On February 27, 1979, collector Greg Abbott interviewed Hildred Meidell (b. March 17, 1900 in Webb City, Missouri) about her time living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Meidell covers a range of topics, from her and her husband’s time as tourists in the city and their subsequent retirement to Las Vegas from Los Angeles, California. Meidell describes the Las Vegas Strip, the interstate and highway conditions between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as their numerous visits to Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam). Moreover, she speaks about the changing layout of the city, the increase in shopping centers and department stores, and the clothing stores inside of hotels. Lastly, Meidell talks about the prominence of churches in local communities, the atomic testing program and the structural damages these tests caused in her neighborhood, and the influence of the railroad and passenger train on the town.
On February 23, 1979, collector Sean Powers interviewed Joseph C. Mattingly (born April 21st, 1912 in Texas) at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this interview, Mr. Mattingly discusses working construction on many buildings in the Las Vegas and Henderson areas in Nevada. He also talks about being a member of a motorcycle club and about air conditioning in the early days.
The Nevada Federation of Women's Clubs (NFWC) Records date from 1907 until 1999 and document the administration, activities, and publications of the NFWC. During the twentieth century, the NFWC included member clubs from throughout the state of Nevada including the Mesquite Club in Las Vegas, the Reno Women's Civic Club, and the Lamoille Women's Club. The collection includes meeting minutes and agendas, correspondence, publications, reports, and newspaper clippings.
The Southern Nevada Gem and Mineral Society Records (1950-2024) contain the records of the Clark County Gem Collectors, Las Vegas Gem Collectors, and the current Southern Nevada Gem and Mineral Society. The collection contains articles of incorporation, by-laws, membership directories, meeting minutes, correspondence, financial records, show paperwork, and award certificates. Also included are photographs of the organizations since the 1970s and digital scans of Gem Times and The Polished Slab newsletters.
From the Margaret Kelly Collection on the Bluebell Girls, MS-00604. The scrapbook includes newspaper clippings about the Bluebell Girls, Folies-Bergère, and dancer Catherine Dunne's experiences in Milan, Italy at the start of World War II.
The Donn Arden Papers (1910s-1990s) document Arden's sixty-plus years in the entertainment industry working in showrooms and nightclubs all over the world including Paris, France, Las Vegas, Nevada, New York, New York, and Los Angeles, California. Donn Arden worked as a choreographer, producer and director known for creating extravagant production shows that combined spectacular scenery and disaster with sequined and feathered showgirls. The collection is comprised of production notes, programs, photographs, posters, sheet music, correspondence, costume design sketches, press clippings, and magazine articles.