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Transcript of interview with Adelaide Robbins by Lisa Gioia-Acres, April 18, 2008
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Archival Collection
Description
Adelaide was born in Manhattan, New York to a father who was a pianist and arranger and a mother who was a dancer on Broadway. She grew up as an only child in the theater district where she was exposed to the arts from a young age. Her parents insisted she be well rounded. To that end, she began piano lessons at age six and was frequently taken to museums. Adelaide was always drawn to music and began working professionally by the age of 12. She attended the High School of Music and Art for four years along with others who went on to great fame. While in high school, she earned awards for composition. Her knowledge and abilities of the bass earned her a full scholarship to the Eastman School of Music. All of the jobs she had during high school and college were music related; playing gigs or teaching. While working towards a triple major at Eastman, she felt over-extended and eventually transferred to the Manhattan School of Music who was honored to have a transfer from Eastman. Also because of the extra credits from Eastman, she was able to obtain a master’s degree inside of a year. Adelaide went on the road with Buddy Rich’s band where they played in Chicago and Los Angeles before finding their way to Las Vegas. Adelaide was always the only woman in the band, and there were difficulties of being a woman in the field of mostly male musicians. The band found their way to Las Vegas in 1967. She never realized how well known she was until she arrived in Las Vegas. Adelaide came to Las Vegas on a trial run and ended up staying. The first job she had in Las Vegas was playing solo piano at Guys and Dolls before moving on to playing as a rehearsal pianist for a Broadway show. Over the years, Adelaide played many venues with many famous musicians. She is not hopeful for the future of musicians in Las Vegas, feeling the casino owners would rather replace live musicians with canned music. However, Adelaide’s career is not over as she is still performing for a variety of events. With her two degrees from very prominent music schools, Adelaide feels she may have gone further in career if she had stayed in New York, but she has no regrets about coming to Las Vegas.
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Maria Moore interview, August 2, 2019: transcript
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Archival Collection
Description
Interviewed by Elsa Lopez. Born in Belize, Director of AARP, speaks English, Spanish and Creole. Specialist in senior affairs.
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Transcript of interview with Laralee Nelson by Claytee White, April 20, 2010
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Archival Collection
Description
Laralee Nelson and her four sisters were born and raised in Provo, Utah. She was raised in a Mormon household, her parents worked at Brigham Young University and she attended BYU She was .nearly thirty years old when she moved to Las Vegas with her husband. The move was the first real move away from her Utah home base. She fondly recalls summers at an archaeological dig in Israel while studying for her undergraduate degree. But these were nothing compared to relocating to Las Vegas. Laralee's mother was a librarian at BYU and an obvious inspiration to her career choice. Once she arrived in Las Vegas, she applied for a cataloging position at UNLV. From 1982 to 2010, it was her first and only position. From that span of years, she witnessed monumental changes in the library. Changes in leadership, a move from the old Dickinson Library to the new Lied Library, and the impact of technology. Laralee's anecdotes, especially one about the professor with the red wagon and another about her father clearing a rocky path on a family trip, reveal core success of a library built to serve the university community.
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Congregation Ner Tamid Annual Report, 2006-2007
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Archival Collection
Description
2006-2007 annual report for Congregation Ner Tamid on the Greenspun Campus for Jewish life, learning, and spiritual renewal. The report includes statements, events, communities activities, statements, and photographs.
Mixed Content
Catherine Cortez Masto oral history interview: transcript
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Archival Collection
Description
Oral history interview with Catherine Cortez Masto conducted by Claytee D. White on August 10, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Catherine Cortez Masto grew up in Las Vegas near where the town ended and the desert began, which at that time was near Decatur and Pennwood. She grew up playing in the streets and riding horses and motor bikes with girlfriends and cousins. Her father, Manny Cortez, began as a valet at the Dunes before entering politics. He served 16 years on the County Commission and then 13 years as the chief of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. As the head of the LVCVA, Manny oversaw campaigns to increase tourism, enlarge McCarran International Airport, improve taxicab service, and served as a visionary for the entire region. Catherine followed in her father's footsteps while being her own woman and making her own mark on the region. She attended college at UNR and law school at Gonzaga University School of Law. After a clerkship, she worked for a small local Las Vegas firm for 4 - 5 years, then moved to the governor's and then served two terms as Nevada's Attorney General. Currently she's in the US Senate with committee assignments that include Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Energy and Natural Resources; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Rules and Administration; Indian Affairs, and the Committee on Aging. Subjects discussed include: Dunes, Manny Cortez, County Commission, LVCVA, Judge Carl Christensen, Judge Mendoza, Taxi Authority, Tourism, and Mike O'Callaghan.
