Welcome to Hobo Archive! Explore the growing collection of digitized items related to the history and culture of the American hobo. This history collection documents the preservation of hobo history and culture in America. Here you can explore collections information, documents, art, images, oral histories, artifacts, and more. These digital resources include cultural items and historical records that may be culturally sensitive. Access is made possible through partnership with the hoboing community and the University of Iowa.
To begin searching the archive, please refer to the search box below. Or, find the "browse items" tab, or taggged key words in the dropdown menu, to search for a particular item.
Please note: When viewing individual items, double click on the images to enlargen them for viewing.
Featured Item
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…
Recently Added Items
New Brothers
A short comic video clip about hobo life, featuring hobo Iwegin Rick.
2018 Hobo King and Queen Party Footage
Video footage from the 2008 Hobo King and Queen Party at the home of Half Track in Little Falls, Minnesota.
2018 National Hobo Convention Hobo Church Service
A recording from the Sunday church service held at the 2018 National Hobo Convention in Britt, Iowa.
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Featured Collection
Oral Histories
This collection features recorded interviews with people from the hoboing community. Topics include life on the road, challenges facing travelers,…
Featured Exhibit
Hobo Cultural History: Stories of Authenticity and Misrepresentation
Hoboes, tramps, and vagabonds have long been subject to stories of both authentic life experiences in the road and subject...