Abstract
The Stella Champo Iaconis Photograph Collection (approximately 1890-1950) contains four black-and-white photographic prints of the Helldorado Days celebration held in Las Vegas, Nevada and three photograph albums with family photographs. Included in the albums are images of Italian family members, and Stella and her sister Irene as young children on their family ranch in Southern Nevada in the 1920s and 1930s. The Champo family and other Las Vegas residents are prominently featured in photographs taken across Las Vegas, including at the Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam) dedication, the family's farm, and outside residences near downtown Las Vegas. The third album covers Stella Champo's personal life, with photographs of her first husband, Walter Cordano (married 1934-1942) and her second husband, John Iaconis. Included are trips to Los Angeles, California; Pioche, Ruth, and Goldfield, Nevada; and early downtown Las Vegas, including the Union Pacific Station. A partial inventory is available for the third album.
Finding Aid PDF
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Scope and Contents Note
The Stella Champo Iaconis Photograph Collection (approximately 1890-1950) contains four black-and-white photographic prints of the Helldorado Days celebration held in Las Vegas, Nevada and three photograph albums with family photographs. Included in the albums are images of Italian family members, and Stella and her sister Irene as young children on their family ranch in Southern Nevada in the 1920s and 1930s. The Champo family and other Las Vegas residents are prominently featured in photographs taken across Las Vegas, including at the Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam) dedication, the family's farm, and outside residences near downtown Las Vegas. The third album covers Stella Champo's personal life, with photographs of her first husband, Walter Cordano (married 1934-1942) and her second husband, John Iaconis. Included are trips to Los Angeles, California; Pioche, Ruth, and Goldfield, Nevada; and early downtown Las Vegas, including the Union Pacific Station. A partial inventory is available for the third album.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
This material is made available to facilitate private study, scholarship, or research. The donor, [DONOR NAME], retains all copyrights for materials in the [COLLECTION NAME (XX-#####)]. However, some material may be protected by copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity rights, or other interests not owned by [DONOR]. 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 in original order.
Biographical / Historical Note
Stella Champo was born in Moche, Italy on September 16, 1910. In 1912, the Champo family emigrated to Las Vegas, Nevada. The family initially lived in downtown Las Vegas, before moving to a small ranch south of the city in 1917. Stella Champo studied at a local grammar school and Las Vegas High School.
Following the death of her mother, Stella Champo left high school and began working as a waitress at the Union Hotel and later worked at the Hotel Apache in Las Vegas before moving to Los Angeles, California. In 1953, Stella Champo married John Iaconis and relocated back to Las Vegas.
Stella Champo Iaconis worked as a waitress at a number of Las Vegas bars and clubs including the Paradise Club, the Green Shack, the Sahara Las Vegas, and the Desert Inn. Iaconis was a member of the St. Jude’s Women’s Auxiliary and the Italian American Club Auxiliary. She resided in downtown Las Vegas until her death on January 18, 1998.
Sources:
Stella Champo Iaconis oral history interview, 1981 July 22-23. OH-00921. Oral History Research Center, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
“From waitress to humanitarian: 87-year resident Iaconis dies.”
Preferred Citation
Stella Champo Iaconis Photograph Collection, approximately 1890-1950. PH-00190. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were received in 1984 from the Nevada Humanities Committee; accession number 84-57.
Processing Note
In 2020, as part of the archival backlog elimination project, James Howard wrote the finding aid and entered the data into ArchivesSpace.