Born January 14, 1936 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Jerry Reese Jackson has worked as a show producer, director, costume designer, choreographer, lyricist, and composer. In Las Vegas, Nevada, Jackson is best known for his work on the Folies-Bergère at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino where he served as artistic director, choreographer, and later as costume designer for nearly thirty-five years, beginning in 1975 and ending with the show's closure in 2009.
Person
Growing up just one block away from New York’s “Museum Mile” and surrounded by cultures from every corner of the world, it’s easy to say that Lynnette Arvelo Sawyer was destined to create her own museum dedicated to the cultures she grew up with. Lynette is a proud Puerto Rican and Afro-Latina from El Barrio of East Harlem in New York; her roots extend from the island of Puerto Rico to the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa.
Person
The Merle Frehner Map of St. Thomas, Nevada (1981) consists of a hand-drawn map by Frehner of St. Thomas, Nevada who lived there from 1914 to 1932. The town was abandoned in 1933 due to the construction of Hoover Dam and is now beneath the waters of Lake Mead. Also included are instructions to the Geography 135 class at University of Nevada, Las Vegas to reproduce the map, which became a student project.
Archival Collection
The Rich Rizzo Professional Papers (approximately 1960-2022) are comprised largely of photographs documenting the life of Las Vegas, Nevada dancer and choreographer Rich Rizzo in shows such as Jubilee! and Lido de Paris in Las Vegas and in Paris, France. The photographs show rehearsal and performances, Rizzo with his partner and fellow choreographer Winston Helmsley, dancers and showgirls, Donn Arden, and Miss Bluebell. Other types of material include business and personal correspondence, contracts, production prospectives and set designs, show programs, and costume design photographs.
Archival Collection
The African American Experience Community Scanning Day Photograph Collection (approximately 1958-1980, 2004) is comprised of digital surrogates of photographic prints and ephemera that document the experiences of the African American community in Las Vegas, Nevada. Materials were donated by members of the Las Vegas community as part of a community scanning day event hosted by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas's University Libraries in 2013.
Archival Collection
The Q. B. Bush Papers are comprised of Q. B. Bush's personal papers dating from 1957 to 2018 and document Bush's work in Westside Las Vegas, Nevada casinos including the Moulin Rouge, Town Tavern, and the El Morocco. The collection also documents Bush's involvement with the Dealers Security Association and the association's effort to provide better working conditions for African American casino employees. Included are both original photographs and copies of photographs that document the African American casinos where Bush worked, as well as the Bush family at various events.
Archival Collection
The Bill Laub Jr. Papers (1966-2003) contain materials that highlight Laub’s involvement with KNPR Radio in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Republican Party in Nevada, and Southwest Gas Company. Materials include a variety of Republican Party publications, including GOPaper and New Republican Times, as well as Southwest Gas Company advertisements, publications, and photographs. The collection also contains the grant written to establish KNPR Las Vegas, agendas and meeting minutes, correspondence, and financial reports for KNPR Radio.
Archival Collection
The David L. Weide Research Papers (approximately 1954-2000) are comprised of materials that represent Weide's research on geographical issues in the western United States. Collection materials include reports, U.S. Geologic Survey maps, and field notes as well as scholarly articles published by Weide. The collection also includes Weide's notes from classes and research from when he was a graduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Archival Collection