Local news report on Stardust showgirl image on the outside of a Western Pacific Airlines plane. Footage shows the showgirl whose image it is posing next to the plane and a small group of people gathered inside the airport for the reveal. Original media VHS, color, aspect ratio 4 x 3, frame size 720 x 486.
Archival Component
A 30-foot high replica of a decorated birthday cake stands in front of the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, Nevada, in celebration of the first anniversary of the hotel's opening. A showgirl stands in front of the cake with a giant knife.
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Oral history interview with Valda and Esper Esau conducted by Su Kim Chung on February 20, 2014 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, the Espers discuss their careers in entertainment. Valda Esper begins by describing her upbringing in Australia, learning to dance, and later going on to perform in various productions in Paris, France, as well as other European countries, before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1958 to perform as a showgirl at the Stardust Resort and Casino. Esper Esau then describes his personal history, how he developed stage hand experience, moving to Las Vegas in 1954, and working shows with prominent performers, such as Liberace, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin. Esper continues, describing his specific job duties and why he transferred to the Stardust from the Sands Hotel & Casino. Valda discusses the life of a Las Vegas showgirl, the amount of work the position required, and how they were required to present themselves in public. The Espers recall how they met, life in Las Vegas during the 1960s, and opening a bed and breakfast after retiring from show business.
Archival Collection
The Prencess Nelson Scrapbooks (approximately 1950-1979) consist of three scrapbooks documenting the career of Prencess Mayhall, a former showgirl and model. The scrapbooks contain photographs, newspaper clippings, magazine covers, and handwritten notes to Mayhall from various performers and models. Mayhall performed in a variety of shows in New York; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Los Angeles, California. She appears in photographs at a number of shows at the Thunderbird, Sands, and Frontier Hotels. Also included in the scrapbook is a 1954 American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) contract between Mayhall and Copacabana in New York, and photographs of Mayhall with entertainers including Red Skelton, Paul Anka, and Sammy Davis Jr. Prencess went by a number of names throughout her career, most commonly 'Prencess Mayhall' while in New York, and 'Lee Temple' while performing at the Sands Hotel.
Archival Collection
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