Although the Riviera Hotel and Casino closed its doors for the final time this week, a wealth of documents and photographs in UNLV Special Collections will ensure that it lives on forever.
The architectural drawings of the original design of the hotel and casino, as well as its many renovations, have been digitized from the papers of noted architect Martin Stern Jr. in our Dreaming the Skyline digital exhibit.
Many historical images of the Riviera Hotel can be found in our collections, and some have also been digitized as part of the same exhibit.
The Riviera's restaurants were also part of its appeal. Menus showcasing its culinary history are part of our Menus: The Art of Dining digital exhibit.
Publicity and promotional materials including press releases, photos of entertainers who appeared in its showroom, and a wide array of brochures and ephemera can be found in the Riviera Hotel Promotional and Publicity Collection.
Probably one of the most unique and valuable collections in the archive is Marshall L Wright's scrapbook of the Riviera Hotel and Casino. As the Riviera Hotel's first general manager, Wright amassed a small treasure trove of original brochures, clippings, ephemera, and photographs on the Riviera in its early days, with some materials dating just prior to its opening. The papers of Hal Belfer, one of the Riviera's first entertainment directors also enrich our holdings on the hotel as does our large collection of Fabulous Las Vegas magazine issues which featured the newly constructed hotel on the cover of its April 23, 1955, issue.
Special Collections is actively seeking the extant archives of the Riviera Hotel and related materials to add to its collection.
