The Billie Milton Grace Photograph Collection, approximately 1948 to 1960, consists of twenty black-and-white photographic prints and negatives depicting images of downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, the annual Helldorado Parade, the Marion Hicks family, local labor union dinners, Thunderbird Hotel employees, and various hotels and casinos.
The collection consists of seven numbered art prints, hand signed by Arizona artist, Erni Cabat, with accompanying certificates of authenticity. The prints were created from original gouache paintings of scenes from casino life, and distributed by Nevada Magazine to mark the 50th anniversary of gambling in Nevada in 1981.
The Carratelli Family Collection on Gay Rights in Nevada (1992-2002) consists of documents and ephemera from various gay rights organizations and events in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition to documents, fliers, and meeting minutes, the collection houses a box of t-shirts from various gay events and campaigns. The collection is especially focused on issues of Gay Pride organizing.
Chris talks about living in Las Vegas since he was 6 months old. He also talks about starting his own valet parking company while he was in college. Later Chris talks about Silver State Film Productions, a film company he founded. The schools Chris attended during his childhood were located in Las Vegas, Nevada at that time. Film producer Chris Ramirez moved from Colorado to the east side of Las Vegas in 1973, when he was six months old. Son of Greg Ramirez, owner and founder of Viva Zapatas restaurants, Chris and his family moved to Rancho Bel Air, where he completed his school years, in about 1980. Chris and other Clark County School District students of his age participated in a school desegregation program unique to Las Vegas. After completing fifth grade at Howard Wasden Elementary School, Chris and his classmates rode a bus for one year to Mabel Hoggard Sixth Grade Center in North Las Vegas. After sixth grade he attended Hyde Park Middle School and Bishop Gorman High School. Chris’s family and school connections combined with the barter culture in Las Vegas combined to create an emphasis on “who you know” rather than “what you know.” Chris formed his film companies on the basis of his Las Vegas knowledge and his contacts and credits Las Vegas for allowing him to be in the right place at the right time to meet and work with celebrities and become an entrepreneur. Chris enjoys the urban excitement of living, doing business, and participating in the revitalization of downtown Las Vegas.