LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The Nevada State Museum is celebrating the 90th birthday of photojournalist Clinton Wright, a man who spent decades documenting life on Las Vegas’ historic Westside.
Wright shot photos for the African American newspaper “The Voice” after moving to Las Vegas in the early 1960s following his graduation from college in Arkansas. “The Voice” was originally founded by Dr. Charles West, the first African American physician in Southern Nevada. Thousands of Wright’s images are now preserved in UNLV’s Special Collections and featured in the exhibit “Rhythm and Resilience: Black Vegas.”
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“He came out here in the early ’60s, and he captured the richness and vibrance of the historic West Side. A lot of people don’t realize how fabulous the West Side was in the ’60s and ’70s… but thanks to UNLV Special Collections, we can go back in time through more than eight-thousand images he created,” said Carmen Beals, curator of the Rhythm and Resilience Exhibition.
Wright reflects on his work
Wright, now retired, said his photography was focused on showing the community at its best.
“It shows some of the good side of what life was like in those days for the Black community,” Wright said. “The photography that I was doing was people who would like to show their best side and the things that they were interested in, which was not the downside of the activities that was going on in the community.”
Wright said a friend encouraged him early on to label his negatives and preserve his work for future generations — advice he said he wishes he had followed more consistently.
Among the subjects Wright photographed over the years were Sammy Davis Jr. and Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay.
Staff say Wright’s work gives today’s Las Vegas a window into a vibrant era that no longer exists, preserving community pride, everyday moments and Black history on the Westside.
Exhibit details
The exhibit opened March 12 and runs through Aug. 20 at the Nevada State Museum. Admission is free to the public Monday through Saturday.
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