The University of Nevada, Reno's manuscript and archives collections consist of diaries, scrapbooks, letters, records, oral histories, photographs, and other unique materials documenting Reno/Sparks, northern Nevada, the eastern Sierra Nevada, and the Lake Tahoe Basin.
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Industry and business are important parts of the Nevada story. Our materials document businesses as varied as divorce ranches, retail, manufacturing, and ranching. We also hold extensive documentation of industrial development related to mining and railroads, with a special emphasis on the Comstock lode.
Politicians and political organizations
We hold the personal papers of Nevada’s elected officials at all levels as well as the records of political organizations, campaigns, and associated events. The archive is an essential primary resource for those interested in learning about political parties in Nevada and how public policy is created at the local, regional, and national levels.
Activism and advocacy
A counterpart to our materials on politicians and political organizations, activism and advocacy resources include the records of advocacy groups, social activists, labor unions, and other people and organizations trying to effect change.
Environment and Public Lands
Ecology, wildlife, water, and public lands are important components of Nevada’s story. Our resources include the records of individuals and organizations interested in water assessment, environmental impacts of development, wildlife management, and forestry.
Reno has long been a destination for winter sports, athletic events, divorce ranches and more. Our manuscript collections document recreation and tourism in Reno, Tahoe, and the Great Basin.
People and places of Northern Nevada
Interested in learning about our local communities? Our collections complement those of the Nevada Historical Society and include Reno architecture, local families and businesses, religious organizations, social clubs, and more. Historically, our department has collected materials about Indigenous people and Tribes. We now seek to align our work with the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials and no longer accept collections about Tribes without Tribal consultation.
Chief Engineer's Office Photographs Numbers 76-200 page 095, Smelter Panorama from East. Nevada Consolidated Copper Company Records, NC1376_234_95
Photograph of Ronald Reagan and Paul Laxalt, 1983. Paul Laxalt U.S. Senatorial Papers (83-01), UNRS-P2015-12-00149
Photograph of Western Shoshone Defense Project staff (including Carrie Dann), circa late 1990s. Western Shoshone Defense Project Records (2013-10), UNRS-P2015-11-15
Lake Tahoe southeast of Incline Creek and Third Creek at Mill Creek aerial view, looking North West, 1967. Lake Tahoe Area Council Records (NC 1200), UNRS-P2003-10-443
Crowd going to Jeffries and Johnson fight. James R. Herz Collection, UNRS-P1992-01-8636.
Wild Island water park along Truckee River, Sparks, Nevada. Peter Goin Papers (2015-33), UNRS-P2015-14-00663.
Ledgers and brand book of John Sparks from Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory. Sparks Family Papers, 2015-24_1_1_5.