Subject: Montana
Period: 1936 (dated)
Publication:
Color: Black & White
Size:
21.2 x 15.8 inches
53.8 x 40.1 cm
This densely detailed pictorial map of Big Sky Country was designed by Irvin "Shorty" Shope (1900-1977), a native of Montana and one of the charter members of the Cowboy Artists of America. The landscape is filled with small illustrations and notations focused on the state's history, with plenty of information on the Native Americans, Lewis and Clark, cowboy life, wildlife, and more. Larger drawings in the border bring to life the "major frontier industries:" cattle and sheep raising, lumbering, mining, and fur trapping. The map's coverage extends to show a charming rendering of Yellowstone National Park. The legend identifies historic trails, including the routes of Lewis and Clark, Custer's last march, Chief Joseph's retreat, and the modern state highway system. The verso features an alternative title, A Map of Montana Whereon Is Depicted And Inscribed The Pioneer History of the Land of Shining Mountains, and a "tabloid history" of the state, although this is obscured on this linen-backed example.
References:
Condition: A
Issued folding and backed with linen.