This column last appeared in July 2015.
In the era immediately following the Civil War, many were hard pressed to secure employment. As a result, both men and women were often forced to travel from town to town in search of work. These people, often referred to as “tramps,” would sometime exchange items they had handcrafted for food and shelter. There are no know records of these wandering artists — only the results of their talents. As “Tramp Art” found an audience it also found legitimacy with pieces being produced by skilled craftsmen who welcomed it as an avenue for their creativity.
Early pieces took many forms, mostly functional, but some purely aesthetic. Picture frames, elaborate trinket boxes, doll houses and even full-sized furniture pieces were produced from cigar boxes and wood from disassembled crates. For the most part this work was unsigned and undated. This is one clue to authenticating of a piece, as many reproductions will carry both a signature and a date.
There were no rules or guidelines for the construction of Tramp Art. Limited only by his imagination, experiences, and abilities, the carver translated his or her view of life into works or art.
The availability of cigar box wood was a major contributing factor in the production of the thousands of pieces that have surfaced. In the late 1800s and the early part of the 1900s, cigar smoking was considered a sign of masculinity and affluence, making the cigar a stock item in the households of those who could afford them. Revenue laws did not permit the boxes to be reused and so they were in great abundance.
Tramp Art employed a technique known as chip carving. This consisted of a series of notches and layers, each succeeding layer being slightly larger than the preceding one, creating a pyramid style design. A “V” was often cut on the edge of the pieces, and on larger pieces it is not uncommon to find an elaborate gouge.
A secondary form of Tramp Art, not quite as popular as the traditional layering and chip carving, was know as the “crown of thorns.” These pieces, also constructed from cigar-box wood, were formed in much the same fashion as log cabins were built. Each piece of wood was notched then interlocked and overlapped so that they built up like vertebrae to form a star effect.
In addition to layering and chip carving, applied and inlaid decorations are found on many pieces of Tramp Art. Stars and hearts are the most frequently used shapes but you will find examples with squares, circles, and triangles.
While talent was a prerequisite in the production of the pieces, the carver was also required to have ample time and an extreme amount of patience to achieve a finished product. Each piece of wood had to be notch carved many times and then layered into a recognizable object. One of the most fascinating aspects of Tramp Art was the ability of the carver to produce highly detailed pieces with the use of only a simple pocket knife. Finer examples of Tramp Art often display a combination of both chip carving and whittling.
There are few collectibles that so truly represent the ingenuity and skills of the American craftsman, but collecting good pieces can be expensive. Think “outside the box” on this one. Instead of the antique malls and collectors shows, try local estate sales and flea markets. There are many people who do not recognize this art form and pieces can often be found at a fraction of their value. Until next time . . . Linda
Linda Kennett may be reached at 317-258-7835 or lkennett@indy.rr.com
