Before the Bellagio and its majestic fountains brightened the corner of the Strip and Flamingo, the Diamond of the Dunes hotel tower stood tall. But before that high rise was built in the 1960s, another landmark graced the area: the Dunes’ giant sultan.

Like Las Vegas itself in the 1950s, it was garish, gaudy and a little frightening to small children. This was a time when people were just learning about Las Vegas, so things tended to be a little over the top.

Calling the sultan “over the top” might be a bit of an understatement. But he, like the Flamingo’s Champagne Tower and the El Rancho Vegas windmill, did something important: they gave the growing Strip architectural landmarks in the years before the 1960’s neon explosion.

Some might say that the sultan makes the casino look like a miniature golf course, but that might have been the point: since the resorts themselves were little more than motel buildings with nightclubs tacked on, casinos needed something—anything really—to stand out.

Today, with massive hotel towers announcing their presence, Strip casino resorts can afford to be a little less flamboyant, and (usually) choose their architectural flourishes with a little more taste. But, like a high school yearbook photo with big hair and goofy glasses, this image will forever be a reminder of how far the glamorous Strip has come.

PHOTO SOURCE: Union Pacific Railroad Collection, UNLV Special Collections

By David Schwartz

David G. Schwartz an Atlantic City native and the director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He is the author of Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling. His web site can be viewed at www.dieiscast.com.

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