Su Kim Chung

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Head of Special Collections Public Services, University Libraries

Expertise: Las Vegas and Southern Nevada History, Las Vegas Entertainment, Preservation and Archiving, Showgirls

Biography

Su Kim Chung has been immersed in the history of Las Vegas since she began work in the UNLV Libraries' Special Collections Division in 1999.

As head of public services, she is in charge of reference, outreach, and instruction for archival collections and photographs about Las Vegas and southern Nevada history. Chung also serves as curator of the UNLV Libraries' entertainment collections, where she works on documenting the history of the showgirls and the Las Vegas production show. As part of this work, she has conducted oral history interviews of former dancers and showgirls and moderated community panel presentations on the history of the Las Vegas showgirl and production shows.

Chung is the author of the popular photo book Las Vegas Then and Now, now in its third edition, and also writes a monthly photo history column for dtlv.com

Education

Ph.D., Information Studies, UCLA
MLIS, Archives and Preservation, UCLA
M.A., History, California State University, Fresno
B.A., History, California State University, Fresno

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history, Las Vegas, popular culture

Su Kim Chung In The News

What Real Life Showgirls Think About Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl

Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album The Life of a Showgirl pays homage to the rip-roaring lifestyle of showgirls. TIME called up showgirls who have performed in Las Vegas, the longtime capital of showgirl shows in the U.S., to see how they think the album captured the life of a showgirl and what the life of a showgirl is really like.

Hidden in plain sight: UNLV faculty highlight forgotten history of AAPI performers in Vegas

When you think of "Old Vegas," the icons that probably come to mind are names like Elvis, Sinatra and Wayne Newton. However, there were many Asian American and Pacific Islander performers then, too, who played an integral role in shaping entertainment on the Las Vegas Strip in the mid to late 1900s.

Gia Coppola Returns to the Theater with The Last Showgirl with: «An Honor to Work with Pamela Anderson»

Cosmopolitan

Las Vegas has always been the epitome of glitz and excess, but there was a time when it became the birthplace of the greatest entertainment shows inspired by the famous dancers of the Folies Bergère in Paris.

Live From Las Vegas! Dive Bars, the Best Table in Town and Old-Time Vegas Faves

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio

It’s our first live episode of Milk Street Radio, recorded at The Beverly Theater in Las Vegas! In this special episode, Su Kim Chung shares Las Vegas’s most fascinating restaurants from history; “Top Chef” contestant and Black Sheep chef/owner Jamie Tran answers live cooking questions; and Neon Feast creator Al Mancini takes us on his ultimate food and drinking tour—complete with tiki rooms, hidden gems and one unforgettable dive bar that serve shots out of porcelain toilets.