Oral history interview with Francis Oh Allen-Palenske conducted by Stefani Evans on June 30, 2022 for Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Francis describes her childhood growing up in Lousiana with a white father and Korean mother. She recalls the family relocating to Reno, Nevada in 1983 where Francis obtained her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1999. She describes serving as a staffer in Washington, D.C. for Representative Jim Gibbons (R-NV) before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. She discusses her Korean mother, maternal grandmother, and maternal aunts as strong, smart, business-minded women. Throughout the interview, she discusses Korean traditions, celebrations, clothing, and foods, as well as Korean cosmetics and views about skin color.
The Beauty Bar sits at 517 Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet. Site address: 517 Fremont St Sign owner: Darin Feinstein and Corey Harrison (From Pawn Stars) Sign details: Building originally constructed in 1988 for a retail store. The Beauty Bar franchise was founded in 2004 in New York City. The bar in Las Vegas used to be owned by Paul Devitt, but in 2014 is when Darin and Corey bought it and did some renovations. During the day they offer manicures/pedicures while serving cocktails, but at night function as a bar and concert venue with cool retro 1950s/60s salon style chairs and colors. Sign condition: 3-4 During the day the sign looks faded and rusted over. At night the light does not beam as if it is a new sign either. Sign form: Cabinet mounted to building Sign-specific description: On the building there is a white oval shaped plastic sign saying Beauty Bar. Right above the doors there is a Salon of Beauty in channeled white block type letters. Both signs illuminate pink. Sign - type of display: Neon and backlit sign Sign - media: Steel and plastic Sign - non-neon treatments: Backlit sign in plastic Sign environment: Located in the Fremont Street East District surrounded by other bars and restaurants. Sign - date of redesign/move: c. 2014 Sign - thematic influences: The bubbly pink backlit sign almost is the same shape as a painters pallet, so it shows an artsy theme since some consider doing hair and manicures as artwork as well Sign - artistic significance: The "Salon of beauty" letters each have their illumination contained due to the metal channeling for each letter. The sign does have a retro aspect with their sign not looking totally brand new which extenuates the theme of an old beauty salon that you would see in the 50s or 60s. Survey - research locations: Beauty Bar Website, accessor's office Survey - research notes: Paul Devitt, the previous owner, actually started the chain of Beauty Bars in New York in 1995. He still has a part in the ownership in the other location he opened in N.Y., L.A., San Francisco and Chicago. Surveyor: Emily Fellmer Survey - date completed: 2017-08-14 Sign keywords: Backlit; Plastic; Steel; Neon; Fascia; Cabinet; Building-front design
On March 14, 1981, Randall Williams interviewed Eldon Cunningham (born 1920 in Granby, Missouri) about his life in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cunningham first talks about his family background, his reason for moving to Las Vegas, and his service in the military during World War II. He also mentions the Twin Lakes area of Las Vegas, his hobby of prospecting, and his work with Clark County Electric as an electrician. Cunningham also talks in detail about some of his experiences while working at the Nevada Test Site in electrical work. As the interview concludes, Cunningham talks more about family illnesses, experiments at the Test Site, and his former hunting practices.
Oral history interview with Dana Su Lee conducted by Stefani Evans, Vanessa Concepcion, and Cecilia Winchell on February 10, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Dana talks about her childhood growing up in California and her parents who were both born in China. She discusses her educational background and her move to Las Vegas with her husband in 1997. Dana also shares her various community and philanthropic pursuits related to education and the arts. Subjects discussed include: Greg Lee; otherness; Nevada Women's Philanthropy (NWP)
Oral history with Nympha Comacchio conducted by Cecilia Winchell and Stefani Evans on May 09, 2022 for the Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Comacchio recalls her childhood in the Philippines and growing up in a large family. After attending elementary school, Comacchio immediately went to work on her father's lumber farm, performing manual labor until she was seventeen. Later, she recalls finding employment as a seamstress in Manila, where she met her first husband when she left to work in Saudi Arabia for better pay. Comacchio describes how she was able to receive a student visa to finally immigrate to the United States, where she first arrived in California. Eventually, after meeting her second husband and hearing about housing prices in Las Vegas, Nevada, they purchased a house in the city in 2000. After briefly working for the New Frontier, Comacchio began working for the Wynn and Encore, where she found out about the Culinary Workers Union and became more active in that organization. Throughout the rest of the interview, Comacchio touches on the responsibilities of being a housekeeper, the current challenges they face, and how she feels about the growing AAPI population in southern Nevada.