Abstract
The Felix Lenox Photograph Collection (approximately 1910-2000) contains original photographic slides, prints, and contact sheets collected by Lenox in support of his popular "Nevada Armored Transport Inc. (1946-1984)" Facebook page. The collection also includes Lenox's own research on Las Vegas history and armored trucks.
Finding Aid PDF
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Scope and Contents Note
The Felix Lenox Photograph Collection (approximately 1910-2000) contains original photographic slides, prints, and contact sheets collected by Lenox in support of his popular "Nevada Armored Transport Inc. (1946-1984)" Facebook page. The collection also includes Lenox's own research on Las Vegas history and armored trucks.
Access Note
Collection is open for research. Where use copies do not exist, production of use copies is required before access will be granted; this may delay research requests. Advanced notice is required.
Publication Rights
This material is made available to facilitate private study, scholarship, or research. Leah Lenox transferred all right, title and interest they had in the Felix Lenox Photograph Collection (PH-00395) to UNLV. However, some material may be protected by copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity rights, or other interests not owned by UNLV. Users are responsible for determining whether permissions are necessary from rights owners for any intended use and for obtaining all required permissions. Acknowledgement of the UNLV University Libraries is requested. For more information, please see the UNLV Special Collections policies on reproductions and use or contact us at special.collections@unlv.edu.
Arrangement
Materials remain as they were received.
Biographical / Historical Note
Felix Lenox Jr. was born February 12, 1953 in St. Louis, Missouri to Felix and Dora Lenox. Felix grew up in Enid, Oklahoma and graduated from Enid High School in 1971. His first job was working at the Lenox Drive-Inn, a fast food burger joint owned by his father in Enid. He went on to serve in Korea from 1973 to 1976, and was promoted to Sergeant of the 101st Airborne Division with honorable discharge.
In 1981, Felix left Enid to become a member of a privately funded treasure-hunting expedition, led by Ken "White Eagle" Listerman, that was searching for the mythic lost river of gold in the Mojave Desert. Their base camp, "Eagle's Nest", was constructed in the Mescal Mountain Range nearly 60 miles south of Las Vegas, Nevada. Felix worked at the base camp for about a year and a half, and also at Whiskey Pete's Hotel and Casino on the Nevada/California stateline to help support when funds began to dwindle. While working and living there, Lenox played in a band, B.F.D, with his friends Blake Phillips and Dennis P. Paidoussis in Sloan, Nevada. He also spent time in Nipton, California where one of his historical photographss and hand carved wooden signs still reside.
He eventually moved to Las Vegas, where he would remain for most of his life. Although Felix went to community college for the arts, he made a career out of bartending, and worked many years at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino before it was demolished in 1998. In 1992, he bought an armored truck named "Big Pink" which sparked his interest in the history of armored cars, and his popular Nevada Armored Transport, Inc. 1946-1984 Facebook page was later born. It was there he found a following for his research about armored cars and the page progressively grew into a nostalgic homage to Las Vegas history. He connected with other history enthusiasts and slowly grew his own personal collection of photographs and ephemera related to Las Vegas history.
Felix passed away suddenly on May 21, 2023. He is survived by his two daughters, Leah and Alexa Lenox.
Source:
Curator's email communication with donor, Leah Lenox, July 1, 2024.
Preferred Citation
Felix Lenox Photograph Collection, approximately 1910-2000. PH-00395. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/f1pr4d
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated by Leah Lenox in 2024; accession number 2024-073.
Processing Note
In 2024, Sarah Jones accessioned the collection and created a brief finding aid in ArchivesSpace.
Administrative Information
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Appraisal Note
Acquired by Aaron Mayes, Visual Materials Curator, as part of UNLV Special Collections and Archives' holdings on Southern Nevada history.