These 75 iconic photos are some of the most recognizable in the collection and have been published throughout the world. They examine the early marketing efforts of the LVCVA Archive, and the role that the LVCVA Archive played in promoting Las Vegas as both a business and tourist destination.

The Beatles performed at the Las Vegas Convention Center on August 20, 1964. A single concert had been planned in the 700-seat Congo Room at the Sahara, but promoters quickly realized that they needed a much larger space, and they booked the convention center and added a second show. Nearly 17,000 fans packed the two sold-out performances in the convention center.

Flood damage outside of Caesars Palace on July 3, 1975. This photo, taken by the Las Vegas News Bureau, was widely circulated by local news agencies. It is not indicative of normal weather in the desert and the photo’s appeal and widespread circulation highlighted how rare this amount of rain was. While the news bureau’s main focus was to promote the destination, it also occasionally covered local news stories.

Muhammad Ali at the Dunes on July 17, 1963. He was in Las Vegas for the Sonny Liston versus Floyd Patterson fight at the Las Vegas Convention Center on July 22, 1963. Liston knocked Patterson out 2 minutes and 10 seconds into the first round. Ali is pictured with eight fingers up, which was his speculation on which round the fight would end.

'Las Vegas News Bureau' photographers captured a beauty shot of the Dunes on June 5, 1958, in order to promote the $3.5 million resort.

Bobby Baldwin (President of the Golden Nugget), Jack Binion (President of Binion's Horseshoe), Jeanne Hood (President and Chief Executive Officer of the Four Queens), Sam Boyd (Co-Founder of Boyd Gaming), and Jackie Gaughan (casino owner) posed on Fremont Street on May 6, 1985, for a publicity photo. Each of these individuals played a key role in the success of Fremont Street and the gaming industry in Downtown Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is famous for its themed weddings, including being married by an Elvis impersonator. This all began with Elvis’ own wedding on May 1, 1967. Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu were wed at The Aladdin hotel in a private ceremony officiated by Nevada Supreme Court Judge David Zenoff.

A model exited a car in front of the Sahara on August 18, 1954. This staged photo was distributed to newspapers throughout the nation to market Las Vegas as a tourist destination.

The Riviera, the Thunderbird, and the La Concha on April 21, 1962. The Las Vegas News Bureau photographers often took aerials of the Las Vegas Strip to promote the destination in both local and national newspapers.

The Hacienda hotel and casino had a Cessna 172 that was used to fly passengers from Los Angeles to Las Vegas as part of a vacation package. For $27.50, the passengers flew in, spent the night at the Hacienda, received a bottle of champagne, and $5 in casino chips. In December 1958, the Hacienda, in an attempt to publicize the flight package, set out to establish a non-stop flying record. In this photo, pilots Robert Timm and John Cook were in the middle of setting the flying record. The record was successfully made with a non-stop flight at 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes, and 5 seconds. Refuelling was handled by lowering a hook via a winch down to a fuel truck that would trail the plane on a straight stretch of road, usually twice a day. 'The plane and a replica car' are on permanent on display in the Terminal 1 Baggage Claim area at the Harry Reid International Airport.

The Las Vegas Hilton marquee with Elvis Presley as headliner on January 26, 1972. Elvis re-ignited his career with his engagement in Las Vegas. Elvis’ step­brother Billy Stanley recalls in his autobiography that “we were seeing a whole new side of Elvis …. More than a decade had been erased in one night’s performance; the ‘rebel king’ was back on top of his profession and on top of the world.”

The Flamingo hotel on December 15, 1953. This beauty shot was utilized in several publications to market Las Vegas. The Flamingo advertised itself as a $5 million resort, which ushered in a new era of glamour and entertainment.

Betty White and Allen Ludden were wed at the Sands on June 14, 1963. They first met in 1961 on the set of the game show 'Password,' where she was a celebrity guest and he was the host.

Tony Bennett arrived at McCarran International Airport on a Bonanza Airlines DC-9, on August 22, 1966, before his show at Caesars Palace. Bennett was the second person to perform at Caesars Palace.

The Jackson 5 performed at the MGM Grand on August 29, 1974. Their show ran from August 21st to September 3rd. The Las Vegas News Bureau photographed one of their shows and sent the images to news outlets around the nation to promote entertainment in the destination.

