Polaroid of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino marquee taken by Donna Summer
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1979
name: label: Photograph by
content: Donna Summer, American, 1948 - 2012
label: Manufactured by
content: Eastman Kodak Company, founded 1889
label: Subject of
content: Donn Arden, American, died 1994
label: Subject of
content: MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, American, 1973 - 1986
notes: label: Description
content: A color polaroid photograph of the Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel and Casino marquee taken by Donna Summer. The photograph has a thick white border that is wider at the bottom, with a color image at the top center. The freestanding, roadside marquee is shown slightly right of center. The marquee is white and roughly hexagonal in shape with two supporting concrete columns at the base. Perched at the top center of the marquee is an unlit neon sign that reads [MGM]. Below is the top third of the marquee, with a [CELEBRITY ROOM] sign at the top center and with the headliner names below in large black text that reads [DONNA SUMMER / DAVID BRENNER]. Above Brenner’s name is smaller black text that read [MUSICAL DIRECTOR EN LANE]. The center panel of the marquee features at small black sign at the top that reads [ZIEGFELD THEATRE]. Red and black text on the marquee below reads [MGM PRESENTS DONN ADREN’S / HALLELUJAH / HOLLYWOOD!] with smaller black text in the bottom left corner that reads [NIGHTLY / 9 P.M.-12.30AM / NOW / SATURDAYS 3 SHOWS / 9 PM – 12 – 230 AM]. The bottom third of the marquee features blue, black, and red text in varying sizes and fonts that reads [jai alai / PARI MUTUEL BETTING / NIGHTLY EXCEP[sic] MONDAYS] on the left and [GRAND “Q’ / $2 CAN WIN / $5000 TO $50,000 / POOLS] on the right. Near the bottom of the top third of the marquee are two men on a suspended scaffold who appear to be changing the marquee headliner names. Behind the marquee is the multistory hotel, palm trees, and a gradient dark to light blue sky. The back of the polaroid is black with a white frame. The date and film code, [07097805201], is printed in the bottom left corner with [POLAROID ®] in the right corner.
place: label: Place captured
content: Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: American West
label: Topic
content: Amusements
label: Topic
content: Composers (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Disco (Music)
label: Topic
content: Nightlife
label: Topic
content: Photography
label: Topic
content: Singers (Musicians)
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Photographs and Still Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2023.85.4
objectType: label: Type
content: dye diffusion transfer prints
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown – Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: dye on photographic paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Sheet): 4 1/4 × 3 1/2 × 1/16 in. (10.8 × 8.9 × 0.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (Image): 3 1/8 × 3 1/16 in. (7.9 × 7.8 cm)