fit the shape?
Yes, it fits the shape.
I need to bend this a littlebit more.
I need to fold this back tocreate the letter that I need to
(22:31):
write, or I need to fold it sothat I can hide the electrode,
so that the electrode isn'tsomething that you're distracted
by.
So all of that's being thoughtthrough and planned into again
without the use of computers,and oftentimes you know you
don't go to school for this.
This isn't like HVAC repair,where you get certified in how
(22:53):
to do these types of electricalwork.
This is apprenticeship.
This is working under anotherneon bender and then being able
to work closely with them tolearn the craft.
Ayla Sparks (23:05):
Which is really remarkable, considering
basically, these guys areengineers, these guys and then
this gal Betty.
So she was not only a woman inthe field, but she was
practically an engineer for allpurposes of these neon signs.
Aaron Berger (23:16):
Absolutely so.
One of the things that themuseum has begun doing is
something called STEAM Saturdays.
So, from our perspective, ittakes science, technology,
engineering, art and mathematicsin order to make a sign.
So all of those components cometogether, all of them sit down
(23:37):
and create projects togetherthat are STEAM-based, because,
it is to your point, they areengineers, they're graphic
designers, they're electricians,they're all of that in order to
make this sign work and theyhave to, at the end of the day,
not just make it work, but italso has to do its original
purpose, which is attract youoff the street.
(24:00):
It has to meet that goal ofgetting you to come off the
street and come into thatproperty.
Ayla Sparks (24:05):
What is the difference between neon and just
a regular light?
Aaron Berger (24:09):
So neon is a gas.
It's a noble gas, and when it'scharged with electricity,
that's what gives it its glow.
So in most signs that we referto as neon signs, they're either
filled with neon gas or argongas.
One will produce a color.
Of one color, one will produceanother color.
Then you add powder coatings tothe tubes themselves and that's
(24:33):
how you get the variations incolor of that, but they're all
sort of under the umbrella of aneon tube or neon color.
Ayla Sparks (24:40):
So the two different ones argon what
natural color without any powderis argon?
Aaron Berger (24:45):
Argon will provide a yellow tube or a yellow color
, blue, green and white, whereneon gives you more of that red
coloring.
So the first neon signs are theones that we talked about.
That sort of orange glow out inthe desert horizon.
Those are true neon signs.
(25:06):
You add argon, that's whereyou're going to get into some of
those yellows and blues.
So if you add that powdercoating inside the tubing,
that's where you can get intosome more really fun brighter
colors, brighter, differentvariations in color.
Ayla Sparks (25:21):
Definitely really fun.
Brighter colors, brighter,different variations in color,
Definitely so.
Moulin Rouge, this beautiful,gigantic sign made by this
incredibly well-known womanengineer what was his journey
from being taken down after?
So the Moulin Rouge was onlyopen for six months, Correct?
So it was created then sixmonths.
And then what was his journeyto eventually coming to the
museum?
Aaron Berger (25:42):
So that's a story.
So the sign was saved.
I believe it was saved by thecity and, strangely, the
building burned down shortlythereafter.
So it was a great save onbehalf of the city and so it's a
wonderful act of preservation.
And again, we're a city thatbuilds things, then blows things
(26:05):
up, and then builds them againand then builds them and blows
them up.
So we're about to have anotherimplosion coming this fall and
people are excited.
They're trying to figure outhow to, you know, get tickets
and see it Nevada is known forexplosions.
Unfortunately, unfortunately,atomic and otherwise, yes, but
(26:43):
it's true, and so you know,we're known for that and we
celebrate it.
And really, if you think aboutit, while I think, at heart I'm
a historic preservation,evolving, constantly changing,
and part of that process isimplosion.
So we do go in aggressively and, with the case of the Tropicana
, we've been working very, veryclosely with them, preserving as
much as we can in preparationfor that upcoming implosion.
Ayla Sparks (27:04):
That's going to be another event to behold, I'm
sure.
Aaron Berger (27:06):
It will be, it will be another one, yes, yes it
will.
Ayla Sparks (27:09):
So it sounds like there might have only been a few
different companies who madethe multitude of signs.
Is that correct?
Aaron Berger (27:17):
There were several that did in this area.
I think Yesco is the mostprolific.
