Nevadans for Cultural Preservation

Cynthia Sanford, Clark County Museum Registrar

In 2014, the Clark County Museum received 200 photos of the life of Bill Martin, the owner of a brothel in Amargosa Valley. While researching this man and his brothel, museum registrar Cynthia Sanford discovered his place in Nevada brothel history, and in some of its biggest scandals. In this talk, titled “Shamrock Brothel: Photos from Bill Martin,” Sanford will share some of the Martin family photos in the museum’s collection, give a brief overview of the history of legalized prostitution in Nevada, and show the progression of the Shamrock Brothel over its nearly 70 years of history.