The Montana State Examining Board of Beauty Culturalists was created in 1929 to regulate the occupation of hairdressers and cosmotologists. The duties of the board included licensing cosmotologists to practice and to teach, offering the examinations necessary for licensing, creating rules regulating the conduct and sanitation of beauty salons, and providing penalties for violations of their rules. The Board consisted on three members, each of whom were professional hairdressers, appointed by the Governor to serve a four year term. In 1961, Legislation changed the name of the Board to the State Examining Board of Cosmetology. The new legislation also clarified licensing regulations, particularly in reference to graduates of training schools. Membership in the Board was redefined to include stricter standards. All Board members after 1961 were required to have five years of experience, have graduated from high school, and be a resident of Montana for five years prior the his or her appointment. In 1972, the Board was moved to the Department of Professional and Occupational Licensing (DPOL) and renamed the Board of Cosmetologists. DPOL dissolved in 1981 and its duties were transferred to the Department of Labor and Industry.
This collection contains general correspondence (1929-1972); financial records (1931-1968); minutes (1929-1980); organizational records (1981-1949); reports (1949) of beauty school inspections; printed materials (1945-1972) regading laws and regulations; ephemera (1929-1974), including certificates of registration and operator licenses; and miscellany (1932-1974), including examinations.
The collection is arranged by series.
Collection open for research.
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives. The Library & Archives does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.
In 2024, the various collections of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 498, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives catalog, and to follow best archival practices.
Collections from Montana Department of Labor and Industry's various Divisions and Bureaus
that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Library & Archives, Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information is available upon request.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection