This fall, PBS' award-winning American Experience is featuring UNLV researchers and Lied Library's vast collection of archived materials in its new film Las Vegas: An Unconventional History. The documentary, co-sponsored by UNLV and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, will air on PBS stations Nov. 14-15.
In making the documentary the official film of the city's centennial celebration the producers amassed a digital archive from sources beyond UNLV as well. The materials will have a permanent home in the Lied Library's special collections department.
Exposure on the popular PBS series will be a boon for the UNLV Libraries, says Peter Michel, director of special collections. He points out that Las Vegas is only the third city, behind New York and Chicago, to be featured in the series. It is a remarkable opportunity to have our collections and the university receive the exposure offered by the American Experience, especially given the excellent documentaries already produced by the series. In addition, the project was a means for UNLV to acquire new material from the film's oral interviews, photos, and footage.
The documentary goes beyond Las Vegas' storied gaming history. Other topics include the city's history in dissolving racial barriers, its relationship with atomic testing, and its current real estate boom.
Weighing in on the factors that have made the city an unconventional success are UNLV professors Hal Rothman of history, Dave Hickey of English, and Dina Titus of political science, as well as Claytee White of UNLV's Oral History Research Center. It also includes profiles of modern-day Las Vegans, who provide a complex look at life in the nation's fastest-growing city.
