Abstract
The Oakes Las Vegas Studio Photographs (approximately 1930-1939) consist of a sample book of photographic postcards by Oakes Vegas Studio. The images depict the construction of Hoover Dam and creation of Lake Mead; early Las Vegas, Nevada building and street scenes; landscape photographs of national parks including Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Death Valley; scenes of the Nevada desert and mountains surrounding Las Vegas; and the Lost City in Moapa Valley, Nevada. This album was kept at the Overland Hotel on Fremont Street as a display of postcards available for purchase.
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Scope and Contents Note
The Oakes Las Vegas Studio Photographs (approximately 1930-1939) consist of a sample book of photographic postcards by Oakes Vegas Studio. The images depict the construction of Hoover Dam and creation of Lake Mead; early Las Vegas, Nevada building and street scenes; landscape photographs of national parks including Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Death Valley; scenes of the Nevada desert and mountains surrounding Las Vegas; and the Lost City in Moapa Valley, Nevada. This album was kept at the Overland Hotel on Fremont Street as a display of postcards available for purchase. The photographic postcards were labeled by the creator with a numeric identifier; these identifiers have been transcribed at the beginning of each item description in this finding aid. Photographs not created by Oakes Vegas Studio are noted at the item level.
Access Note
Collection is open for research, with the exception of materials that are restricted to protect culturally sensitive information. Restrictions are noted at the item level of this inventory.
Publication Rights
This material is made available to facilitate private study, scholarship, or research. The donor, Maggie Wilder, acknowledged that they held no copyrights in the donated material when they transferred ownership of Oakes Las Vegas Studio Photographs (PH-00462) 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
L. J. and Nell Oakes founded the Oakes Vegas Studio in 1922, specializing in landscape and portrait photography. The studio was originally located in the Griffith building at 2nd Street and Fremont Street in Las Vegas, Nevada. L. J. Oakes, former principal of the Las Vegas Grammar School and civic leader, worked as a photographer for the studio and his wife, Nell, operated the business. Photographer Glenn A. Davis became affiliated with the studio upon his move to Las Vegas in the late 1920s.
The Oakes family traveled to Bryce Canyon, Utah in the summers to operate a photography studio there during the tourist season, while Davis ran the Vegas Studio. L. J. Oakes was well known for his landscape photographs, especially of Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks in Utah and the Colorado River and Hoover (Boulder) Dam site. Glenn Davis won national awards for his photographs documenting the 1937 Las Vegas Rodeo and desert landscapes.
The studio moved to the Western Union building at 107 Fremont Street in 1929, and later to 116 Fremont Street. After the death of L. J. Oakes in January 1932 from pneumonia, Nell Oakes and Glenn Davis continued to operate the Oakes Vegas Studio, eventually changing the name to Vegas Studio and Camera Supply. Oakes and Davis dissolved the studio in July 1941.
Sources:
”Las Vegas Pays Final Respect to Pioneer Citizen Louis Oakes.” Las Vegas Review-Journal, January 11, 1932.
“Mrs. Oakes has Opened Photographic Studio.” Las Vegas Age, May 27, 1922.
“Oakes Family Goes to Utah.” Las Vegas Review-Journal, July 4, 1930.
”Oakes Moves Studio to New Building.” Las Vegas Age, July 6, 1929.
“Photographs Win Fame for Vegan.” Las Vegas Age, April 22, 1938.
”Pioneer Business in Vegas Closes.” Las Vegas Review-Journal, July 3, 1941.
Preferred Citation
Oakes Las Vegas Studio Photographs, approximately 1930-1939. PH-00462. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 2025 by Maggie Wilder; accession number 2025-037.
Processing Note
In 2025, Landon Paljusaj rehoused the photograph album and wrote the finding aid in ArchivesSpace.
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Appraisal Note
Acquired by Visual Materials Curator, Aaron Mayes, as part of UNLV Special Collections and Archives holdings in the visual history of Las Vegas and southern Nevada. All material that formed the original gift has been retained.