Showgirls
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Girls of the "chorus" line at the Last Frontier Hotel take over the bar while Frontier employee Johnny Dixon toasts, as dealer Tim Holean and shift manager Whitney Schugart look on in this 1946 photo. View photo »
Lucy Lewin of the June Taylor dance troupe poses for cameras following a performance at the Flamingo Hotel in 1949. June Taylor was known as one of the best choreographers in show business, winning an Emmy in 1955 for her chorus-line routines on The Jackie Gleason Show. View photo »
A burlesque dancer showcases an extravagant headpiece as part of a "Minsky Folies" performance at the Dunes Hotel. The Minsky Folies was the first topless show offered by a hotel in the state of Nevada. View photo »
A burlesque cowgirl seduces audiences and actors alike during the first topless show in town, "Minsky's Folies," at the Dunes. Harold Minsky moved the show to Las Vegas in 1957 after his show was driven out of New York for being too raunchy. View photo »
Moulin Rouge Hotel showgirls Barbara McCarey, unknown, Norma Talbert, Lorraine Ward, Ann bailey, DeDe Young and Dee Dee Jasman pose for this May 1955 photo. The Moulin Rouge was the first fully integrated casino in Las Vegas, serving and hiring people of any ethnicity. View photo »
A Copa Girl poses in front of a Sands Hotel marquee advertising Dean Martin and Count Basie. View photo »
Choreographer Donn Arden walks dancers through a number in preparation for a performance of "Lido de Paris" at the Stardust Hotel. Arden produced some of the strip's best shows such as "Hello Hollywood Hello," the original "Jubilee" at Bally's, and is credited with discovering magicians Siegfried & Roy. View photo »
Showgirls don elaborate headpieces in a 1978 stage production. Showgirls first appeared in Las Vegas during the 1950s at the Dunes, Sands and Desert Inn -- but it wasn't until the 1960s and 70s that they became a cultural icon. View photo »
A Folies Bergere performer poses for the camera during a 1977 performance at the Tropicana's Tiffany theater. View photo »
Showgirls of the "Lido de Paris" entertain audiences of the Stardust. The extravagant revue featured an on-stage waterfall, six hydraulic stages, an ice rink and a swimming pool. It was also the first stage show (outside of burlesque) that featured topless performers. View photo »
An early photo of actress Valerie Perrine shows her beginnings as a Las Vegas showgirl in Stardust's "Lido de Paris." Perrine is best known for her role as Miss Eve Teschmacher in Superman I and II, but she received an Oscar nomination when she played Honey Bruce in the 1974 film "Lenny". View photo »
Peggy Kubena looks into the eyes of Caesar the lion during a 1978 performance of "Casino de Paris" at the the Dunes Hotel. View photo »
A backstage view of one of Las Vegas' spectacular shows that features lavish outfit and headdress-wearing showgirls. Despite their waning popularity, showgirls are still a treasured part of Las Vegas history. View photo »
Stardust showgirls entertain the audience during a 1980 performance of the iconic "Lido de Paris" production show. The Lido de Paris enjoyed one of the strips longest runs, opening in 1958 and running continuously until 1992. View photo »
Mon, May 15, 1905 (midnight)
Despite the fact that there are the only two major productions featuring showgirls left, the image of the showgirl continues to be an icon of classic Las Vegas culture.
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