They did quite a few of thesigns.
Almost 200 of our signs arefrom.
Yesco is the most prolific.
They did quite a few of thesigns.
Almost 200 of our signs arefrom Yesco.
Of what we see in ourcollection, yesco does
tremendous work and is sort ofin many ways the go-to for a lot
(27:38):
of the larger properties theydid and even today, at I think
102 years old now, they did thelettering on top of the Legion
Stadium.
I mean, you name it, that'sYesco.
So we're very fortunate to havepartnered with them in creating
and again going back to theBoneyard we recreated the Yesco
Boneyard in our efforts with theNeon Museum.
Ayla Sparks (28:03):
How many signs do you have in your collection?
Aaron Berger (28:04):
It's a great question.
So we have about 250 that areon display.
I have another 600 that are instorage.
So that's one of our biggestgoals is to get these guys out
of storage and out into thecommunity.
So you've got about a littleover an acre of land that you
(28:25):
can walk through at the museum.
Again, those 250 signs if Iwere to have all 800, 900 out
there, you would hit asaturation point pretty quickly.
Our effort is to try and getthese signs into civic plazas.
We've started a new partnershipwith the city of Las Vegas
(28:46):
Plaza's.
We've started a new partnershipwith the city of Las Vegas.
It's actually, I think, myfavorite sign is going to be
installed there this fall.
It's a sign that says freeaspirin and tender sympathy.
And the reason was it was on aconvenience store in front of a
convenience store, kind of gasstation that was on the outside
of town.
A convenience store, kind ofgas station that was on the
(29:09):
outside of town.
And the legend behind it isthat, as you were coming into
Las Vegas from LA, you wouldstop there, you would give the
owner $20 and he would writeyour name on an envelope, put it
in a little shelf and you couldgo and lose your shirt on the
strip, but you would always havethat $20 to get gas to get back
to LA on the strip, but youwould always have that $20 to
(29:29):
get gas to get back to LA.
And so this free aspirin andtender sympathies he really
leaned into.
All that is Las Vegas, and sowhat I love is we partnered with
the city and that sign is goingto be installed in the medical
district here in Las Vegas,which is just the perfect
marriage, I think, so I'm reallyexcited about that.
Ayla Sparks (29:47):
And what's perfect about that as well is it could
almost be a walking tour outsideof the museum.
If you have enough of them thatare kind of out and around,
that's awesome.
Aaron Berger (29:56):
We do.
We have about a dozen that arealong Las Vegas Boulevard and
that walking tour is indevelopment.
So we do have it available onour website, where you can learn
about the signs right now.
We are in the process of alsoworking with the city to have
some historic markers made foreach one of those existing signs
, so that you know what ishistoric versus.
(30:19):
You know what's an adornment,what is something that's a prop
that was made, what's anadornment, what is something
that's a prop that was made.
Especially, as you get close toFremont Street, there are a lot
of things that have just beenmade versus what really dates
back.
You know again, 50, 60, 70years.
Ayla Sparks (30:33):
Is there anything in particular that you can see
in style or in, I guess,brightness of color, if you are
someone coming through Vegas anda trained eye could tell the
difference between, possibly onethat's historic and one that's
brand new?
Aaron Berger (30:46):
Yeah, so I love that.
That's a great question.
So one of the things I love totake people up and down Fremont
Street.
So Fremont Street is really theorigin point of Las Vegas,
where the Plaza Hotel and Casinostands right now.
That was where the originaltrain station was and really the
birthplace of the city.
(31:07):
So I like to take people thereand then just kind of walk them
up Fremont Street.
And one of the things that Ialways encourage people to look
for and it's really best seensort of on the Golden Gate
Casino, which is right acrossthe street from the plaza.
But if you look at the GoldenGate, you're going to see these
metal rungs that are attached tothe front of the sign.
(31:31):
And if you see the Golden Gate,it goes up about I don't know
50 feet in the air and it's gota series of neon outline and
flashing bolts.
So the rungs are there becausesome poor schmo had to climb up
that ladder and change out thoselight bulbs and this is all
(31:54):
pre-OSHA right.
So this is definitely not thesafest act in the world.
And so as you go through thecity and especially Fremont
Street, look at some of thesesigns.
