Las Vegas News Bureau Debuts Traveling Exhibit At Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Branches

“From The Vault” features rare and never-before-released images spanning more than 60 years.

In partnership with the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, the Las Vegas News Bureau will launch “From the Vault,” a photographic retrospective of classic, rare and new images of Las Vegas on March 31 at the Whitney Library. From there, the exhibition will travel to four other libraries in Clark County through January 2010.
 
The exhibition includes 21 images from the archives of the Las Vegas News Bureau, including the very first photograph shot in 1947 through photos taken in 2009. Photos of milestone events that occurred at the Las Vegas Convention Center are also included in celebration of the center’s 50th anniversary.
 
There were two criteria for selecting photographs for this exhibit, according to Lisa Jacob, senior manager of the Las Vegas News Bureau. First, they had to be photos that exemplified the different aspects of Las Vegas that the News Bureau captured in its publicity function – from the “John and Jane Doe” photos of tourists sent to their hometowns to encourage travel to Las Vegas, to staged publicity shots and stunts to documenting events and entertainers. Secondly, photos that were chosen may have never been exhibited before, either because they were behind-the-scenes photos, outtakes or recently discovered. The date range for the selected images range from the first photograph taken by the News Bureau photographers in 1947 through 2009.
 
“We are very pleased to be working with the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District on this exhibition,” Jacob said. “It affords us the opportunity to share our collection of photos – past and present – with the community and educate residents about the ongoing role that photography has played in marketing Las Vegas during the past 60 years.”
 
“From the Vault” exhibition schedule:
March 31 – May 19 – Whitney Library, 5175 E. Tropicana Ave.
June 2 – July 26 – Enterprise Library, 25 E. Shelbourne Ave.
Aug. 4 – Oct. 11 – Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Rd.
Oct. 13 – Nov. 30 – Centennial Hills Library, 6711 N. Buffalo Drive
Dec. 3, 2009 – Jan. 12, 2010 – West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd.

 
ABOUT THE LAS VEGAS-CLARK COUNTY LIBRARY DISTRICT
The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District serves a vibrant and diverse community through its 24 branch libraries, its more than two million books, audio, digital resources and state-of-the-art technology. The libraries of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District provide art galleries in which members of our community and visitors may learn, enjoy and connect with one another. Thirteen visual art galleries support 80 exhibitions annually, expressing the diversity of local, regional and national artists. Exhibitions encompass a variety of mediums of two-dimensional and three-dimensional works, from ceramic sculpture to black and white photography; from the fine art of quilts to original art from published children’s books. In addition to the exhibitions, the galleries also present guest artist lectures, slide presentations and hands-on art workshops for the community and visitors to Las Vegas.
 
ABOUT THE LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU
Originally envisioned as a publicity-generating tool by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, the Desert Sea News Bureau, now known as the Las Vegas News Bureau, was created in 1947.
 
Today, the Las Vegas News Bureau is an integral part of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.  For almost 60 years, the Las Vegas News Bureau has captured the sights and sounds of the world’s leading destination like no one else, and has played a unique role in marketing Las Vegas by documenting unforgettable images on film.
 
Over the years, the News Bureau has amassed one of the most comprehensive photographic and video collections showcasing the history of Las Vegas.  The archive includes superstar entertainers and sports figures, world-class concerts and special events, and the ever-evolving skyline.  Classic images include “Miss Atomic Bomb,” now a part of the Smithsonian Institution’s collection, and the classic “Floating Craps Game” shot at the Sands in 1953, as well as video of Elvis Presley, Liberace, the Rat Pack and other Las Vegas icons.
 
 
 Contact: Lisa Jacob, Las Vegas News Bureau, 702.892.7641
                  Karen Bramwell-Thomas, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, 702.507.3562