The Story of Classic Las Vegas Oral History Interviews (approximately 1950-2006) is comprised of raw and edited video recordings of oral history interviews used for The Story of Classic Las Vegas documentary which was produced, directed, and edited by Lynn Zook. The documentary offers first person historical overviews of what it was like to live in Las Vegas, Nevada from the 1920s to the 1970s. Individuals interviewed include a wide range of community members of the Las Vegas Valley including business owners, educators, entertainers, politicians, gaming professionals, casino workers, and activists. Materials also include a media kit with promotional materials and interview transcript for one of the interviewees, Betty Willis.
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.
The Washington University, School of Fine Arts Collection of Calendars consists of thirty-three calendars created by students in the Washington University, School of Fine Arts created in 1983.
The Lee and Thomas Beam Music Center Architectural Records (1998-1999) contain architectural drawing sets for the Lee and Thomas Beam Music Center's design and construction. Located on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus, the Lee and Thomas Beam Music Center provides professional and liberal arts education to students seeking a career in the study and creation of music. The school enrolls more than 400 music majors and attracts students throughout America and internationally.
Interview with Corinne Entratter Sidney by Claytee White on June 5, 2007. In this interview, Sidney talks about growing up with privilege in California, where her father served as the attorney general. She attended school at UCLA and took acting classes and signed with United Artists. She met Jack Entratter in Los Angeles and moved to Las Vegas and worked as a Copa Girl. She discusses Jack Entratter's generosity and influence in town, and his style, and their lifestyle together. She mentions the likes of Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne and Sammy Davis, Jr. and her extravagant life living at the Sands. After Jack's death in 1971, she moved back to Los Angeles, returned to acting, and wrote a newspaper column. On a visit to Las Vegas with George Sidney after Sidney's wife Jane died, Corinne and George began dating and were married shortly after. They moved back to Las Vegas together for a slower pace. She describes her love of Las Vegas and its continued growth.
Corinne Sidney's life story makes for fascinating reading. She was born in 1937, the daughter of Alice Polk, former Ziegfeld showgirl, and Carl Kegley, an attorney. She attended U. of C. Berkeley, transferred to UCLA, and was spotted by a talent scout who convinced her to enter a Miss USA contest. Corinne's runner-up status in the Miss USA contest led to job offers in acting, so she decided to study acting. This, along with her childhood lessons in ballet, piano, singing, tap dance and horseback riding, led to a contract with United Artists, freelance work, television parts, and plays. Around the age of 18, Corinne met Jack Entratter. Their relationship brought her to Las Vegas, where she worked as a showgirl at the Sands for a few months, and where she married Jack a few years later. They lived a fabulous lifestyle which included travel, beautiful homes, and friendships with noted celebrities. Corinne went back to acting in Los Angeles after Jack passed away, but then segued into writing a gossip column and hosting a television show. She reconnected with an old friend (George Sidney) by writing the obituary for his wife, and within a few months they were married. The Sidney's moved back to Las Vegas, where Corinne still makes her home today.
The sign for Backstage Bar & Billiards sits at 601 Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet. Site address: 601 Fremont St Sign owner: DJ Lethal co-owned with DJ Scotty Sign details: This building dates back to 1957. Triple B opened in 2012 as a billiard hall bar and concert venue. It is filled with a lot of Rock Memorabilia which includes a "turntable library" which they claim showcases over 8 decades of rock history. This location was furnished by rock outfitter Anvil Cases. This property got its name by being "backstage" to the adjoining Fremont Country Club. Sign condition: 5- looks relatively new and still in great condition Sign form: Variation of a Bull Nose Sign Sign-specific description: Their entrance is on the corner of 6th (going South) and Fremont with a blue bull nose type sign in a triangle shape. The base of the triangle sign is right above the entrance. The triangle border has a blue (argon) strip with incandescents lining both sides of the neon tubing. At the base of the sign there is a blue (argon) curved platform (half circle placed adjoining to the base of the triangle). On this platform there are 5 separate strips of argon tubes. Above the platform states "Backstage Bar & Billiards" in white cursive channeled letters. Above the words Backstage and Billiards there are two martini glasses with a pool ball and flag in each glass. At the top of the triangle portion of the sign there is their logo "Triple B" in cursive with Triple in Blue and B in white. Below the bull nose sign there is a reader board that wraps around the building. This reader board is also lined with incandescent light bulbs. In the middle of the of the reader board there is a black background rectangle with 3 rhombus's lined in incandescent light bulbs in a design. Sign - type of display: Neon, incandescent and reader board Sign - media: Steel and Plastic Sign - non-neon treatments: Reader Board Sign animation: Flasher for incandescent light bulbs Sign environment: Fremont East district East District, next to other bars and restaurants. This location is right across the street from the El Cortez. Also they claim to be "backstage" to the adjoining Fremont Country Club which inspired their name. Sign manufacturer: Ultra Signs' recently bought out by Jones Las Vegas ( of Jones SIgns) who did not have records of this sign. Sign - date of installation: 2012 when the bar opened Sign - thematic influences: On Fremont many of the entrances are at the corner intersections, so the bull nose sign has been prominent design type to draw attention to the entrance of the company. This is remnant of the Golden Nugget and Binion's Horseshoe put up their bull nose signs in 1961. Sign - artistic significance: The curved platform at the bottom of their bull nose sign looks like an old retro movie theater style sign platform that you would see in the 1940's/50's. Particularly with their reader board with incandescent light bulbs speaks to this era as well. Survey - research locations: Assessor's page, triple B website http://www.backstagebarlv.com/ , Las Vegas Weekly Newspaper article https://lasvegasweekly.com/nightlife/lowball-diary/2012/dec/05/triple-b-fills-downtowns-watering-hole-hole/ Survey - research notes: Fremont Bars.com has a photo of their main sign being installed. http://www.fremontstreetbars.com/2012/11/29/welcome-to-the-neighborhood-backstage-bar-billiards/ Survey - other remarks: The Ultra Signs logo is visible on the left side of the sign. Surveyor: Emily Fellmer Survey - date completed: 2017-08-11 Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Steel; Plastic; Flashing; Reader board; Bullnose; Marquee
Detailed discussion of why the purchase price set by the Nevada Public Service Commission for the purchase by the Las Vegas Valley Water District was too low.