If you see these metal rungsthat are sort of sticking out.
That don't really make sense.
With the sign it was formaintenance.
It was totally there so thatsomeone could climb up, change
light bulbs, fix neon tubes.
(32:15):
If there was damage in some way, they would go through and fix
it that way.
So yes, that's the thing tolook for.
Ayla Sparks (32:22):
That is so cool.
I'll be looking the next time Ido get to come into Vegas.
Aaron Berger (32:26):
Yep, you'll see it on, like the Hacienda Horse and
Rider which is at FremontStreet, las Vegas Boulevard,
again, the Golden Gate, many ofthe signs that you see of Vegas
Vic, which is underneath thecanopy on Fremont Street.
You'll see these pegs,basically, that are sticking out
of the metal.
Ayla Sparks (32:50):
I think, if I have to look back and think of my
most iconic sign that I canpicture, I don't know exactly
which one it is, but it's theman who has the cowboy hat, who
has the bent leg, who is movinghis cowboy hat like this.
Aaron Berger (32:56):
Correct, that's Vegas Vic.
Ayla Sparks (32:58):
Oh, that is Vegas Vic.
Aaron Berger (32:59):
That is Vegas Vic, created by the Chamber of
Commerce and is just sort ofthis.
He was here to welcome peopleto the city, so he is under the
canopy.
The original is still there.
It is actually again Las Vegaslaw of being quirky and weird.
The law is that if you have aneon sign underneath the canopy
(33:20):
on Fremont Street, it must belit, so you cannot turn it off,
and it must be maintained.
The city that never sleeps,that's it, so it is important
that we are preserving thathistory.
So I actually had to do aninterview with CNN because Vegas
Vic went out and there was alot of scuttlebutt about that.
Ayla Sparks (33:41):
Yeah, what happens if a sign does go out?
Aaron Berger (33:43):
It has to be repaired.
So they just call a repair guyand they're like go out, it has
to be repaired.
Ayla Sparks (33:45):
So they just call a repair guy and they're like
immediately this has to be done.
Aaron Berger (33:48):
The owner is responsible for maintaining it
and making sure that it is inworking order.
So yeah so it was.
These are the kinds of things,but Vegas Vic is fantastic.
He's a great, you know cowboy.
And then inside Circa, which issort of diagonally across from
where Vegas Vic is positioned,inside the Circa Casino is Vegas
(34:12):
Vicky and Vegas Vicky is.
There was actually a weddingbetween the two of them.
They're officially married.
So, Vegas Vicky, I know exactly.
But you know we've talked tothe folks who at one point Vegas
Vicky had fallen into renownedsign maker and now she sits
literally in the heart of Circa.
(34:49):
So wherever you go in thecasino you can sort of see a
different avenue or a differentsight line of Vegas Vicky
staring back at you and she'sgot her big cowboy hat, her big
grin and she's a well-endowedcountry lady.
The proper welcome to Vegasright there, you got it Exactly
(35:09):
yeah.
Ayla Sparks (35:10):
So there is also another really interesting sign
that you'd like to talk about,and this particular plant.
As a conservation person, yuccais fantastic in so many ways,
but I'm sure you're going to bemore of talking of the neon sign
variety, yucca.
Aaron Berger (35:25):
The neon sign variety, but it does support
your concept that Yucca isfabulous.
So that's fair, totally fair.
So the Yucca Motel sign isanother favorite.
It's a favorite with a lot ofour visitors, but also with me
as well, when we talk about thatcraftsmanship of how to make a
neon sign and that we're makingthese bends, and we talked about
(35:48):
the plastic straw and making aV.
So if you look at the top ofthis yucca sign and you see the
yucca bloom, it is nothing but abunch of squiggly little twists
and turns and it is a beautifulflower that has been created
out of neon and it's done in away that all of the electrodes
(36:10):
are hidden to the best of theirabilities.
In most cases, with most signs,you can put an electrode behind
a piece of metal, but this iscompletely exposed, and so with
that, the person who made thisand we don't know who made it,
but the person who made thispiece was so thoughtful as to
find ways to keep your eyefocused on that beautiful flower
(36:30):
and not necessarily theelectrical parts of it, and get
lost in that.
So I love that piece from anartistic standpoint.
That's where I see the artistryof neon and also its
functionality.
