Lighting Up Las Vegas: YESCO Marks a Glittering Century
Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO), founded in 1920, has played a significant role in creating Las Vegas’ reputation as a city of neon. From its early use of neon on Fremont Street in the 1930s, to the Strip “spectaculars” of the 1950s and 1960s, to the cutting-edge technologies of today, YESCO has helped mold the image of Las Vegas as it is understood around the world. Its iconic signs have come to be recognized as works of art and their significance transcends their function as mere advertisements.
In celebration of YESCO’s 100th anniversary in 2020, this exhibition is curated jointly by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s (LVCVA) Las Vegas News Bureau Archive and The Neon Museum and examines the history and impact of YESCO on Las Vegas. The exhibition follows the intertwined stories of the company, the city, the technology, and the men and women who made it all possible. While this display was slated to open in 2020 to mark YESCO’s centennial, it was delayed due to the COVID pandemic. We are now thrilled to bring this exhibit to the public in 2022 on the 102nd anniversary of YESCO.
This exhibition was on display February 3, 2022 - March 23, 2022 at the Nevada Humanities Program Gallery in Las Vegas. An opening reception and discussion took place at the Nevada Humanities Program Gallery and Art Square Courtyard on Wednesday, March 9, 2021, from 5 to 8 pm. See the exhibition and watch a replay of the discussion below.
A conversation about the history and impact of YESCO on Las Vegas, featuring Kelli Luchs, Archivist for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA); Emily Fellmer from The Neon Museum; and Jeff Young, senior vice president of YESCO. Video courtesy of LVCVA/Jim Rose.
About Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO): YESCO specializes in the manufacture of custom electric signs, sign maintenance, and out-of-home advertising. In addition, YESCO operates sign and lighting service repair stores throughout North America as well as a sign financing business. Thomas Young founded the company in Ogden, Utah, in 1920 after borrowing $300 from his father. YESCO began by offering wall-painted advertisements, gold-leaf window lettering, and coffin plates. Today, helmed by the second, third, and fourth generations of the founder’s family, YESCO creates, services, and maintains award-winning displays for some of the most prestigious brands. For more information about YESCO, visit YESCO.com.
About the Las Vegas News Bureau: For nearly 75 years, the Las Vegas News Bureau has captured the sights and sounds of Las Vegas. The News Bureau was originally a part of the marketing efforts of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, but it has been a division of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) for nearly 30 years. It has played a unique role in promoting Las Vegas by documenting unforgettable images. Today, the collection consists of more than 7 million images, 11,000 pieces of film and video, and 1,400 linear feet of manuscripts and artifacts. It continues to play an important role in marketing Las Vegas as a premier destination for business and leisure travel. The Bureau’s active preservation program safeguards this rich and living archive of Las Vegas history for future generations.
About the Neon Museum: The Neon Museum is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying, and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic, arts, and cultural enrichment. Its two-acre campus includes an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard. The museum collection also includes several restored signs installed as public art throughout downtown Las Vegas. Both the Neon Boneyard and museum’s La Concha Visitors’ Center are located at 770 Las Vegas Blvd. North, in Las Vegas.
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