Julie Menard
Dublin Core
Title
Julie Menard
Subject
Source
Women in Nevada History: A Legacy Digital Project
Publisher
Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN)
Rights
This resource is available for education and research purposes. This collection is a collaboration and combination of various projects including, but not limited to; the Women in Nevada History: A Legacy Digital Project, the Nevada Women’s Archives, the Las Vegas Women Oral History Project and the Makers: Women in Nevada History Project, a co-production of the Women's Research Institute of Nevada and VegasPBS. The text, images, audio and video in this collection are under copyright by different repositories and may not be reproduced without express written consent of the appropriate entities.
Person Item Type Metadata
Work/Contribution
Dancer
Birth Date
ca. 1943
Birthplace
Arrival in Las Vegas
1964
Interviewer
Date of Interview
March 17, 1996
Biographical Text
Julie Menard began her career as a showgirl in 1964, performing in the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana Hotel. Although she appeared in the show for only sixteen months, her experience described in the oral history offers an insider’s view of the early Las Vegas entertainment scene. She describes a period when showgirls were treated as local royalty and “the boys” wielded considerable influence; a period in Las Vegas tourism before it underwent the major transformation from “family owned” businesses to corporate control.
Menard’s narrative was collected as part of the series on women working in the gaming industry. It sheds light on the glamour and complexities of the showgirl. Her descriptions of physical characteristics of the job, the day to day work schedules, the expectations of physical beauty, as well as the stigma of her occupation outside of Las Vegas offer a fuller view of the job.
Menard left Las Vegas in 1966 to pursue a film career in Europe but like many Las Vegas entertainers, she returned to make the desert city her home. Although her brief performing career failed to prepare her for future employment, she reflected on her brief experience as a showgirl positively.
Menard’s narrative was collected as part of the series on women working in the gaming industry. It sheds light on the glamour and complexities of the showgirl. Her descriptions of physical characteristics of the job, the day to day work schedules, the expectations of physical beauty, as well as the stigma of her occupation outside of Las Vegas offer a fuller view of the job.
Menard left Las Vegas in 1966 to pursue a film career in Europe but like many Las Vegas entertainers, she returned to make the desert city her home. Although her brief performing career failed to prepare her for future employment, she reflected on her brief experience as a showgirl positively.
Collection
Citation
“Julie Menard,” Makers Teaching Modules, accessed March 12, 2025, https://makersteachingmodules.sites.unlv.edu/items/show/79.