This staged photo of Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and Elvis Presley was taken at the Sahara on May 28, 1960. At the time, Elvis had only performed in Las Vegas once, in April 1956, but despite his fame, he did not initially appeal to the audience in Las Vegas. Prima and Smith, on the other hand, had hit it big at the Casbar Lounge at the Sahara.

President John F. Kennedy spoke at the Las Vegas Convention Center on September 28, 1963. His speech was part of an eleven-state conservation tour. The President commended the state of Nevada for its efforts to conserve natural resources.

Binion's Horseshoe casino was known for its million dollar display. Pictured here, Benny Binion, the original founder of the casino, and his daughter Becky Binion are posed next to the attraction on June 4, 1969.

The atomic mushroom cloud from The Priscilla Test, part of Operation Plumbbob, raised over Fremont Street on June 24, 1957. Las Vegas News Bureau photographer Don English accidentally captured this iconic image when he slept in and had to rush downtown to capture the blast on top of the drugstore. English recalls that he looked up, 'and by gosh all of a sudden there was the mushroom cloud right between Vegas Vic and the Pioneer Club, absolute perfectly in the center.' This famous image was published around the world and won 'LIFE' magazine's 'picture of the week.'

Muhammad Ali at his weigh-in at Caesars Palace on February 14, 1973, proceeding his match against Joe Bugner. Gene Kilroy, Ali's business manager stated that, 'He always loved Las Vegas, and Las Vegas always loved him...They were the perfect match for each other. He loved to entertain, and Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world.'

Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney arrived at McCarran Airport on August 20, 1964. They performed two sold-out concerts to 17,000 fans at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Elvis Presley at the International Hotel on August 17, 1971. Elvis' engagement at the International Hotel began in August 1969, and it was the first time he performed live in eight years. It was a massive success, and the news bureau photographers covered Elvis while both performing and relaxing off stage and their photographs were published around the world. According to author Richard Zoglin, 'Elvis set a new bar for Vegas performers; the biggest salary, the biggest musical production, and the biggest promotion campaign the city had ever seen.'

A showgirl in the production 'Jubilee' in the Ziegfeld Showroom at the MGM Grand on July 27, 1981. The show featured several chapters taken from famous Hollywood movies such as the sinking of the Titanic and Samson and Delilah. The news bureau covered all of the showgirl productions and utilized the photos in marketing and publicity materials to market the destination as 'The Entertainment Capital of the World.'

Nat King Cole performed at the Sands on December 11, 1962. Local newspaper publisher, Hank Greenspun, noted that the ability to see performers like 'Nat King Cole…and other tremendous top personalities of show business' was essential to the tourism industry and growth of Las Vegas. Greenspun declared, 'Las Vegas now has the reputation of the greatest show town in the country' due to performers like Nat King Cole.

Siegfried and Roy performed at the Stardust on October 2, 1980. The duo redefined casino entertainment and established the art of magic as an essential part of the Las Vegas experience. The Las Vegas News Bureau covered their productions from their early work in 'Lido de Paris' to their own permanent show at the Mirage. Their photos were used in Las Vegas' marketing efforts and published around the world.

Las Vegas News Bureau photographers captured a Caesars Palace goddess in front of the marquee advertising Andy Williams and the Ritz Brothers ion July 22, 1966. They sent this photo to newspapers around the nation to drum up publicity for the opening gala of Caesars Palace on August 5, 1966.

A model posed underwater to play a slot machine in the pool at the Tropicana April 24, 1969. This publicity stunt, envisioned by the Las Vegas News Bureau, was created to promote Las Vegas as a 'Fun in the Sun' destination.

Mint 400 contestants lined up at the starting line on Fremont Street on April 4, 1968. According to Norm Johnson, who was the assistant publicity and promotion director for the Mint Hotel in 1968, and the man responsible for creating the race, 'The Mint 400 is the most famous off-road racing event in the world today.'

Kathy Saxe prepared for her performance in 'Lido de Paris' at the Stardust, circa 1975. Showgirls and Las Vegas had become interconnected and people came from all over the world to see showgirls perform. 'Lido de Paris' was the first show to be fully imported from Europe. The photographers at the Las Vegas News Bureau took hundreds of photographs of their production and distributed them to news outlets across the United States.

