REID PUBLIC HISTORY INSTITUTE
RESEARCH + COLLABORATION + PRESERVATION + EDUCATION
UNLV students from a range of disciplines collaborate with museums and archives across the Vegas Valley to learn through onsite projects and many hours of hands-on training.
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Assessing storage techniques alongside curators trained in material culture analysis
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Learning rehumidification techniques from Nevada State Musuem archivist, Kassidy Whetstone
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Getting hands-on with the history of Vegas's thriving sports scene
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Studying "Best Practices" for archival costume collections
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Cleaning and rehousing acidified images at the LVCVA's incredible archive alongside archivist Kelli Luchs.
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Understanding collection management needs through hands-on assessment
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Using archivial collections to conduct research and produce public-facing and peer-reviewed scholarship
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Watching and learning how to dress historic costumes with collections managment expert, Melanie Coffee
Current Initiatives
The Stage Costumes of Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé
Arriving on the Strip at a moment when the city was defining itself as the nation’s entertainment capital, the duo set a new benchmark for live performance: technically flawless, musically adventurous, and anchored by the unmistakable chemistry of two artists entirely at ease with one another. Their shows were equal parts concert and conversation—intimate enough to charm small rooms, yet dynamic enough to fill the largest venues in town.
Workshop: “The Material World of the American West”
This workshop will be a space for high-level collaboration, specifically focused on the production of a forthcoming edited publication. Invited participants will be present original research and engage in peer-review sessions to refine their contributions for a collective volume to be published by the University of Arizona Press.
“More Guts that Brains": Celebrating the Legacy of Irwin Molasky
Since January 2025, Reid Public History Institute has partnered with the Molasky family at Ovation to collect, archive, and celebrate the contributions of Irwin Molasky. Our aim is simple: document and institutionalize the legacy of Irwin Molasky, his family, and his community collaborators.
Las Vegas is one of the best-known cities on Earth, driven by the most pressing issues of our time: climate change; race and equality; water, energy, and resource extraction; immigration; and the creation of community in a fast-changing, multicultural world.
THE INTEGRATION OF “THINKING & DOING” IS AT THE HEART OF PUBLIC HISTORY
The Reid Public History Institute researches, interprets, and presents the history of Las Vegas, Southern Nevada, and the American West.
Mission Statement
Uniting research in environmental history, Western history, historic preservation, and public history in support of stewardship, preservation, and education in the Intermountain West.
