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who made tramp art?
tramp art books
books and magazine articles about tramp art and the webmaster’s conclusions Tramp-art.com
selected excerpts from experts
 00-016 |
*1959 spring issue of Pennsylvania Folklife, "Tramp work: Penknife plus Cigar Boxes" by Frances Lichten, Pennsylvania Folklife Society, Vol 10, No. 1 |
| Magazine article explores "tramp
work". The argument is made that tramp work was popularized in
German Pennsylvania by wandering German immigrants and was possibly
unique to these communities.
"the carver might be found adding his minute chips of cedar to the litter of shavings on the floor of a farm workshop whose amiable owner had provided him with a night’s lodging, meals and some discarded (cigar) boxes in exchange for a piece of his tediously produced handwork and the latest reports on the doings in the countryside through which his wanderings took him"* "I have been told by someone who remembers the old-time vendors of edge-carved work (it is she who called it "tramp work") that these old fellows used to inquire of the customers they met on their rounds weather they had any boxes or bits of broken mirror to give away."* Tramp work objects are understood to be made from recycled cigar box wood using a variety of carving techniques. Techniques include the edge carving (notch carving) that we associate with tramp art today but also include the decorative carving that defines other types of folk art objects. This allows for a broad definition of tramp work. |
 00-022 |
*1969 March issue of Spinning Wheel the National Magazine about Antiques, "Tramp Art" by Lester Breinnger Jr., 1969 Everybodys Press |
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In 1974 the above article was republished (minus a few photographs) as a chapter in the book Spinning Wheels Antiques for Men, edited by Albert Christian Revi; Everybodys Press. This book is likely easier to find than the magazine. |
| Magazine article that offers a broad
definition of tramp art (though all of the illustrations are what we
would call tramp art today i.e. objects that are edge / notch carved and
made of layered cigar box wood.)
"Tramp Art, a name applied to the numerous articles turned out by the gentlemen of the leisure set, appears to have its heyday between 1880 and 1914. Itinerants were the most numerous and productive in these pre World War 1 years. Among the items produced were animals in the round, bird trees, Noah in the Ark, Christmas yard animals and houses, wooden chains, handsome walking canes and cigar box treasures. Such keepsakes were also turned out by prison inmates as well as hobo roamers of our countryside"* Breinnger notes that tramp art can be found throughout the Northeast United States and Canada and offers an important observation concerning provenance "Signed, dated specimens exist and may enable the collector to learn about the maker by inquiring of oldsters in the community."* |
 00-038a |
*1971 Incredible Collectors, Weird Antiques and Odd Hobbies by Bill Carmichael, Prentice-hall Inc |
| Book includes a chapter on tramp art
and makes the argument that tramp art was made and popularized by,
tramps.
"Tramp art? Loosely speaking, this is a colloquialism employed by many antique collectors to describe the odd-looking "dust catchers" or "gaudy junk" which professional vagabonds, hobos, gentlemen of leisure, prisoners, and just plain down-and-out bums carved out of bits and pieces of spare wood (usually discarded cigar boxes and packing crates) and gave to housewives in exchange for food and lodging."* The author offers an argument that tramp art is uniquely American though largely ignored and despised by many antique enthusiasts "tramp art is authentic Americana in every sense of the word; and to date no one has ever seriously contested the validity of this claim." … "the critics of this school of primitive handicraft refer to it slightingly as either "early attic" or "late monster".* Offers a very broad definition of tramp art that would include objects decorated by edge carving (notch carving) and pyramiding. Described as tramp art are objects such as carved canes and penknife carved chains that today might be described as whimseys. Illustrated as tramp art is a hand carved toy circus. |
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*1975 Tramp Art An Itinerant’s Folk Art by Helaine Fendelman, E. P. Dutton & Co. |
| The first book devoted to tramp art
and remained the standard collector reference for decades. Lots
of photographs. Argument made that tramp art is anonymous and was
largely popularized by immigrant itinerants in the United States and not
by hobos. Acknowledges that tramp art is found in several other
countries including Canada, Germany and Scandinavia.