The volcano show wowed tourists outside of the Mirage on January 3, 1995. In the 1990s, marketing to families was the newest way to promote Las Vegas, and free shows like the erupting volcano paved the way for those efforts.

On May 24th, 1957, the Las Vegas News Bureau captured the famous 'Miss Atomic Bomb' photo to coincide with Operation Plumbbob at the Nevada Test Site. News Bureau photographer, Don English, took the famous photo of the showgirl from the Sands’ Copa Room, thought to be Lee Merlin. The publicity photo is the most published photo in the Las Vegas News Bureau collection and has appeared and continues to appear in hundreds of publications worldwide.

The Las Vegas News Bureau covered major news stories including the fire at the MGM Grand on November 21, 1980. The tragedy, sparked by faulty wiring in a deli restaurant at the east end of the casino, revealed code violations, design flaws and other serious vulnerabilities in one of the most modern resorts. Coupled with the deadly Hilton Hotel blaze three months later, the two fires led to public policies that upgraded fire safety standards in high-rise buildings throughout the nation.

Louis Armstrong and Marlene Dietrich at the Riviera on February 21, 1962. They performed what the United Press International called, 'a high society version of the Twist.'

This publicity photo was taken at the Union Plaza with models poolside on August 29, 1972. It was posed to promote what the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce nicknamed 'Glitter Gulch,' and it showcased the fifty-miles of neon tubing and 2 million light bulbs that were in the five-block area on Fremont Street.

Evander Holyfield after his win against Michael Dokes at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 11, 1989. Billed as, 'A Date with Destiny' and later heralded as the 'heavyweight fight of the decade' the fight went ten rounds before it was stopped by the referee. The Las Vegas News Bureau began covering boxing events in southern Nevada in the 1950s.

The Clark County Fair and Recreation Board was created in 1955 to develop a plan to draw visitors to Las Vegas during the slow weekday periods. City and tourism leaders were convinced that convention business was crucial to the growth of the valley, and they lobbied the Nevada State Legislature for funding. That same year, the Legislature agreed to finance the construction of the Las Vegas Convention Center via a room tax that was levied on hotels and motels in Clark County. The newly constructed Las Vegas Convention Center is pictured here on June 29, 1959.

Liberace hanging above his birthday cake in front of the Sahara on May 16, 1967. The publicity photo was recorded by the Las Vegas News Bureau and shared with publications across the nation. His birthday cake was so massive, he had to hang suspended above it in order to cut the cake, which was shared with tourists passing by.

Muhammad Ali (left) vs Floyd Patterson at the Las Vegas Convention Center, on November 22, 1965. Ali won the world heavyweight championship with a technical knockout at the end of the 12th round.

Fremont Street, looking west, on June 1, 1981. As part of the Chamber of Commerce, the news bureau photographers captured images for use in their publication, 'The Las Vegas Report'. This beauty shot was originally taken for use in the report.

Frank Sinatra at the ticket window of the Fremont Theatre for the premier of his movie 'Suddenly' on November 11, 1954. The Las Vegas News Bureau covered major film and TV stories in Las Vegas and sent the photographs to newspapers around the nation for publication in an effort to market Las Vegas as 'The Entertainment Capital of the World.'

Singer and actress Abbe Lane was classified as 'Miss Supersonic' by the Air Force, and in return, she went to Nellis Air Force base and posed with soldiers, as well as this plane, on September 30, 1953.

Wayne Newton at the Flamingo on November 5, 1965. Newton began performing in Las Vegas at the Fremont Hotel when he was only sixteen-years-old in 1959. He became known as 'Mr. Las Vegas,' and his images have been utilized by the news bureau to market Las Vegas as the 'Entertainment Capital of the World.'

The Caesars Palace Formula One Grand Prix was held on September 25, 1982, on a temporary track built in front of Caesars Palace. The Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit will once again come alive in November 2023, when it will return to Las Vegas for the first time in forty years.

Frank Sinatra performing at the Copa Room in the Sands on December 15, 1956. The audience was only feet away from the performers and the tables next to the stage were often packed with celebrities. The news bureau photographers used these images to promote Las Vegas as: 'The Entertainment Capital of the World.'

Sally McCloskey, a ballerina and dancer from the Sands hotel, performed an interpretive dance on top of Mount Charleston called the 'Angel's Dance,' with an atomic mushroom cloud in the background on April 6, 1953. Las Vegas News Bureau photographer Don English thought up this publicity stunt, which proved to be a great success. In addition to the local 'Review-Journal', several other publications across the nation published this photo including 'Parade', a widely-circulated Sunday newspaper magazine. The 'Parade's' caption stated, 'Her task: to interpret the greatest drama of our time in dance rhythms. For high over her sinuous, leaping form rose a symbol no eye could miss: the pale, rising cloud of an atomic bomb just exploded 40 miles away.'

The Moulin Rouge in June 1955. The property was the first integrated resort in Las Vegas, located in the Westside, a largely African American community. The hotel, partially owned by heavyweight champion boxer Joe Louis, was only open for six months, but in that time, it offered better accommodations for the black entertainers performing at the segregated resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. This photo, taken by the Las Vegas News Bureau, is still featured prominently on many websites and online newspapers that examine the history of race relations in Las Vegas.

The crowd at Caesars Palace for the Muhammad Ali versus Larry Holmes fight on October 2, 1980. The event drew a net live gate of nearly $6 million, the largest in the history of boxing. Caesars constructed a temporary 24,790-seat outdoor arena for the fight, and the telephone operators at Caesars handled 48,000 calls that day, double any other day in hotel history. The estimated worldwide TV audience was a record two billion people, and for the first time in history, a boxing event was televised in China.

Models posed near the Hoover Dam, located 40-miles outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 9, 1955. The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce utilized this photo in its publicity materials, and had the news bureau send the image to newspapers across the nation to publicize their 'Fun in the Sun' marketing efforts.

Liberace and Elvis Presley at the Riviera on November 14, 1956. This publicity photo was created to promote Elvis during his first performance in Las Vegas. The two stars traded clothing styles and musical instruments as a stunt to promote entertainment in Las Vegas.

New Year's Eve fireworks over Fremont Street on December 31, 1990. Downtown was the premiere outdoor party spot for the celebration and over 500 firework charges were set off atop the Union Plaza Hotel.

Sammy Davis Jr. and Loray White were wed at the Sands hotel on January 10, 1958. The photographers at the news bureau covered numerous celebrity weddings to promote the destination as the, 'Wedding Capital of the World.'

Ann-Margret performed at the Las Vegas Hilton on November 28, 1972. She broke attendance records at both the Hilton and Tropicana in the early 1970s.

Mamie Van Doren performed at the Riviera on October 2, 1957. The Las Vegas News Bureau captured many celebrities during their performances and sent the photos to publications around the world. These celebrity images helped the news bureau market Las Vegas as 'The Entertainment Capital of the World.'

Frank Sinatra dealt Baccarat after one of his performances in the Copa Room at the Sands on November 27, 1959. Big entertainers often socialized with their fans in the casinos after performances in order to promote the casinos and gambling.

The Sands marquee highlighted the entertainment lineup with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop on January 20, 1960. The Las Vegas News Bureau photographers captured thousands of photos and hundreds of feet of film of the group. These photos and films were utilized around the world to promote the famous 'Rat Pack in Las Vegas.'

The 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' sign on February 22, 1960. This sign was originally created in 1959 by Betty Willis who worked for the Western Sign Company. The original purpose of the sign was to draw tourists into the city, but now it’s become a cultural landmark that is recognized worldwide. In 2009, the sign was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and in 2013, it was added to the State Register of Historic Places.

Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Joey Bishop, known as 'The Rat Pack,' performed at the Sands on January 20, 1960. During the day, they filmed for the movie 'Ocean's Eleven', and in the evenings they performed at the Sands.

The exterior of the Las Vegas Convention Center on December 15, 1960. Models posed in front of the convention center to produce this beauty shot, which was utilized in some of the first marketing brochures the convention center made.

On December 31, 1967, Daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to jump over the water fountains at Caesars Palace. Knievel’s jump was a 141-foot attempt and his longest to date. The jump may not gave been a success, but it landed him in the national spotlight and launched his successful career.

