Betty Willis, who designed the world-famous “Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas” sign, has died at the age of 91.

Vegas

The graphic designer behind one of the most iconic landmarks in modern American culture came up with the 25ft high neon sign in 1959. The sign, which has greeted millions of visitors and become the city’s unofficial emblem, cost $4,000 to build at the end of the Las Vegas Strip.

It has featured in dozens of films and in 2009 was included in the US National Register of Historic Places.