Type+Place: Las Vegas Neon A to Z

Las Vegas Neon A to Z - Hand Drawn Neon Letters by Wanderlust Designer — Las Vegas Neon A to Z – Hand Drawn Neon Letters by Wanderlust Designer

I’ve had an obsession with vintage neon signs for a very long time! During my undergrad, I scoured the Southwest on a road trip photographing dilapidated signs and marquees, stopping even at the most inconvenient time to get a good shot. Well, the obsession continues…

With a recent trip to Las Vegas, and a visit to the Neon museum, my love for neon grew once again. This time it wasn’t just the neon that fascinated me, it was also looking more closely at the typography and styles. Once home, I knew what I had to do– an A to Z to honor the wonderful letters that are rusting in the broiling Vegas sun!

Vegas Neon A to Z at Night by Wanderlust Designer

From photos I took while on my trip to vintage images from a wonderful Vegas history book called Spectacular – A History of Las Vegas Neon (by Melissa Honson, Carrie Schomig and Dorothy Wright), I searched for the perfect letters to represent my hand drawn alphabet. It was clear that my drawing needed to be on white (for day) and on black (for night.) When looking at the 2 images side by side, it really does feel like the are glowing!

Vegas Neon A to Z in the Day by Wanderlust Designer

For those who love type and history as much as I, here is a list of which sign each letter is from (most signs are vintage):

A – Stardust

B – Unknown, sketched from a B in the Neon Boneyard

C – Caesar’s

D – Aladdin

E – El Cortez

F – Flamingo

G – Golden Nugget

H – Sahara

I – Pioneer Club

J – Jackpot Motel

K – Blackjack Motel

L – Silver Slipper

M – Moulin Rouge

N – Golden Nugget

O – La Concha

P – Plaza Casino

Q – 5th Street Liquor Store

R – Moulin Rouge

S – Stardust

T – City Center Motel

U – Circus Circus

V – Silver Slipper

W – Wilbur Clark’s Desert Inn

X – Fox Theatre

Y – Yucca Motel

Head over to my shop to pick up your Vegas Neon A to Z collection. I’ve created postcards, note cards and posters with the design.

For those who still want more, there are many Las Vegas style fonts available on the web. One of my favorites collections is from Font Diner, called the Casino Buffet. House Industries also makes a Las Vegas collection with 4 fonts and casino clip art. (Note: These are paid fonts.)