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis perform at the Sands on February 1, 1955. The duo first performed at the Sands in January 1955, and they were a huge hit. Audiences traveled from all over the United States to see them perform.

A publicity photo of the opening of the Stardust on July 2, 1958. To market the opening, they utilized the space-age theme and hired models to pose in front of the property on a rocket. The news bureau photographers often covered casino openings and would share their images with newspapers around the nation.

A staged photo of gamblers inside the Golden Nugget, circa 1947. The photographers at the Las Vegas News Bureau were often asked by individual properties to take photos for their marketing efforts. This early example shows how the photo was staged with gamblers around the craps table in the foreground and in the background at the slot machines.

Early marketing agencies often emphasized Las Vegas' western heritage to promote the destination. The Las Vegas News Bureau posed this photo with Jimmy Crane on horseback. The idea was to showcase a former means of transportation from its western heritage by literally rubbing noses with the future of travel.

The bright lights of Las Vegas have drawn some of the biggest celebrities over the decades. See how many stars you can name in our latest photo collection.

The Helldorado Parade and festivities on Fremont Street. It was the first photo assignment for the Las Vegas News Bureau on May 15, 1947.

'Robby the Robot' posed at a blackjack table at the Sands on May 20, 1956. Robby originated as a character in the hit MGM Studios science fiction film 'Forbidden Planet', which had been released two months prior in March 1956.

The swimming pool at the Desert Inn on December 5, 1952. This beauty shot was utilized in marketing materials, and was printed in newspapers to promote the pools and good weather in Las Vegas.

Entertainers (left to right) Milton Berle, Red Skelton, Gale Storm, Spike Jones, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Vic Damone, and Herb Shriner on Fremont Street on July 20, 1953. Each of the stars were performing on the Strip in July 1953, and they worked with the Las Vegas News Bureau photographers to capture this photo so the News Bureau writers could send it to major magazines for publication. It was first published in 'Look Magazine'.

Fremont Street at night, showcasing the Golden Nugget, Hotel Apache, Horseshoe, Lucky Strike Club, Pioneer Club, Boulder Club, and Las Vegas Club in Downtown Las Vegas on August 10, 1954.

Photographers captured an atomic blast at News Nob, the designated site for reporters to record images of the atmospheric tests, northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 24, 1957. In reaction to people’s interest, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce promoted the dates and times for these tests. Calendars and community announcements would be published months in advance for tourists to plan and enjoy the spectacle of the mushroom cloud, and the Las Vegas News Bureau would capture the blasts from various perspectives and these images were published around the world.

Louis Prima and his wife Keely Smith had a five-year residency in the Casbar Lounge at the Sahara, pictured here on March 10, 1956, Prima is playing his signature trumpet with Smith and Sam Butera and the Witnesses playing in the background. The show was wildly popular with celebrities and high rollers. A 'Time's magazine reporter once noted, 'the space between the lounge and gambling rooms piles up ten deep with waiting fans and they would wait around until the fourth or fifth show of the early morning hours to see them.'

The Landmark implosion on November 7, 1995. The Las Vegas News Bureau photographers covered all of the implosions that took place in Las Vegas and shared their images with news outlets around the nation. This particular implosion was seen by millions as the footage was utilized in the movie 'Mars Attacks!'

Elizabeth Taylor, Eddie Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds at the Tropicana on June 19, 1958. This photo was taken by the Las Vegas News Bureau and was published across the nation after the events surrounding the divorce of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, and his subsequent marriage to Elizabeth Taylor.

A model posed poolside at the Sahara on June 1, 1953. This type of publicity photo was utilized by the Las Vegas News Bureau in conjunction with the slogan, 'Fun in the Sun' to promote Las Vegas and its good weather.

A rare color photo of The Mint on February 7, 1962. The Las Vegas News Bureau photographers often took beauty shots of individual properties to promote the destination in both local and national publications.

Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis Jr., members of the 'Rat Pack,' performed at the Sands on February 5, 1963. The Las Vegas News Bureau photographers captured thousands of photos and hundreds of feet of film of the group. These photos and films were utilized around the world to promote the famous 'Rat Pack in Las Vegas.'