Oral history interview with Stella Champo Iaconis conducted by Kay Long on May 14, 1997, May 21, 1997, May 26, 1997, and September 22, 1997 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Iaconis opens her interviews discussing her difficult upbringing and life on a ranch in Las Vegas, Nevada with her dad in the 1910s and 1920s. Iaconis then describes her experiences as a waitress in Las Vegas. As the interviews continue, Iaconis discusses Block 16 and sex work, the Helldorado Days, and life in 1930s Las Vegas. Iaconis ends the interview talking about her father and his career as a miner; her many husbands; and her personal history in Las Vegas.
The Ferron and Bracken Photograph Collection depicts Southern and Central Nevada and other western states from 1890 to 1961. The photographs primarily depict the development and growth of early Las Vegas, Nevada; mines and mining operations in Southern and Central Nevada; towns and mines in Nevada; and the Hoover (Boulder) Dam and the Colorado River.
The Archie C. Grant Photograph Collection (1914-1968) contains black-and-white photographs of Nevada politician Archie C. Grant. The materials include photographs of Grant with the Las Vegas Housing Authority at groundbreaking ceremonies, the University of Nevada Board of Regents, and with other Nevada politicians. Materials also contain early photographs of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus, including the dedication of Maude Frazier Hall.
The Stocker Family Papers (1860-1982) document the family’s personal, political, and business interests including Mayme Stocker’s 1931 Nevada gaming license and Harold Stocker’s involvement in the Nevada Republican party. The collection contains family correspondence, political documents and planning materials, and business records related to the family’s gaming and real estate interests.
The Maria LaCavera Papers (1947-2017) contain the papers of professional dancer Maria LaCavera. The collection documents the career of LaCavera dancing in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Flamingo Hotel in 1947, and the Last Frontier Hotel in 1949 as one of the Ramona Girls dancing in the Danny O'Neil Varieties Act. Materials include photographs of LaCavera and other Ramona Girls, newspaper clippings, correspondence, LaCavera's American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) employment contracts, Fabulous Las Vegas magazines, and hotel receipts. Other items of note include photographs of the 1949 Helldorado parade, a Frontier Hotel Ramona Room menu, and Frontier Hotel ephemera. There is also a copy of a self-published biography of LaCavera, written by her daughter-in-law Kristin Meyer entitled From Bon-Air to the Last Frontier. The collection also contains the digital images used to illustrate the book.
The Charley Henchis Papers (approximately 1945-1987) document the career of international cabaret show producer Charley Henchis and the shows he produced in Las Vegas, Nevada and Beirut, Lebanon. Materials include Henchis' business files which includes correspondence, files on specialty acts, photographs, and press about Henchis. Shows represented in this collection includes La Parisienne which was performed at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas in 1960 before moving to Casino du Liban in Beirut. Other shows represented in this collection that were produced for Casino du Liban includes Mais Oui, S'il Vous Plait, Flash!, and Hello!. Additional materials include press and publicity files, music arrangements and scores, recordings of musical numbers used for the productions, and film footage of shows and production reels. Also included is film footage of the Charley Ballet, Henchis' dance troupe who were featured in his shows.
The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada Photograph Collection contains mainly candid photographs of events and individuals affiliated with the Las Vegas-based Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada (GLCCSN) dating from 1993 to 2000. Photographs depict events honoring prominent members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer community; meetings at GLCCSN; and candidate nights for members of the community running for public office. The collection also includes a number of photographs of the Freedom to Marry celebration at the GLCCSN and the Gay Pride Las Vegas festival from 1998 to 1999.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Office of the President Records is comprised of documents used in daily matters of the Office of the President from approximately 1950 to 2007. The records in the collection document the expansion of the UNLV campus, and the academic and athletics programs offered by the university.