When you enter Sirkis Hardware on Falls Road in Hampden area of Baltimore you can't help but notice the pipe people figures in the window. Made by the young son of the former owner of the shop over 40 years ago, the original Pipeman became a bit of a celebrity a few years ago. A local illustrator named Dave Plunkert used a photo of Pipeman as the primary subject in his submission to a poster contest in 1997. The poster won, and actually became part of the permanent collection of the Library of Congress a year later. Store staffer Carle Klupt, shown here lighting the pipe people for me, has created Pipe Woman and even Pipe Baby!

- mike lee - baltimore