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On June 4, 2011 photographer Sven Kirsten, videographer Nathan Marsak and I spent the day at the famous Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans doing a photo shoot for “America After Dark.” During the shoot we were inspired to recreate the … Continue reading
This gallery contains 11 photos.
Atlantic City was America’s first mega-resort. As early as the 1870s, Atlantic City attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, most of who hailed from nearby Philadelphia where inexpensive train travel made a weekend holiday or day trip possible. By … Continue reading
I’ll be signing both of my books – “Havana Before Castro” and “Palm Springs Holiday” – at the Gibbs Smith booth (Booth 911) at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books being held at USC this year. I’ll be there from … Continue reading
This gallery contains 3 photos.
The Twist started out as a dance fad in 1959, but two years later Life Magazine wrote about a “dingy Manhattan nightspot named the Peppermint Lounge [that had] quickly became the most jammed joint in town.” According to Life, “Before … Continue reading
This gallery contains 12 photos.
The Ken Kimes chain of Tropics Motor Hotels included an outpost in Palm Springs that opened circa 1964. Scattered amidst the lushly landscaped property were tikis of various sizes that punctuated the tropical theme. Kimes leased the hotel’s food and … Continue reading
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For my upcoming book on American nightlife I’m including examples of some of the best continental style fine dining restaurants remaining in these United States. Mr. Sven A. Kirsten (of Book of Tiki fame) is my brilliant photographer and together … Continue reading
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I just found this incredible rendering of the Las Vegas Dunes Hotel from 1962 that shows the original concept by Chicago-based architect Milton M. Schwartz. Compare this with the actual as-built hotel that I showed in my January 30, 2011 … Continue reading
This gallery contains 4 photos.
The girl wandering around with her big camera and flash was a ubiquitous feature of American nightclubs prior to the 1970s. Generally, people posed stiffly. But every once in a while the camera captured the essence of a couple, such … Continue reading
I shot this video late one night with my friend Jerry Stefani in 1988. We drove down the Las Vegas Strip and Fremont Street to capture the amazing neon-lit motels that once were ubiquitous but now have mostly vanished. The … Continue reading
This gallery contains 3 photos.
Any cocktail lounge providing live entertainment is top notch in my book. But back in the day, the definition of a lounge act was rather loose. Piano bars were fairly common but organ bars less so. This one features Miss … Continue reading
GREETINGS FROM LAS VEGAS. More than 300 vintage photos and postcards tell the story of the fabulous desert oasis from its birth in 1905 through the swinging 60s and beyond. Experience early Fremont Street, Birth of the Strip, Glitter Gulch, the Rat Pack, Vegas After Dark, and so much more. $30 cover price
Palm Springs Paradise $30 cover price
Palm Springs Holiday $30 cover price
Peter Moruzzi's Mid-Century 
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