These are indeed early. Most likely the original luminaires were either side mount OV20 pendants or stamped OV20s. Then LPS took over at some point and now the HPS. Look at the poles, rather than being tapered you will see they are made in sections with step downs.
Its only surface rust. The poles are pretty solid. They are painted steel. Three of these poles are still at this intersection, one was replaced due to an upgrade project.
Hey Dave...would have been nice to see the WHOLE intersection (at a maybe 45 degree angle....) Plus Dave, not sure...but have you noticed I didn't crop too much on this picture...because I know how you like cars.....(look on the right side )
Maybe the signal poles themselves are from the late 1940's, but I am sure they were not at that intersection then. Back then, Carson Street would have been a two-lane road (which incidentally was part of a highway that passed through the Las Vegas Strip) and there most likely were not traffic signals on that intersection, or, if there were, they would have been suspended from wires as they usually were at that time and place.
Actually, the area was being developed in the mid-late 40s. These poles are from the very late 40s. I saw a pic of a traffic light set up from '50, looks very similar to this, with stamped OV20s and rounded refractors.
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