We recently visited Las Vegas for the first time. I know, that probably sounds unbelievable to you. But we liked it so much, we subscribed to the Las Vegas Advisor and plan to go back at least once a year. My husband is a dyed-in-the-wool historian and he's become interested in what he calls the "rather colorful" history of the city. Can you recommend the best source for someone like him to study, so he can pursue his passion when we visit?
There are plenty of sources to learn about Las Vegas history. Good books include our own The First 100 -- Portraits of the Men and Women Who Shaped Las Vegas. Others are Resort City in the Sunbelt: Las Vegas, 1930-2000 by Gene Moehring, Las Vegas: A Centennial History by Michael Green and Gene Moehring, and Las Vegas: As It Began, As It Grew by Stan Paher (best for 1800s–1930s). Another good one for more recent history is Neon Metropolis: How Las Vegas Started the Twenty-First Century by Hal Rothman.
Next time you visit, don't miss the Nevada State Museum and the Clark County Museum. And if your husband wants to jump headfirst into this rabbit hole (we know; we've been there), primary archives can be found at UNLV Special Collections (with its extensive collection of oral histories), the Las Vegas Historical Society, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority archives (from the Las Vegas News Bureau).
But to answer your question, we believe that the best -- most accessible, highest production values, and most affordable (free) -- source is the set of videos produced by the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial: The City of Las Vegas. This is an epic series of roughly 90-minute episodes that explore the history of the city decade by decade; they're released every year in conjunction with Las Vegas' birthday, May 15.
Thus far covering up through the 1970s, there are seven in total, along with three others (history of Westside, the Mob Museum building, and Helldorado), so your husband can immerse himself in around 10 and a half hours of vintage photos and video, interviews with local historians and experts (which should propel him in various new directions), and an excellent narration that ties it all together.
And just about when your husband has watched them all, The City of Las Vegas: The Eighties will be released on the city's 121st birthday. By then, he should be making plans to visit again.
Did we mention that the series is both free and accessible? Here's the link to all 11 videos.
