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Matchstick house
Delicate tramp art made from used matches and glue. Artist created a representation of a slave house build on wealthy plantation.
Cigarette box
Color description: orange, geometric shapes and patterns
Frying' Pan Jack picture frame
Photo shows Fryin' Pan Jack in 1973 at Albert Lee (Alfred Lee), MN railroad yard. The chip art frame was made by a hobo. Tramp art is a style of woodworking which emerged in America the latter half of the nineteenth century. Some of tramp art's…
Tags: culture, Frying' Pan Jack, history, tramp art
Small wooden tools
Rivaling a Swiss army knife and carved from a single piece of wood. Hoboes' ability to carve is most evidenced by their monikers, or nicknames, carved like tradesmarks on railroad sheds. Most pieces lack identification. A token or tinket a hobo might…
Wooden cigar box
Geometric shapes, woodworking, tramp art-style. Widespread use of wooden cigar boxes in the 1850s sparked involvement in tramp art.
Mountain Dews' pocketknife
Used by Mountain Dew, this Whittlers three-blade pocketknife, a classic American style of everyday carry knife, myriad uses for this handy pocketknife, whether for whittling sticks, woodcarving, opening packages at the office, or slicing small food…
Tags: culture, history, Mountain Dew
Pocketknife
Whittlers three-blade pocketknife, a classic American style of everyday carry knife, myriad uses for this handy pocketknife, whether for whittling sticks, woodcarving, opening packages at the office, or slicing small food items like vegetables and…
Trinket basket
Small basket made of woven sweet grass, Great Depression-era tramp art, color description: yellow, gold, greeen
The American Pocket Medical Dictionary, Fifth Edition
Bound leather book, 15th edition printed in 1934, Contains the pronunciation and definition of all the principal terms used in medicine, surgery, dentistry, veterinary medicine, nursing, and kindred sciences: with over 60 extensive tables, very…
Tags: Connecticut Slim, culture, history
Annotated Bibliography and Major Events in Hobo History
Chronological history with important dates and literature, printed document
Tags: culture, history, Luther the Jet
Featured Item
Mountain Dew and Frisco Jack's tin craft cups

Handmade copper wire hobo cups made from a soup can and a mountain dew can. Frisco Jack is printed on the front of one can. The tin cans most likely…