The Dunes Hotel Photographs (1950-1993) consist of administrative, publicity and entertainment images documenting the history of the Dunes Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition to materials focusing on day-to-day activities at the hotel (correspondence, contracts, personnel, budgets, etc.) the collection provides insight into the hotel’s entertainment and public relations activities. Although there are chronological gaps in the collection, particularly during the later years of the Dunes (1970s-1990s), it provides a significant amount of historical documentation on the famed Strip hotel that was long known to tourists and residents alike as the “the Miracle in the Desert.”
The Dunes Hotel and Casino Records are comprised of administrative, publicity, and entertainment materials documenting the history of the Dunes Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada from the years 1954 to 1992. Included are correspondence, contracts, photographs, hotel budgets, and an early aerial photograph of the property. The material provides a significant amount of historical documentation of the hotel that was long known to tourists and residents as the "the Miracle in the Desert."
Oral history interview with Andre "Brother Dre" King conducted by Claytee D. White on July 20, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, King recalls learning judo and wrestling at an early age. After spending ten years in prison for a burglary offense, he served an additional eleven years in facilities across the state. After twenty-one years in the system, King is now a nondenominational spiritual being and once he learned about the Healing Garden for 1 October victims, he went there daily, during and immediately after the construction. King has helped many survivors and has healed himself as well, through giving love, hugs, and spiritual inspiration.
A resident of Southern Nevada from the age of three, Susan Watson shares her memories of growing up and living in Las Vegas. After a year in Boulder City, Susan's father bought an old army barrack and converted it to a home in North Las Vegas; Susan remembers playing in the desert with her siblings and attending elementary and middle school before starting at Rancho High. Watching her mother design costumes for Strip performers and beautiful dresses for her own high school dances no doubt helped Susan develop her own sense of taste and style - something that she would put to good use over many years as an interior designer. Before that though, Susan shares her memories of what life was like in the Las Vegas of the 1950s and 1960s: cruising Fremont Street; movie nights; after-school work; favorite teachers; lunches on the lawn; and dance club. All combine to paint a vivid picture of a smaller town and a simpler time in the Las Vegas valley.
On March 3, 1979, Norwood Germany Jr. interviewed Daniel A. Moore (b. 1939 in Fort Worth, Texas) about his life in Las Vegas, Nevada. Moore begins by speaking about his move to Las Vegas from Utah at a young age, his education and his work in construction and at the Las Vegas McCarran Airport. Moreover, Moore speaks about his involvement with church and his recreational hobbies such as bowling. Moore also spends time speaking about the African American population in Las Vegas, the jobs available to them, racial tensions in his young adulthood versus his children’s experiences, and the segregation of black communities into the Las Vegas Westside. Lastly, he talks about the city’s growth, tourism and the economy, the development of different shopping centers and malls, and the city’s law enforcement.
Oral history interview with Miguel Villarba conducted by David Islas on December 6, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Miguel Villarba shares his family's history growing up in Manila, Philippines and immigrating to the United States in 2016. He talks about first living in Chattanooga, Tennessee before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada to be near family when Miguel was in high school. Miguel Villarba shares stories of his grandfather's farm in Pangasinan, Philippines, the differences in city and town life across Manila, Chattanooga, and Las Vegas, and his educational plans. He also talks about Filipino culture and traditions, and racial discrimination.