"Before The Splash" Diving into the Tropicana Hotel Pool in Las Vegas

A diver soars above the gleaming pool of the Tropicana Hotel Las Vegas — arms outstretched, suspended against a bright blue Nevada sky — in one of the most effortlessly glamorous images in the Retrospect collection.

The $15 million Tropicana opened on April 4, 1957 as the most expensive Las Vegas resort developed up to that point. It quickly became known as the Tiffany of the Strip — drawing celebrities, high rollers, and anyone who wanted to be seen at the most glamorous address in Las Vegas.

This image captures that era perfectly. The cream colored mid-century colonnades, the manicured grounds, the sweeping pool — and one perfect diver, frozen forever at the peak of the arc, before gravity has its say.

The Tropicana permanently closed its doors on April 2, 2024 — ending 67 years on the Las Vegas Strip. This slide preserves it in its golden years, exactly as it was meant to be seen.