Pipe of peace ...

Browsing old photos about Montana, you're sure to find lots of images that are poignant and lovely ... along with a few that will just make you smile. Here's one that definitely falls into the latter category.

I discovered this one in a 1933 tourist booklet called "Western Montana: A Land that Enchants the Traveler, Enriches the Settler and Inspires Everyone." The thing was apparently issued by the Chamber of Commerce in Butte, though it includes information about the entire western half of the state.

I honestly doubt there were very many recorded instances of tourists smoking authentic peace pipes in Butte ... but I guess that sort of smoke sounded more appealing than the toxic industrial soot that characterized the city in its early years.