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Michael (Charles Gregory) Graffiti Photograph Collection
AR.2014.001
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Description
The Charlie Michael Graffiti Photograph Collection contains over 4,000 color images taken by Charlie Michael during the course
of his employment with Clark County, Nevada, while removing graffiti (abatement). Michael's images document a wide range of
graffitti types in the form of tags, throw ups, characters, and street art found in the urban desert environment of Las Vegas,
Nevada, at the close of the twentieth century.
Background
In the 1990s and 2000s, Charlie Michael was employed as a painter by Clark County, Nevada, to perform graffiti abatement (removal).
As part of his job, Michael located graffiti, estimated the dollar cost of the property damage, gave it a job number, and
then documented the work on film before he erased it. Only later, after he retired from this work, did Michael consider that
the snapshots he captured might have value and meaning beyond the scope of his job.
Extent
4197 Unique Photographic Images
Restrictions
Property rights reside with the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association. For permission to reproduce or to publish,
please contact the Archivist at the Mojave Desert Archives.
Availability
The collection is open for research. For access, please contact the Archivist at the Mojave Desert Archives at archivist@mdhca.org.