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Transcript of interview with Joy Snyder by Lisa Gioia-Acres, December 17, 2009
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Archival Collection
Description
Joy Snyder, born and raised in Pennsylvania, is the daughter of Jean Dasinto and stepdaughter of Ray Hunt. Though she was raised thinking she was an only child, she shares that as an adult, she was contacted by an aunt who gave her information about an Austrian half-sister. The half-sister had tracked the family through WWII records on her biological father! Joy was raised in a very large extended Italian family (her maternal grandmother was first-generation Italian) and became the first in her family to attend college. She had decided early on that she wanted to be a nurse and chose to attend Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. She recounts memories of her earliest work there, which began the first week of school. After graduation from nursing school, Joy married her childhood sweetheart, William (Bill) Snyder. They made the move to Las Vegas in 1978 and Joy found work right away at Desert Springs Hospital. She worked there about six months and then took maternity leave after the birth of their second son. When she returned to work, it was at Sunrise Hospital (early 1979) in the newborn nursery. Joy comments on many aspects of her career, including the informal approach to health care, the effects of desert climate on mothers and newborns, and the changes she has seen at Sunrise Hospital. She also comments on adoption practices in Las Vegas, drug-addicted babies, and cultural attitudes that appear during the birthing process. Today Joy is retired and her husband Bill is close to retiring. They feel a strong connection to Las Vegas (Bill has a school named after him), but maintain a second home in New York for their trips back East to visit friends and family. They also keep up with various community activities, including book clubs and running clubs for the children at William Snyder Elementary School.
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Ashley E. Nitz oral history interview: transcript
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Archival Collection
Description
Oral history interview with Ashley Nitz conducted by Claytee D. White on February 6, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Ashley Nitz discusses her experiences attending the 2017 Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada with a friend. She talks about making the weekend of the event a "staycation", where she stayed with her friend at the Trump Hotel. Nitz goes into detail on the Route 91 Harvest festival venue and the events of that Sunday night when the shooting began. She speaks of the lockdown in the Tropicana Hotel and the support given there to all of the survivors, such as water and medical aid, as well as her journey home once the lockdown was lifted. The interview ends with a discussion on life after the shooting.
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Transcript of interview with Judy Lee (Johnson) Jones by Claytee D. White, February 22, 2007
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Archival Collection
Description
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Copa Room at the Sands Hotel and Casino featured glamorous showgirls. For a few years, the Houston Chronicle sponsored a contest that added the Texas Copa Girls to the line. In 1958, one of the winners was 17-year-old Judith Lee Johnson. For the "wild" but "naive" Judy, the experience was a period of funfilled freedom, followed by relentless encouragement of others to attend college, which she reluctantly did. To her surprise, she embraced the college life, took her studies seriously, and received an education degree. She also became Miss Houston. Four years later she returned to Las Vegas and the Sands. As she stepped into her role as a showgirl this second time, she was no longer the newbie. She experiences the lifestyle with more maturity. She talks about the celebrities she met, the lasting friendships she formed, performing in the Elvis movie Viva Las Vegas, and her trip around the world, a trip that included her personal dream of going to Paris. Judy shares details of her family heritage and she wonders to what extent she might have been living her mother's dream. Though her love of performance and theatre is keen, Judy channeled her passions into a 29-year career as an educator. She married a Marine in 1965, raised their children, moved with his career. She and her husband, Walter F. Jones, live in Virginia.
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Photographs of Mirage signs, Las Vegas (Nev.), 2002
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Site name: Mirage (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Site address: 3400 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign owner: MGM Mirage
Sign details: The main attraction of the property is its spectacular exploding volcano placed among an astounding array of lagoons, waterfalls and palm trees. One of the themed hotel casinos, the architectural form takes precedence over an abundance of flashing lights and neon. Two pylon signs reside on the front of the property along Las Vegas Blvd, another on the west side of the property, two arched banner entrances are placed among them, lettering atop the towers, and various text placed among the vast stretch of landscaping are the only visible large elements of signage.
Sign condition: Structure 5 Surface 5 Lighting 5 The structure and lighting on the signs are in excellent repair, with no apparent major physical damage. The surfaces of the pylons and assorted log text, are a bit dirty, but no more than any other establishment, considering the punishment each must undergo due to the elements as well as the live volcano.