Ayla Sparks (36:44):
And what was the sign for?
Was there a yucca hotel?
Aaron Berger (36:47):
It was a yucca motel and if you look at the
sign, you'll see that where theword yucca is placed, it's
actually sort of center point inan arrow that's kind of
directing you into the parkinglot, and then the yucca plant is
on top with that beautifulflower in white above that.
So it's really, it's a strikingpiece.
(37:09):
And again it all goes back towhat can I as the property owner
, what can I make that's goingto get you to pull off the road
and come into my property?
So is it beautiful, Is itflashy, Is it?
You know saying the right words, what is it that's going to
make you come see me instead ofthe guy next door?
Ayla Sparks (37:29):
Yucca would get me in because I would be like in
this city of lights and trafficand you know like people, flashy
things, there's a little bit ofnature brought into this one,
so the hook line sinker me rightthere.
Aaron Berger (37:42):
You'll love the photo I'll show to you.
You'll love it.
Ayla Sparks (37:44):
Awesome.
So we know that you can come dothe pictures.
You can walk around in theamazing boneyard not graveyard,
the boneyard and check out thesesigns.
Do you guys have any eventsthat you do yearly that are kind
of big?
If someone's going to try tomake it, they should try to come
to those.
Aaron Berger (38:00):
So we have been very fortunate.
In the last two years alone Ithink we've lit four or five
signs.
So a sign lighting is alwaysexciting.
It's when we take a sign out ofthe boneyard and it goes away
for a few months and is restored, brought back to its original
glory.
There's an enormous amount ofhistoric research that goes into
(38:22):
this.
The last one we did was thepalms and that was a.
It was on a billboard.
This neon sign was attached toa billboard advertising the
palms, but we ended up finding aphotograph someone had taken of
just the freeway where thatsign had been and we were able
to do some color matching as aresult of that photo.
(38:43):
So it's incredible how we kindof dig through to find what's
accurate from the timeframe.
So lighting is always great fun.
The next one coming up isactually May 19th.
We are lighting three signs,all from the Flamingo.
The Flamingo is the longestrunning property on the Strip
(39:04):
and so these are two signs thatare by Raul Rodriguez and they
are feathers that were on thefacade of the Flamingo.
And then we have the marquee,the big kind of plume, as well,
and that was done by Bill Clark,all of which from 1976.
Those have been restored overfive months.
(39:24):
So right now if you come to themuseum if you were to come to
the museum today you wouldliterally see a flat dirt patch
with a piece of plywood over ahole as we're waiting to put
that sign back into installation.
So right now we're doing theunderground electrical work, all
the fun that goes with that.
(39:45):
So that sign lighting is greatfun.
The other thing that we haveannually is something called
Duck Duck Shed.
So Duck Duck Shed I know it's acrazy name, but Duck Duck Shed
refers to, specifically,architecture of Las Vegas.
There was a book written 52years ago called Learning from
Las Vegas and it was by threeYale professors and in it they
(40:08):
discussed buildings being eitherducks or decorated sheds.
And so we took that and we hadsome fun with it and called it
Duck Duck Shed.
We have a four-day celebrationof Las Vegas architecture,
design and culture.
We bring people in fromliterally all over the world and
we did tours of the home ofSiegfried and Roy and you got to
(40:30):
get in and see how they livedand we had dinner inside the
Lion Pens at their house.
We had lecturers who talkedabout how it was to build an art
collection inside the casinos.
We've had people who've talkedabout what it's like to move
historic buildings down LasVegas Boulevard, so it's a great
(40:51):
four days.
Duckduckshedcom is a great wayto learn about that too.
It's a lot of fun.
Ayla Sparks (40:56):
And when does that happen?
Aaron Berger (40:57):
So it's usually.
It'll be in.
The spring of 25 will be thenext one, but it is about 40
programs in four days.
It's food, drink, merriment,lectures, tours, walking tours,
helicopter tours, you name it.
We do it all.
Ayla Sparks (41:14):
That sounds amazing .
I might have to make that tripto Vegas and finally visit the
museum Come on, come on, we'llshow you a good time.
The last time we were in VegasI was tired of taking all the
selfies, which I guess wasprobably anti-neon sign museum,
right, but uh.
