Louis Prima (1910-1978) was an American singer, songwriter, trumpeter, bandleader, and actor during the mid-20th century. He was known for performing jazz, swing, and jump blues music. Using his background from New Orleans and his Italian heritage to shape his distinctive sound, he encouraged other performers at the time to embrace their ethnic heritage. He frequently performed with his wife, Keely Smith, at the height of his popularity.
The Insignia Films Research for the "American Experience: Las Vegas - An Unconventional History" collection (1968, 2004-2005) contains photocopied research material, primarily drawn from Nevada newspapers, photographic prints, Betacam and VHS videotapes with interviews and footage used in the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) series "American Experience: Las Vegas - An Unconventional History," created for the Las Vegas Centennial, Las Vegas, Nevada. Also included are original issues of Look magazine with Las Vegas, Nevada coverage, and a United States Freedom of Information Act (USFOIA) report on Tony Spilotro.
The Dennis McBride Collection of Gay Erotica (1960-2006) contains a selection of pornographic publications, three VHS tapes of erotic films, and photographic prints mail ordered from gay erotica or physique photography studios. The three studios represented in this collection are Alexander Studio, Sierra Domino Studio, and Third World Studio.
The Dorothy Keeler Papers (1811-1977) document early Las Vegas history, the life and career of former United States Mint director Eva Adams, and contain images of the Western United States and Southern Nevada in the 1930s. The collection contains clippings on the history of Las Vegas and early Las Vegas weddings as well as photographs documenting the Keelers' travels throughout the Western United States and the construction and dedication of Hoover Dam.
The Bob Friedlander Jazz Music Manuscripts (approximately 1960-1980) are comprised of music manuscripts arranged by Bob Friedlander and collected by the Arnold Shaw Popular Music Research Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Some titles are photocopies of the original manuscript. Friedlander arranged for big band musicians such as Harry James, Sam Donahue, Richard Maltby, Ralph Flanagan, and Johnny Long.
The Harmon Family Papers consist of the political and personal correspondence of Las Vegas, Nevada pioneer Harley A. Harmon from 1910 to 1934, and his son, Harley E. Harmon, from 1950 to 1966. The collection also includes correspondence, personal papers, and photographs of Harley L. Harmon from approximately 1950 to 1999. Also included are family scrapbooks with wedding announcements, photographs, birthday cards, newspaper clippings, and other ephemera.
The Gene Hertzog Professional Papers (approximately 1930-2015) are comprised of photographs, slides, transparencies, publications, video cassettes, correspondence, and digital files spanning Gene Hertzog's working years with the United States Army, the Bureau of Reclamation, and as a freelance photographer and videographer based in Southern Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington state. The collection documents the complicated infrastructure required to supply water to the Las Vegas Valley and includes still and moving images of the Springs Preserve, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the Colorado River, and the Columbia Basin. The majority of the collection comes from Hertzog's time as a regional photographer for the Bureau of Reclamation and offers a unique glimpse into the Bureau's work in Southern Nevada, the southwest, and the Pacific Northwest from the 1950s to the mid-1990s.
Oral history interview with Rocio Rodríguez-Martinez conducted by Elsa Lopez and Monserrath Hernández on June 21, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Rocio shares her personal history growing up in Bogotá, Colombia and how she immigrated to the United States. She talks about motherhood, her Latina identity, and her experiences raising her daughter in Los Angeles and Las Vegas with her husband. Rocio also discusses her employment history and how she was able to achieve her professional goals of becoming a Spanish and English teacher for the Clark County School District (CCSD)'s Family and Community Engagement Services (FACES) program. Her interview is conducted in Spanish. Subjects discussed include: Bogotá, Colombia; El Salvador; Family and Community Engagement Services (FACES).