Abstract
The Shelley Bristol Papers (approximately 1950 to 2023) document Bristol's experiences as an AIDS activist, sex worker, and radio show host. The materials include Bristol's personal testimony for the National Association of People with AIDS, her correspondence with the "Nevadans Against Prostitution," a newsletter from WORLD (Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases), and notes for Bristol's personal autobiography. Also included are materials related to her blog and radio show, "Madam Vanessa: Las Vegas Talk of the Town" which Bristol started to share her experiences of working as a sex worker in Las Vegas in the early 1970s. Other materials include blog post drafts, radio scripts, and an archived copy of her blog. The collection also includes some personal photographs of Bristol as a child and her parents, Marilyn and Jerry Bristol.
Finding Aid PDF
Date
Extent
Related People/Corporations
Scope and Contents Note
The Shelley Bristol Papers date from approximately 1950 to 2023 and documents Bristol's experiences as an AIDS activist, sex worker activist, and radio show host. The materials include Bristol's personal testimony for the National Association of People with AIDS, her correspondence with the "Nevadans Against Prostitution," a newsletter from WORLD (Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases), and notes for Bristol's personal autobiography. Also included are materials related to her blog and radio show, "Madam Vanessa: Las Vegas Talk of the Town" which Bristol started to share her experiences of working as a sex worker in Las Vegas in the early 1970s. The materials include blog post drafts, radio scripts, and an archived copy of her blog. The collection also includes some personal photographs of Bristol as a child and her parents, Marilyn and Jerry Bristol.
Access Note
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
Materials remain in the order they were received.
Biographical / Historical Note
Shelley Bristol is an AIDS activist in the Las Vegas, Nevada community. During the early 1990s Bristol was a sex worker in Winnemucca, Nevada. By 1993, Bristol had left sex work and become an AIDS activist. During this time there was a great demand for sex workers' testimony in AIDS prevention campaigns in Nevada. Besides providing her testimony about her experience with HIV/AIDS testing as a sex worker, Bristol also volunteered as a hotline operator with AIDS for AIDS of Nevada. Bristol also worked with the Nevada AIDS Project, Act-Up of Nevada, and WORLD (Women Organized to Respond to Life-threating Diseases).
Source:
Shelley Bristol Papers, approximately 1950-2023. MS-00398. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/f1gs3h
Preferred Citation
Shelley Bristol Papers, approximately 1950-2023. MS-00398. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/f1gs3h
Permalink
Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 1998 and 2023 by Shelley Bristol; accession numbers 98-1, 2023-048.
Processing Note
Materials were processed by Special Collections and Archives staff. In 2015, as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, Hana Gutierrez created a collection description and brought it into compliance with current professional standards. Subsequently Hana Gutierrez entered the data into ArchivesSpace. In 2023, Aaron Mayes created digital surrogates of photographs and ephemera in one folder which were returned to the donor. In 2023, Tammi Kim processed the 2023 addition including rehousing materials, transferring digital files off of two optical discs, archiving one website, and updating the finding aid.
Administrative Information
Resource Type
Collection Type
EAD ID
Appraisal Note
Acquired by Sarah Quigley, Director of Special Collections and Archives, as part of UNLV Special Collections and Archives holdings in sexual entertainment and economies. All material that formed the original gift has been retained.
Existence and Location of Originals
Some items in this collection are digital surrogates. The donor retained the original items.