Materials contain photographic prints, photographic slides, and photographic negatives that depict Lake Mead from 1930 to 1959. The photographs primarily depict people engaged in recreational activities on or around Lake Mead, including fishing, swimming, and boating. The photographs also depict some of the canyons that Lake Mead touches, including the Grand Canyon, Iceberg Canyon, Black Canyon, Boulder Canyon, and Quartermaster Canyon. Also included in the photographs is the lookout point near the shores of Lake Mead where the dedication plaque for Dr. Elwood Mead, the lake's namesake and former head of the Bureau of Reclamation, is installed.