RENO, Nev. (AP) — Researchers at the University of Nevada have launched an ambitious online exhibit documenting Reno's history as the "Divorce Capital of the World."
The collection at renodivorcehistory.org includes tales of the rich and famous as well as stories from ordinary people who flocked to Reno for quickie-divorces before World War II.
It features more than 1,000 individual documents, photos, magazine articles and audio clips addressing everything from the stigma of divorce to the cottage industry that grew up around it in the "Biggest Little City in the World."
Historian and project co-curator Mella Harmon says it not only highlights the impact the divorce industry had on Reno's culture and economy, but also explores how the city helped change the national attitude around divorce.