Sign form: Pylon; Fascia; Porte-cochère
Sign-specific description: Just north of Caesars Palace a giant pylon sign faces north/south, on the east side of the strip. Two giant square posts support a giant backlit advertisement panel, and an adorning entablature containing the channel letters spelling "Mirage." Between the two giant legs two cabinets are present to fill the space. Just below the main backlit panel an LED screen resides just above another back lit panel. The two giant legs have a series of polished metallic panels running vertically up the sides, creating a recessed channel. The sections are separated with slight overhangs. The bottom smaller panel cabinet is an advertisement for "Danny Gans" and the main panel advertises for the "Seigfried and Roy" magic show. A small banner rests between the main entablature, and the panel, reading "Magicians of the Century." The black channel letters in the main pediment spells "The Mirage," and are filled with incandescent bulbs. The lush foliage and walkways continue north where a covered awning faced with a carved wood and brass bullnose, allows pedestrians to take a moving walkway up to the resort. The landscaping continues north where it meets a driveway denoted by a low arched banner supported by a pair of square columns on either end. "The Mirage" is spelled in polished gold channel letters, with white interiors and filled with incandescent bulbs. The banner itself is sculpted into two sweeping solid shapes on the tops and bottoms, with a series of folded ribbon like scroll shapes. The center section is crafted as to allow light to pass through the negative spaces created by the rows of positive scroll shapes. The banners face east. On the faces of each of the flanking posts, two images of jumping dolphins are sculpted and finished in the same fashion. Past the gateway the thick beds of foliage and palm trees can be seen headed back along the drives. Continuing north a multi tiered lagoon rushes circulating water on and over waterfalls, while yet more green shrubbery and palm trees encrust islands and images of eroded rocks and geological formations. The beautiful imagery continues north, twisting and turning in and behind itself to create a fantastic spectacle for a passerby to be lured in and be fascinated. Approximately in the middle of the length of the expanse, the famous functioning volcano rests quietly amongst smaller rocks and waterfalls. Just past the volcano the lagoon opens up into a wide flat area of water where bronze dolphins are positioned to look as if they are jumping out of the water. Still the rich foliage dominates the landscape, until another arched gateway interrupts the expanse to allow traffic. The foliage, and lagoon landscaping, picks up again, cozily grasping the base of a smaller pylon of similar design as the first. The two reflective paneled legs rise up to connect with a horizontal piece of the same design. A large backlit cabinet advertising for Danny Gans occupies approximately three-quarters of the space between the legs. An entablature of the same design as the main pylon, yet smaller, crowns the top of the sign. The trademark font spells "The Mirage" in black channel letters and filled with incandescent bulbs. Just past the small double sided pylon, a small of recess of rocks plays home to the end marker of the Mirage. A bust of Siegfried and Roy with a tiger is ambiently lit, provided photo opportunities for tourists. An interesting function has been added to the bust. In the flower bed behind and on the sides of the object, faux boulders are places with glowing crystals protruding from the surface. The tower of rooms for the Mirage is the popular three winged "Y" configuration converging onto a center structure. On each face of each wing, giant black channel letters spell "The Mirage" in their trademark text. Each is filled with incandescent bulbs.
Sign - type of display: Neon; Incandescent; Backlit
Sign - media: Steel; Plastic
Sign animation: Oscillating
Notes: The incandescent bulbs located within text logos on the pylon sign, and upon the tower oscillate to appear as shimmering. The effect is one of the more common animations particularly among the larger, corporate casinos.
Sign environment: The placement of the Mirage right on the curve of the Strip makes the pylons visible from a good distance from either direction. The environment displayed by the mirage is that of paradise. When walking past, and up to the property, it hard not to stop and stare at the amazing foliage and spread of waterfalls, and rocks.
Sign manufacturer: Ad-Art
Sign designer: Pylons: Charles Barnard with touches from Wynn's design group Atlandia Design Group. Dolphin Archways: Barnard and Jack Dubois as well as hotel architect, Joel Bergman
Sign - date of installation: 1989
Sign - date of redesign/move: The main pylon has since been updated with a new Siegfried and Roy Back lit Mural, a new LED screen, and another back lit plastic screen featuring Danny Gans. An internally lit banner reads horizontally across the top of the giant Siegfried and Roy Mural which reads Magicians of the Century.
Sign - thematic influences: The theme is tropical island paradise. Complete with active volcano, the front spectacle of rushing waterfalls, chirping bird noises, and leaping bronze dolphins, serves as the backdrop for the simple, slim design of the property's pylon structure. The pylons were designed to reach harmony with the structure of the tower itself, rather than the island theme. The dolphins over the entrance arches however represent the tropical island theme, as well as speaking about the dolphin habitat inside.
Sign - artistic significance: The main pylon was the first of its kind to feature a full color illuminated photographic pictoral. Designed by Rosco, it was billed as the largest of its type in the world. The resort's themed spectacular was also the first of it's kind in regards to its extravagance and unique functionality. Approximate 125,000 people visited the property on its opening day. The resort fits well into the theme of design of the large, corporate property, after all it was one of the pioneers of such a movement in Las Vegas. The Mirage also set the standards for the now frequently seen element of the attraction spectacle, and the standard of quality on the Las Vegas Strip
Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday
Survey - date completed: 2002
Sign keywords: Oscillating; Pylon; Fascia; Porte-cochère; Neon; Incandescent; Backlit; Steel; Plastic
Mixed Content