Virginia Street at night under the Reno Arch, Reno, Nevada, circa 1940

Subjects: Automobiles Street Scenes Town & City Views
Card type: Linen
Date: c. 1930 (White Border)

Back of Virginia Street at night under the Reno Arch, Reno, Nevada, circa 1940, c. 1930 linen postcard — Back

About this postcard

Night view looking down Virginia Street beneath the great illuminated steel arch lettered "RENO" and "THE BIGGEST LITTLE CITY IN THE WORLD," with 1930s-40s automobiles and glowing neon signs for hotels, a drug store and a smoke shop lining the street. The slogan arch, first erected in 1926 to mark the Lincoln Highway and replaced in 1934, became Reno's signature landmark and a symbol of the city's quick-divorce and gambling era. The scene captures the downtown casino strip as it appeared in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Postcard Details

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PublisherSierra News Co.

VIRGINIA STREET AT NIGHT, RENO, NEVADA—10 --- Ideally situated in fertile meadows, along the Truckee River, and surrounded by Sierra Nevada Mts., this city serves as industrial, financial and distribution centers of a vast area. Its modern shops and business establishments are far beyond the usual. 16056 POST CARD PLACE STAMP HERE PUBLISHED BY SIERRA NEWS CO., RENO, NEVADA NATURAL-COLOR POST CARD MADE IN U.S.A. BY E.C. KROPP CO., MILWAUKEE, WIS. —(LDY)

Addressed to

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Postcard record

Publisher	Sierra News Co.
Series	10
Condition	Very good
Place depicted	Reno, NV
Place mentioned	Truckee River
Place mentioned	Sierra Nevada Mountains
Notes	Linen-textured stock with a thin white border; slight corner and edge wear. Unused card: no postmark, no handwriting, no address. Linen-textured Kropp "Natural Color" back with E C / K Co stamp box; publisher imprint Sierra News Co., Reno, Nevada (printed by E.C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee). Clean, light edge wear.

Cite this card

Virginia Street at night under the Reno Arch, Reno, Nevada, circa 1940, postcard, c. 1930. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/virginia-street-at-night-under-the-reno-arch-reno-nevada-cir. Accessed October 25, 2026.