Vegas Vickie

The classic Las Vegas sign “Vegas Vickie” has found a new home within Fremont Street’s newly-opened Circa Casino, and YESCO’s restoration required a combination of modern—and “classic”—techniques.

The new owners were adamant that the refurbished sign, once finished, should be faithful in every detail to its original state. When the long-decommissioned sign arrived at our Las Vegas facility, the toll of its nearly forty years of exterior wear was apparent. While our fabricators began stabilizing the structure, rebuilding the movable leg, rewiring electrical components and making new neon, our artists and painters undertook the process of restoring the cabinet.

Once accurate measurements were taken, the design was recreated digitally. The color scheme was recreated using old photos taken during the sign’s construction. We also referred to images of the original concept sketch, created by Charles Barnard. In addition, a reduced-scale maquette was crafted by our sheet metal department and expertly detailed by Adolfo Gonzalez.

Following approval of the artwork and painted study, the sign was covered with paper (made temporarily translucent with solvent), and every line and shape carefully traced. With the painted design thus captured, it was safe to strip the surface to bare metal, re-prime and spray a pristine coat of automotive white enamel. The airbrushed colors then followed, trimmed by hand painted outlines.

Vickie is now securely ensconced at her new residence, freshly appointed and emblazoned with light!