Materials contain publicity photographs for Harold Minsky's burlesque shows from 1960 to 1977. Materials include photographs of Minsky's Girls of 1960, photographs of show casts, and photographs of performances at the Aladdin Hotel and the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Playboy Hotel in Chicago, Illinois.
This collection is unprocessed; see the access note for additional information. The Robert Scott Hooper Photographs (approximately 1960-2019) consist of photographic negatives, positives, prints, Polaroids, 16mm films, videos, business records, correspondence, drawings, and ephemera. The collection was created by prolific photographer Robert Scott Hooper and his longtime business partner and wife, Theresa Holmes. The couple's life and business was based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hooper's work focused on the female form, encompassing many areas of interest including sexual entertainment, modeling, pornography, and Las Vegas entertainment. Hooper was a contributing photographer with Playboy and Vegas Visitor magazines. Hooper also photographed many celebrities, Las Vegas production shows, notable events like hotel implosions, and the development of the Las Vegas Strip, including early time-lapse work on the Luxor Hotel and Casino and The Venetian. This collection also includes business records, model contracts, and correspondence.
Harold Minsky poses with six showgirls at the Playboy Hotel. The dancers are wearing rhinestone bikini-style costumes and large feathered headdresses. The Knickerbocker has gone through several incarnations since it opened in 1927. Legend has it that in the 1930s the hotel housed a casino frequented by Al Capone. During World War II and the Korean War, US Armed Forces officers would fill the property's hallways and play cards in the Officer's Club. In 1952, Richard Nixon was nominated Vice President during the Republican National Convention held in the hotel. Finally, in the 1970s it became the Playboy Hotel, owned by Hugh Hefner. Site Name: Playboy Hotel (Chicago, Ill.) Street Address: 163 East Walton Place
Hugh M. Hefner (left), the editor and publisher of "Playboy Magazine," with Jack Entratter (right) at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada. Printed across the bottom of the image: "Hugh M. Hefner, editor and publisher of Playboy Magazine. (left) pix taken @ New Year 1969 (old year) '68." Site Name: Sands Hotel and Casino