Curatorial Postcards

Facts Uncover Legend of Lost Frémont Cannon
by Brett Fisher
Each November, UNR and UNLV football teams play for the right to host the famed Frémont Cannon and paint its carriage in their school colors. As prized as this trophy is to players and fans of either program, though, it’s a far cry from the real […]

This exquisitely made basket appears practically perfect at first glance, but, if you look closely, your eye is drawn to a small imperfection near the rim. This basket’s significance to us is increased by the story behind the flaw uncovered by Sue Ann Monteleone, our former Museum Registrar. Emma Jim Murphy, Mono Lake Northern […]

While many people think Nevada deserts are lifeless wastelands, these areas have a diverse array of wildlife uniquely adapted to such environments. Did you know that Nevada deserts are home to 3-inch-long scorpions, bats that eat scorpions, owls that nest in the ground, large hairy spiders, and rodents that rarely drink water?

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Sharks have come a long way from the vilified man-eater portrayed in Jaws. Today, we realize that this top ocean predator helps ensure a healthy ecosystem. Some Pacific Island nations, such as Kiribati (pronounced Ki-ri-bas), recognize the importance of sharks and have created shark sanctuaries. Kiribati is located in the central Pacific Ocean, about […]

March is Women’s History Month and while we recognize many different fashionable eras of dress, this year, we are going to take a close look beneath it all…what undergarments did 19th century fashionable dressed women wear under their crinoline, bustle or petticoats?  Sometimes called knickers, drawers or pantalettes/pantaloons, these undies have many variations.

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His headdress is adorned with Golden Eagle feathers; he sports a beaded buckskin vest; and his face is decorated with white paint. Captain Hank Pete stands proudly against the northern Nevada sky, clasping a rattle in one hand and a walking stick in the other. Captain Hank Pete “last of the Washoe Indian Chiefs” […]

Jacques Fath and the LBD

The color black has long been associated with mourning, religious, academic, legal, and ceremonial dress. But within the last 100 years, black has become a woman’s classic fashion choice. “The Little Black Dress” has saved many of us from the dilemma – “What to wear?”

The history of the little black […]

Did you know that when our museum was created in 1939 it was called the Nevada State Museum and Art Institute? With assistance of the Nevada Art Association (a former Nevada organization separate from the current Nevada Artists Association), our first art exhibit was presented in the east wing of the second floor of […]

Did you know that the 1977 Nevada Legislature designated the official State Fossil to be an ichthyosaur? In 1989 this statute was amended to specify this state symbol as Shonisaurus popularis.
There are two well-known examples of fossil marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs from Nevada. Specimens of one type have been found in the Humboldt Mountains […]

Sadly, this is the second year that we had to cancel the Museum’s annual Lei Day event; however, in lieu of live music, hula performances, and lei making, I want to highlight the Museum’s small tapa collection. Tapa is the common name for cloth made from the inner bark of trees. Throughout the Pacific […]