Conservation Assessment of the Las Vegas News Bureau Photo and Film Archives

FAIN: PG-51405-11

Las Vegas Convention Center (Las Vegas, NV 89109-9096)
Brian P. Alvarez (Project Director: May 2010 to March 2013)

Hiring a consultant to assess the preservation needs of three million prints and negatives, 500 film reels, and 100 audiotapes in the Las Vegas News Bureau Photo and Film Archives that document the history and culture of southern Nevada from 1947 to the present, including images of atomic testing and of the construction boom during this period.

The Las Vegas News Bureau Photo and Film Archives which is part of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority(LVCVA)is estimated to be the largest and most comprehensive post World War II collection of Southern Nevada imagery in the world. The News Bureau archives is a dynamic collection comprised of catalogued and uncataloged film negatives, film reels, photographic prints, ephemeral materials and artifacts. The collection spans the period beginning in 1947 and continues through present day. The collection is estimated at over 3 million images. The NEH grant would support the hiring of a Photograph Conservator from the Northeast Document Conservation Center of Andover, Maryland to survey the Las Vegas News Bureau Photo and Film Archives. This assessment will consist of a one day site visit and written report to assist in creating a preservation strategy for the archives. The survey will include recommendations for reformatting, housing, storage and conservation treatment.