"Tramp art is an itinerants art form; therefore there are no written records of the carvers’ work. The gossip and hearsay of this art form became the facts; misconceptions became truths."* "The tramp of the nineteenth century was an itinerant craftsman, a peddler of his own skills. Included in this category are the "Wanderburschen" (German wandering apprentices) who had been lured to this country by the job opportunities. When jobs did not materialize, or when the spirit compelled him, the man tramped the countryside in search of work. His name, a tramp, was not a derogatory term but a literal name for what the itinerant craftsman was doing to try to earn a living."* The author offers a narrow definition of tramp art. Tramp art describes objects that are edge carved (notch carved), made in layers (forming pyramids) out of cigar box wood. Exceptions to, and variations of, this definition are explored. A notable variation called "crown of thorns" is included as being a form of tramp art. |
 00-133 |
*1980 Collecting American Craft Antiques by William C. Ketchum Jr.; E. P. Dutton & Co. |
| A Book with a section on tramp art
that offers a narrow definition
"it is a unique form of wood crafting, used for a variety of items from knickknacks to furniture, in which thin strips of wood are put together in layers, then cut and shaped to create an illusion of depth."* A subsequent section offers instructions on how to make a one layer tramp art box. The reader is left with a small confusion as the layers of tramp art are cut and shaped prior to assembly (unlike the above description). The author mentions the origins of tramp art and concludes its roots are found in Germany. Problems with the hobo and itinerant theories are discussed and the author makes the argument this is a "working class craft" "Tramp art then, was evidently created by many craftsmen, most of whom were probably working class artisans who devoted their spare time to what they regarded as a hobby."* |
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*1995 Hobo & Tramp Art Carving An Authentic American Folk Tradition By Adolph Vandertie & Patrick Spielamn: Sterling Pub. |
| This book explores the author’s
fascination with the tramp or hobo culture of the late 1800s and early
1900s and provides "how to" instructions for making a tramp
art frame, a chain from a single piece of wood and other whittling
projects. Vandertie is an accomplished carver, a master carver of what
we would call "whimseys" what he calls "hobo art".
"…whittling makes up one of the original forms of American folk art or hobo art. Hobo art consists mostly of objects that contain the ball-in-the cage or the chain"* The authors offer a narrow definition of tramp art (utilitarian objects decorated by notch carving and layering (pyramiding) and includes "crown of thorns" as a variation of tramp art. They argue that- "…tramp art, was produced by these anonymous artisans in the hobo jungles of the U.S. but was introduced in the early 1860s by German and Scandinavian Wanderbuersons, of wandering apprentices. These men – the trampers – popularized chip carving as they traveled the U.S. countryside in search of jobs or in the pursuit of the Vagabond life." |
 00-007 |
*1998 Tramp Art One Notch At A Time by Clifford A. Wallach & Michael Cornish; Wallach–Irons Publisher |
| A book devoted to tramp art with
lots of photographs and historical facts. The authors open this work
with an important argument.
"Tramp art in its full flower, after 1880, was an internationally popular craft. … Tramp art seems to have arisen spontaneously wherever cigar smoking was fashionable."* The authors describe tramp art as a "democratic craft" available to a wide range of crafters of various skills, requiring the simplest of tools. The work, life and craft of several dozen tramp artists is explored, giving the book a basis in fact rather then conjecture and leads the authors to conclude: "…evidence tends to picture tramp art as a mostly home-based stationary craft"* The authors offer a narrow definition of tramp art that describes objects that are decorated by notch carving and pyramiding. They cover all the variations of technique, form and materials. "Crown of thorns" is included as a form of tramp art. Recommended collector reference |
 99-180 |
*1999 Tramp Art A Folk Art Phenomenon by Helaine Fendelman & Jonathan Taylor; Stewart, Tabori & Chang, publisher |
| The author Fendelman wrote the
authoritative book on tramp art in 1975 and revisits tramp art in this
book with a co-author. Lots of photographs and historical facts. As
the previous book seemed conclusive these authors ask the important
questions, provide evidence and framework for discussion, yet,
hesitate to draw dogmatic conclusions.
"Although the fertile ground of Germany and northern Europe appears, by all evidence to be the home of tramp art, work that is similar and some times the same is found elsewhere." "…the edge carving and layering of tramp art was learned as an oral tradition from father to son, traveler to local resident, neighbor to neighbor, and friend to friend." The authors discuss the lack of references in literature to tramp art, during the time of this craft’s popularity and conclude- "…it seems that tramp- art construction was too familiar to be discussed, except in passing, even in northern Europe, where it probably originated." The authors offer a narrow definition of tramp art (objects decorated by notch carving and layering) and discuss the variations and exceptions. "Crown of thorns" is not covered in this discussion. Recommended collector reference |
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Webmaster's comments and conclusions: Just as you should never judge a book by its cover – please read the above articles and books in their entirety to place these excerpts in context. From the above chronology, we learn that there has never been agreement on a definition of tramp art. Disagreements abound about who practiced this craft and it’s origins. Within this web site, we define tramp art as a woodworking style, driven by the cigar box. We profile a different type of tramp art called "crown of thorns". We offer a narrow definition of tramp art that does not include the variety of objects that several of the above authors consider to be tramp art; we consider these types of objects to be the cousins of tramp art. We call tramp art a misnomer and offer tramp art objects by identified makers. If the term "chipwork" rather than "tramp art" had become the convention and had we followed the advice in 1969 of Breinnger, that the makers of the craft might be known, then tramp art might not remain the anonymous craft that it has become today. This web site is an on-going work, a snapshot of our understanding at a given moment. |