So my husband and I got littlelegos that replicated ourselves,
and so we started takingselfies with the lego and then
(41:36):
the thing in the background.
So I have this gorgeous littlelego picture of us in front of
the flamingo I love that.
That's fantastic that would befun.
We'll come do it and we'll doit in front of the signs.
Aaron Berger (41:47):
One of the things we're doing I think starting
next or no, starting later thisweek is we are asking the public
to just send us your photos ofthe flamingo.
So it's just sort of getting upto that excitement of lighting
the sign.
So you'll have to send it inand we'll tag us on the social
media platforms and we'll get itout there and let the world see
(42:08):
.
Ayla Sparks (42:09):
And they can revel in your Lego people.
That's great.
Aaron Berger (42:12):
A Lego couple.
Ayla Sparks (42:13):
Yes, well, thank you so much.
This was really interesting.
I just love doing these becauseI get to learn so much of
different kinds of history, andNevada always has a very special
place in my heart.
So thank you so much foragreeing to come on and talk
about what you guys offer,because it's a lot.
Aaron Berger (42:30):
It's my pleasure and thank you for your interest
and please, when you do come totown, let us know.
We'll make sure you have a goodtime, oh, I will.
Ayla Sparks (42:37):
So there is also another really interesting sign
that you'd like to talk about,and this particular plant.
As a conservation person, yuccais fantastic in so many ways,
but I'm sure you're going to bemore of talking of the neon sign
variety, yucca.
Aaron Berger (42:52):
The neon sign variety, but it does support
your concept that yucca isfabulous.
Ayla Sparks (42:57):
So that's, fair.
Aaron Berger (42:58):
Totally fair.
So the yucca motel sign isanother favorite.
It's a favorite with a lot ofour visitors, but also with me
as well, when we talk about thatcraftsmanship of how to make a
neon sign and that we're makingthese bends, and we talked about
the plastic straw and making aV.
(43:19):
So if you look at the top ofthis Yucca sign and you see the
Yucca bloom, it is nothing but abunch of squiggly little twists
and turns and it is a beautifulflower that has been created
out of neon and it's done in away that all of the electrodes
are hidden to the best of theirabilities.
(43:39):
In most cases, with most signs,you can put an electrode behind
a piece of metal, but this iscompletely exposed, and so with
that, the person who made thisand we don't know who made it,
but the person who made thispiece was so thoughtful as to
find ways to keep your eyefocused on that beautiful flower
and not necessarily theelectrical parts of it, and get
(44:02):
lost in that.
So I love that piece from anartistic standpoint.
That's where I see the artistryof neon and also its
functionality.
Ayla Sparks (44:11):
And what was the sign for?
Was there a yucca hotel?
Aaron Berger (44:14):
It was a yucca motel and if you look at the
sign, you'll see that where theword yucca is placed, it's
actually sort of center point inan arrow that's kind of
directing you into the parkinglot.
And then the yucca plant is ontop with that beautiful flower
in white above that.
So it's really a striking piece.
(44:36):
And again it all goes back towhat can I, as the property
owner, what can I make that'sgoing to get you to pull off the
road and come into my property?
So is it beautiful?
Is it flashy?
Is it?
You know, saying the rightwords, what is it that's going
to make you come see me insteadof the guy next door?
Ayla Sparks (44:56):
Yucca would get me in because I would be like in
the city of lights and trafficand you know, like people,
flashy things there's a littlebit of nature brought into this
one, so that would hook linesinker.
Flashy things there's a littlebit of nature brought into this
one, so that would hook linesinker me right there.
Aaron Berger (45:09):
You'll love that.
You'll love the photo.
I'll show it to you.
You'll love it.
Ayla Sparks (45:12):
Awesome.
Thank you so much for tuning inand supporting Curator's Choice
, a Mighty Oak Media production.
If you enjoyed the show, pleaseconsider subscribing and rating
the show on Apple Podcasts,spotify, youtube or wherever you
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If you love a museum and wouldlike to hear it featured in an
episode, shoot me a message atCuratorsChoicePodcast at
(45:35):
gmailcom.
I'll do my best to reach outand see if I can get them to be
on the show.
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Thanks for listening toCurators Choice, a podcast for
history nerds and museum lovers.
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