Skip to main content

Search the Special Collections and Archives Portal

Bureau of Reclamation Photographs of the Hoover Dam and Boulder City, Nevada (PH-00071)

Abstract

The Bureau of Reclamation Photographs of the Hoover Dam and Boulder City, Nevada depict the construction of the Hoover (Boulder) Dam and the development of Boulder City, Nevada from 1869 to 1974, with a bulk of the materials dating from 1929 to 1940. The photographs primarily depict the construction operations in Black Canyon, including digging tunnels, pouring concrete, building the power plant, and inspections by Bureau of Reclamation engineers. The photographs also depict Boulder City, including schools, workers, and dormitories. The collection also includes photographs of St. Thomas, Nevada, Lake Mead, Nelson’s Landing, Nevada, and an archaeological excavation near Lake Mohave, Nevada.

Finding Aid PDF

Date

1869-1974
bulk 1929-1940

Extent

0.61 Cubic Feet (10 hanging folders, 1 flat file, 1 shared photo binder of slides, and 1 shared box of negatives)
0.70 Linear Feet

Related People/Corporations

Scope and Contents Note

The Bureau of Reclamation Photographs of the Hoover Dam and Boulder City, Nevada depicts the construction of the Hoover (Boulder) Dam and the development of Boulder City, Nevada from 1869 to 1974, with a bulk of the materials dating from 1929 to 1940. The photographs primarily depict the construction operations in Black Canyon, including digging tunnels, pouring concrete, building the power plant, and inspections by Bureau of Reclamation engineers. The photographs also depict Boulder City, including schools, workers, and dormitories. The collection also includes photographs of St. Thomas, Nevada, Lake Mead, Nelson’s Landing, Nevada, and an archaeological excavation near Lake Mohave, Nevada.

Access Note

Collection is open for research with the exception of materials that are closed in accordance with Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 383.011-383.540. Restrictions are noted at the file level of this inventory. Some collection material has been digitized and is available online.

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

Materials remain in original order.

Biographical / Historical Note

The Hoover Dam, also known as the Boulder Dam, was constructed on the Colorado River in Black Canyon near Las Vegas, Nevada from 1931 to 1936 during the Great Depression. The dam impounds Lake Mead, the country's largest reservoir, and it provides hydroelectric power to Nevada, Arizona, and California. The dam was built by workers employed by the joint venture of construction companies called Six Companies, Inc. Six Companies was chosen by the Bureau of Reclamation after winning a bid to construct the dam. Workers for Six Companies also built Boulder City, Nevada as housing for workers during the dam's construction. The Hoover Dam was dedicated in 1935 and began operations in 1936.

Related Collections

The following resources may provide additional information related to the materials in this collection:

Elbert Edwards Photograph Collection, 1852-1991. PH-00214. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jamey Stillings Photographs of the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge and the Hoover Dam, 2009-2012. PH-00380. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Virginia "Teddy" Fenton Photograph Collection on the Hoover Dam and Boulder City, Nevada, 1920-1985. PH-00022. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Burrell Lawton Photograph Collection on the Hoover Dam, 1931-1934. PH-00120. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

John Chatfield Page Collection, 1930-1947. MS-00023. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

A. J. Shaver Collection, 1925-1964. MS-00155. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Lockette, Emery and Agnes. Interview, March 11, 2005. OH-01132. Oral History Research Center, Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Morrison, Lillian. Interview, February 5, 1996. OH-01335. Oral History Research Center, Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Preferred Citation

Bureau of Reclamation Photographs of Collection on the Hoover Dam and Boulder City, Nevada, 1869-1974. PH-00071. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Acquisition Note

Materials were donated in 1975 by Jim Hinds; accession number 1975-15.

Processing Note

Materials were processed by Special Collections staff. In 2015, as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, Lindsay Oden wrote the collection description in compliance with current professional standards.

Resource Type

Collection

Collection Type

EAD ID

US::NvLN::PH00071

Finding Aid Description Rules

Describing Archives: A Content Standard
English