The History They Refused to Erase

The Erotic Heritage Museum’s new interactive ED Archive Exhibit transforms three decades of Exotic Dancer publishing into a living tribute to Don Waitt and the industry he documented.

LAS VEGAS — The Erotic Heritage Museum is opening a doorway into more than three decades of adult-nightclub history with the new ED Archive Exhibit, an interactive presentation built from publisher Don Waitt’s magazines, memorabilia and personal artifacts.

Waitt founded and published Erotic Dancer Magazine while leading a company devoted to the business and culture surrounding exotic dance. His daughter, Devyn Waitt, turned that publishing legacy into a digital experience that lets visitors move through the archive on their own terms.

“I think what’s cool about the exhibit is you can carve your own path through it,” Devyn says. “The draw is being able to explore and see the entirety of the archive in one place.”

The exhibit debuts Sunday, August 23, with a reception at the Erotic Heritage Museum from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Its opening coincides with the first day of the 2026 ED EXPO, linking the industry’s present-day gathering with the records of how it grew, changed and represented itself across generations.

Museum director Dr. Victoria Hartmann says Waitt’s work belongs in the historical record precisely because it chronicled an industry that influenced culture, challenged convention and became woven into the fabric of Las Vegas.

“Museums are often expected to preserve the history people approve of; we believe they should preserve the history that shaped us,” Hartmann says.

Hartmann also credits the museum’s grand patron, Harry Mohney, whose commitment to preserving the history of human sexuality created a home for collections like Waitt’s. For the museum, preservation is not the same as endorsement; it is a refusal to let the people, industries and ideas that shaped culture simply disappear.

ED EXPO attendees can enter the reception at no additional cost by showing an expo badge. Members of the public may attend with regular museum admission. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas will also hold an almost complete print run of ED magazines through the publication’s 2024 run, extending the archive’s value beyond the exhibit floor and into academic research.

Established in 1991, ED Publications produces ED Magazine, the annual ED EXPO and the Adult Nightclub & Exotic Dancer Awards Show. It also publishes STOREROTICA Magazine and operates industry websites carrying current information and digital magazine editions.

The Erotic Heritage Museum is located at 3275 Sammy Davis Jr. Drive in Las Vegas. The museum presents human sexuality through history, art, artifacts, exhibitions, lectures and live programming.

SUBJECT SOCIAL / PLATFORM LINKS

Erotic Heritage Museum: Official website | Instagram / @eroticmuseumvegas | X / @EroticHeritage | Facebook

Dr. Victoria Hartmann: Instagram / @sexnerdpod

ED Publications / ED EXPO: ED Publications | ED EXPO | ED Archive feature | Digital editions | Facebook / @theEDexpo

Devyn Waitt: Instagram / @devynwaitt

UNLV Special Collections & Archives: Official website | Instagram / @unlvspeccoll | Facebook

Museum information: 3275 Sammy Davis Jr. Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89109 | (702) 794-4000 | eroticmuseumvegas.com

 


Follow us on twitter: @emmreport, instagram @emmreport, tiktok@emmreport

+ There are no comments

Add yours