UNLV Libraries Special Collections & Archives

As August slips away, we thought we'd round off the summer with showing a few photos of 1950s swimming pools in Las Vegas from our Union Pacific Railroad Photographs (PH-00043).

1. The pool area at Wilbur Clark's Desert Inn
2. Flamingo Hotel pool and courtyard
3. Swimming pool at the Dunes Hotel
4. Swimming pool at the Sands Hotel
5. Pool area at the Thunderbird Hotel
6. El Ranch Vegas swimming pool
7. Swimming pool at the Riviera Hotel

Su Kim Chung 25th Anniversary Special Collections Internship Campaign - UNLV Rebel Raiser When I interviewed for a position in UNLV's Special Collections & Archives, the practical experience I received through a paid professional internship made me a stand out candidate and set me on a path for success in Las Vegas

This , we'd like to highlight one of our largest photograph collections, the Greg Cava Photographs (PH-00399). The Las Vegas raised photographer shot for various sports teams throughout his career, but his collection documents Las Vegas's entertainment and hotel/ casino development. Swipe to the end to see his most famous photograph is of the 1990 Runnin' Rebels team!

With students of the Clark County School District returning to classes this week, we thought we'd highlight some of our collections that feature Las Vegas's first school - the Historic Westside School. First as a school for local Paiute children and later the only school Black Americans could attend in segregated Nevada, the Westside School is an important part of our Las Vegas history.

🏫 Historic photographs of the Westside School can be found in the Clinton Wright Photographs (PH-00379)

🏫 Modern photographs of the school can be found in the UNLV University Libraries Photographs of the Development of the Las Vegas Valley (PH-00394)

🏫 We have an oral history on the groundbreaking ceremony of the Westside School (OH-02267)

🏫 We also have oral history interviews with Westside School alumni (OH-02643)

All of these and more can be found on our portal at special.library.unlv.edu

Best of luck to Team USA at the Olympics!

Did you know that our Oral History Research Center is now recording the history of sports in Las Vegas? Learn more about the Game On! project or nominate a narrator at library.unlv.edu/gameon.

📸: Rancho High School track team from the North Las Vegas Library Photograph Collection (PH-00277).

Today, we say goodbye to the Mirage Resort. To remember it, check out this 2005 photograph from the Thomas Schiff Panoramic Photographs collection (PH-00419).

You can view more photos and records of the hotel's 25 year history at UNLV Special Collections & Archives.

The people of Las Vegas have always found clever ways to escape the heat! Check out this photo of hotel guests playing craps on a floating table as you look for inspiration of how to ride out this current heat wave.

This image comes from the Sands Hotel Photograph Collection (PH-00287).

The Nellis Air Force Base Photograph Collection (PH-00028) contains photographs of Nellis Air Force Base and its predecessor, the Las Vegas Army Airfield. Including photographs of airplanes in flight and life on base, this collection provides a glimpse into the main military zone of adjacent to Las Vegas. Here are just a few of our favorite photos from the collection.

Su Kim Chung, Head of Special Collections & Archives Public Services, was awarded a 2024 Historic Preservation Award for Preservation Education by the City of Las Vegas Historic Preservation Commission.

Chung received the award for her more than two decades of work at the forefront of preserving the history of Las Vegas. She was commended in particular for her efforts preserving the city's entertainment history, collecting oral histories, conducting community presentations, assisting researchers from around the globe, and authoring the popular coffee table book, "Las Vegas: Then and Now."

Happy National Go Fishing Day! To celebrate, here are a few fishing photos from the Ward Linqust Photograph Collection on Lake Mead (PH-00084). For many years, Las Vegas resorts offered excursions to Lake Mead. A few of these probably would have been used for profile photos if dating apps were around in the 50s.

Although June is typically LGBTQ+ Month around the world, Las Vegas celebrates in October in order to avoid the seasonal heat. Regardless, we'd still like to celebrate with everyone with a few pics from our Dennis McBride Photograph Collection (PH-00263).

McBride, an LGBTQ+ historian in Las Vegas, collected hundreds of photos of q***r life in the community, available to be seen on our portal at special.library.unlv.edu.

Happy 92nd birthday, Ruby Duncan! As the leader of the Welfare Mothers of Las Vegas, her activism led the Mothers into alignment with the national movement for welfare rights. She championed the March 6, 1971 protest on the Las Vegas Strip.

You can view more photos of Ruby Duncan and the March 6 protest in the Hank deLespinasse collection (PH-00454).

in 1937, crowds waited to visit the Hoover Dam power plant on Memorial Day. Still a new landmark, the last concrete for the dam was poured almost exactly 2 years prior on May 29, 1935.

See more photos of the Hoover Dam in the Bureau of Reclamation Photographs of the Hoover Dam and Boulder City collection (PH-00071).

in 1955, the Dunes Hotel opened on the Las Vegas Strip! It was one of three resorts to open on on the strip that year – the other two being the Riviera and the Royal Nevada.

To celebrate, check out a few of these photos from our Dunes Hotel Photograph Collection (PH-00281).

The Mint was a hotel and casino in downtown Las Vegas, made infamous by Hunter S. Thompson's novel "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." It was operated by the Del Webb Corporation which became the first publicly traded corporation to operate a casino. Today would have been corporation owner Del E. Webb's 105th birthday!

