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037. Matchbook Delight! Part 9, Jai Alai at the MGM Grand Hotel.

The date of this matchbook can be narrowed down to between the years 1974, when they began playing Jai Alai at the fronton in the new MGM Grand Hotel, and 1980, when a disastrous fire broke out in the unsprinklered hotel, killing 85 and putting an end to the “fastest game in town.”

It has some nice letterforms and a pleasing illustration of a Jai Alai competitor – the technique of shading (two colors only, plus halftone), combined with outlining the shading, gives the illustration a groovy, flowing, liquid look. The effect reminds me of Ed Ruscha’s “liquid word” paintings.

I think I would enjoy watching a Jai Alai match, but I do not want to take a trip to Florida to do so.

2 responses to “037. Matchbook Delight! Part 9, Jai Alai at the MGM Grand Hotel.”

  1. dj

    that’s a sport that makes you want to smoke.

  2. ricardo gardew

    I worked as a ball boy at the Jai Alai games at MGM when it open in 1974 at the age of 16 years old.

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