Materials contain photographs of the Hoover Dam and surrounding areas from 1930 to 1965. The Hoover Dam, also known as the Boulder Dam, was constructed on the Colorado River in Black Canyon near Las Vegas, Nevada from 1931 to 1936 during the Great Depression. The dam impounds Lake Mead, the country's largest reservoir, and it provides hydroelectric power to Nevada, Arizona, and California.

Materials also include photographs of the Pueblo Grande de Nevada archaeological sites, also known as the "Lost City," which were partially covered by the waters of Lake Mead. The area originally belonged to Puebloan peoples. Additionally, the materials contain photographs of the town of St. Thomas, which was also submerged beneath Lake Mead.