A presentation of the Nevada Historical Society, High Noon with Neal Cobb is a monthly history series that delves into Nevada topics with local experts. Neal Cobb is a passionate historian and honorary curator for the Nevada Historical Society. Each month he is joined by a different guest presenter.

This month’s presenter is Jan Loverin, Curator of Clothing and Textiles, Nevada State Museum, Carson City.

Putting on your face, or applying makeup, is an activity most women and some men do daily. Curator, Jan Loverin, curator of clothing and textiles at the Nevada State Museum, explores a brief history of this ritual and its meanings – from protecting our eyes from sun glare, to understanding the significance of “lip candy,” to disparate challenges due to skin color. This, along with developments in the hair care industry, generates an engaging lecture that provides background, understanding, and insight into the importance of appearance.

Loverin has been the curator of clothing and textiles at the Nevada State Museum since 1991. Her undergraduate degree is in biology from Whittier College, and her master’s is from UNR in home economics and museum studies. She and her colleagues have produced numerous exhibits over the years, including "Silver Ladies in Golden Splendor," while conducting research and regularly changing costumes and textiles in the museum’s galleries. Loverin is a member of the Costume Society of America and the International Council of Museums Costume Committee and has presented articles and papers for both organizations.

Loverin is a regular contributor to the museum’s Curator’s Corner and is also featured in the four-part, online series, Victorian Secrets. She and her husband, Jim, have one son, and they live on the Old 1862 Ranch, where they are avid gardeners.

The Nevada State Museum, Carson City, focuses on Nevada’s natural and cultural heritage. Exhibits include geology, prehistory, a replica walk-through mine and ghost town, the historic Carson City Mint, USS. Nevada silver service, and Under One Sky, the history of Nevada’s earliest inhabitants told from the Native American viewpoint.

Register to join High Noon with Neal Cobb on Zoom. Recordings of past episodes are available on the library’s YouTube channel.