The Patricia Craig Papers (approximately 1941-1989) contain photographs from Las Vegas, Nevada dancer and showgirl Patricia (Pat) Craig. The collection includes early photographs of her family, Craig as a young ballet dancer, and her high school diploma. The majority of the photographs of are Craig in costume on stage, candid photographs of her at home, and professional modeling shots. There are a small amount of newspaper clippings and magazines regarding Craig's appearances in Las Vegas shows, and her diploma from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
On March 1, 1980, Gloria Banks interviewed her business acquaintance, Kenneth F. Johann (born 1924 in New York City) about his work life in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two discuss the origins of Johann’s business and early land prices in Southern Nevada. Johann explains the history of his investments as well as how land development progressed in Las Vegas from the 1950s and onward.
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On March 9, 1978, Shirley Dianne Long interviewed Al Lermusiaux (b. 1926 in Corrales, New Mexico) about his work in construction in the Las Vegas Valley. Lermusiaux begins by talking about his move to Las Vegas, his family and what brought him to the city. He shares many anecdotes about the construction of different iconic buildings in Las Vegas, the inner workings of the business, payments to employees and the changes in technology. Lermusiaux, in particular, talks of the telephone system in the fifties and the changes in structures and their regulations. During his interview, Lermusiaux lays out an image of old Las Vegas and Henderson, giving detailed descriptions of the layout of the city, the projects he worked on and the effects of the weather on building structures in Las Vegas.
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Kim Vilt grew up in Woodland Hills, CA; lived an outdoor life in rural San Fernando Valley and was the oldest of four children. Graduated from CSUMB. Served with the Peace Corps in Bulgaria and met husband James J. Vilt there. Eventually Kim moved to Las Vegas and talks about changes to Las Vegas and to the John S. Park community. Kim Vilt has lived in the John S. Park Neighborhood for ten years and plans to stay there as long as she and her husband live in Las Vegas. Their house was built in 1946.
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The Marian Honeycutt Photograph Collection (1963-1969) is comprised of snapshots taken of famous Las Vegas landmarks in the 1960s. Among the landmarks depicted are: the Golden Nugget, the Golden Slipper, the Desert Inn Hotel, and the Sahara Hotel. Some of the snapshots were taken from the interior of a vehicle.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Don Payne, Joe Buck, and Don English conducted by Perry Kaufman on November 25, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Payne, the head of the Las Vegas News Bureau, relates moving to Las Vegas, Nevada as a child, and deciding on a career in advertising and marketing. He talks about his early career and the history of the bureau. Later, Buck and English, both photographers with the bureau, join Payne in discussing the goals of the the organization. They relate the need to establish that Las Vegas was more than gambling and how their marketing and photographs focus on the relaxing, fun, and luxurious aspects of a vacation in the area. They talk about the large volume of photographs produced by the bureau and the success of some nationwide, including the "floating craps table" and the atomic bomb test mushroom cloud framed between two casinos in downtown Las Vegas. They conclude by discussing how they have expanded their marketing to include destinations close to Las Vegas, including Lake Mead, the National Parks, and California destinations within "a day's drive".
Archival Collection
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