No Idle Hands - The Myths & Meaning of TRAMP ART - Museum of New Mexico Foundation Shops

Tramp art describes a particular type of wood carving practiced in the United States and Europe between the 1880's and 1940's in which discarded cigar boxes and fruit crates were notched and layered to make a variety of domestic objects. These were primarily boxes and frames in addition to small private altars, crosses, wall pockets, clock cases, plant stands, and even furniture. Whittling objects such as chains and ball-in-cage whimsies was a common hobby―including among rail-riding “hobos”―and for many years “tramp art” was believed to have been made by these itinerants as well. Although this notion has been widely dispelled, the name has stuck. In recent years efforts have been made to identify makers by name and reveal their stories. While some examples of tramp art may be attributed to itinerants, this carving style was more commonly a practice of

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