See more photos of the Mint Hotel and Casino in the Del Webb Corporation Photograph Collection (PH-00313) at special.library.unlv.edu.

Read our latest researcher profile of UNLV history PhD candidate Paige Figanbaum who successfully defended her doctoral dissertation last week! She has great tips for other grad students doing research in Special Collections and Archives.

https://www.library.unlv.edu/whats-new-special-collections/2024/2024-05/researcher-profile-paige-figanbaum.html

The UNLV Oral History Research Center (OHRC) has launched the “UNLV Remembers: An Oral History of the 6 December 2023 Shooting” project to enhance the historical record around that day with first-hand accounts of the tragedy, campus and community response, and recovery efforts.

Read more here: https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/unlv-remembers-new-oral-history-project-launches

Today, The Venetian Resort celebrates its 25th anniversary! Boasted as Sheldon Adelson's first Integrated Resort - meaning it combines gaming and non-gaming facilities - the Italian fanfare-themed resort replaced the former Sands Hotel.

This 1999 photograph from just before the hotel opened comes from the William N. Thompson Photographic Slide Collection (PH-00327).

The Gene Hertzog Professional Papers (MS-01015) are comprised of photographs, slides, transparencies, publications, video cassettes, correspondence, and digital files spanning Hertzog's working years with the United States Army, the Bureau of Reclamation, and as a freelance photographer and videographer based in Southern Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington state.

Gene Hertzog recently passed away on March 11, 2024, leaving behind his impressive work documenting our valley. These are just a few of the images from his collection and more can be seen at UNLV Special Collections & Archives.

We're sad to see the closure of another iconic Las Vegas resort, but the archivists in our Special Collections & Archives division are in discussion with the Tropicana to preserve their corporate records for future generations. These records will enhance our collections documenting the history of gaming and Las Vegas. Read more in this article from the UK Independent.

Tropicana hotel demolition: Vegas chooses cash over legacy The Tropicana has been synonymous with old-world Las Vegas glamour for nearly seven decades – but the legendary landmark has now closed its doors to make way for a $1.5 billion baseball stadium. As historians scramble to preserve the Tropicana’s colourful past, the site’s sporting future exemp...

As intrigue around Clara Bow circulates through the internet in response to Taylor Swift's new song, we thought we'd highlight some of our collections related to Bow and her life! Check them out here:

What Do We Know About Clara Bow? The original 'It Girl' — and subject of Taylor Swift’s latest song — has strong ties to Southern Nevada. Discover more from the UNLV Special Collections & Archives.

"At one time we couldn’t even get a major team here, because of our gambling. We were the gambling Mecca of the world, and they were afraid of that combination, but now that doesn’t make any difference anymore." Check out this interview with Claytee White about the Oral History Research Center's new Game On! project and learn how you can get involved!

UNLV Oral History Research Center looking to hear some good stories about Las Vegas sports Las Vegas has long been known as the entertainment capital of the world, but most recently it’s also taken its place as a major market for major sporting events.

We continue to collect items to document the aftermath of the Dec. 6 shooting on campus. Check out this interview with Denise Rosch from KSNV News 3, Las Vegas to learn more about these efforts.

Preserving grief: Relics from UNLV shooting archived for the records of history It’s a day locked in the memories of students and staff at UNLV.December 6th, 2023, the day three professors were murdered, and a fourth injured by a gunman at

Wednesday, April 10 | 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. | 3rd floor, Lied Library, UNLV

Are you interested in the history of Las Vegas or UNLV? Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes in Special Collections and Archives? Would you like to learn more about bringing your class in to explore primary sources on the history of the Southern Nevada region?

Join us for an open house to learn more about UNLV Libraries Special Collections and Archives and their mission to collect, preserve, and provide access to the history of Las Vegas, Southern Nevada, gaming, and UNLV.

You will have a chance to:

**Learn about our rare book collections on gaming and gambling.
**View unique historical documents and photos from a variety of collections.
**Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the stacks and Preservation Lab.
**Visit the Digitization Lab and learn how to use the Special Collections & Archives digital collections portal.
**Engage with the Oral History Research Center director and staff

Refreshments will be provided. If you need any special accommodations, please contact Noah Price in advance.

RSVP at : https://cal.library.unlv.edu/event/12055955

Today, we mourn the loss of Jon Cobain, UNLV's first ever graduate. From the time UNLV was named Nevada Southern University through today, Cobain has been an avid supporter of both the university and our initiatives in Special Collections & Archives. We are honored to document his legacy in the Jon E. Cobain Papers (MS-001105).

Photograph from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Photograph Collection (PH-00062).

The Thomas R. Schiff Panoramic Photograph collection (PH-00419) is comprised of the panoramic photographs Schiff published in his book "Vegas 360º." Including images of local businesses, casinos around downtown Las Vegas, and the Las Vegas Strip, this collection provides a glimpse into the atmosphere of Las Vegas in the early 2000s. Check out this image of the Venetian's canals, captured in 2001!

Schiff's photographs are available both physically in the archive and digitally in our portal special.library.unlv.edu.