Abstract
The Maury Stevens Papers are mainly comprised of advertising and publicity materials related to the Las Vegas, Nevada hospitality and entertainment industry from 1953 to 1981. The collection includes both published and unpublished materials collected and created by Maury Stevens as a result of his work in advertising in Las Vegas. Formats include magazines, newspaper clippings, show programs, photographs, and brochures.
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Date
Extent
Related People/Corporations
Scope and Contents Note
The Maury Stevens Papers are mainly comprised of advertising and publicity materials related to the Las Vegas, Nevada hospitality and entertainment industry from 1953 to 1981. The collection includes both published and unpublished materials collected and created by Maury Stevens as a result of his work in advertising in Las Vegas. Formats include magazines, newspaper clippings, show programs, photographs, and brochures. Sketches, scripts, and mockups document the creation of advertisements for Las Vegas area casinos and other businesses. Also included in the collection is a film by the Stevens agency, and correspondence and small artifacts related to Maury Stevens' business and his social life.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
Material remains in original order.
Biographical / Historical Note
Maury Stevens (approximately 1922-1982) was a television producer, entrepreneur, and casino executive in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was the editor of several Las Vegas magazines, including
Originally from Philadelphia, Stevens worked for RCA corporation developing large screen televisions in 1944. By the mid-1950s he owned a company that manufactured plastic showcases, counter displays, and furniture. It was successful until an acetylene torch explosion combined with inadequate insurance forced its closure. Stevens then worked as syndicated television show salesman on the West Coast until he settled in Las Vegas.
By the late 1950s Stevens was publishing
Stevens' main interest was in television production. He produced many programs, including his wife Muriel Stevens' syndicated cooking show. Maury Stevens founded Las Vegas Television Production Company (LVTP) with equipment leased from Jack McClenahan's company Trans-American Video (TAV), which was the largest independent videotape company in the world. In 1976 Stevens sold LVTP to McClenahan and became president of TAV. McClenahan sold TAV in 1977, but Stevens remained in the company as president of Nevada operations. In 1978 Stevens and McClenahan founded a production company in Las Vegas under the umbrella corporation Video Entertainment Industries.
Source:
Thompson, Gary. "Maury Stevens' Dream Is Becoming A Reality."
Preferred Citation
Maury Stevens Papers, 1953-1981. MS-00268. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 1986 by Muriel Stevens; accession number 1986-066.
Processing Note
Materials were minimally processed by Special Collections staff in 1986. In 2015, as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, John Grygo and Emily Lapworth revised and enhanced the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards. In 2020, Jimmy Chang added materials to the collection.