The Strip

Las Vegas  and its famous strip of casinos, hotels, and bars only exist due to a series of historical coincidences. Among other things legalized gambling, quickie marriages, World War II, and enterprising gangsters transformed a small railroad stop into one of the entertainment capitals of the world.

There are few other places where one can witness a sophisticated entertainment industry using all of its resources to attract millions of tourists. Its inducements are games of chance, vibrant colors, pop architecture, and “good times”.

Sometimes I’ve felt as if I’ve photographed a group of bizarre and provisional stage sets, where actors appear very briefly, and then exit the scene. In a way that’s true. Las Vegas is full of transient people, and the buildings are notorious for their impermanence. Perhaps, that’s why I suspect that I’ll have to be satisfied with capturing the narrowest  slice of this unique city.