Desperate Times: Stereoviews A-Z

 In 1906, it was estimated that 500,000 homeless in the U.S. were hopping trains and living on the streets, which was around 0.6% of the population. By 1911, the numbers had grown to 700,000. 

This is before Emmett Kelly's time, although the circus clown shown in this photo made me think of the tramp (Weary Willie) that Kelly made famous during the Great Depression in the 1930s. 

The dialog is not my own (on any in the collection). You can barely see the faded dialog on the bottom right, but every stereoview in the collection has a label with dialogue or description. I had to use a magnifying glass!

 "Why don't dese dudes ride chainless bikes?" 

(ca. pre-1910)

Hmm . . . why not take the horse?

Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl; Gravseth family archive
[source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Kelly; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo]

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Chumps on the Street: Stereoviews A-Z

Social reformer and physician Ben Reitman was quoted in 1875 as describing the unemployed homeless this way: "A tramp is a man who doesn't work, who apparently doesn't want to work, who lives without working and who is constantly traveling. A hobo is a non-skilled, non-employed laborer without money, looking for work. A bum is a man who hangs around a low class saloon and begs or earns a few pennies a day in order to drink. He is usually an inebriate." 

So are these hobos, tramps or bums? Chumps for sure, as they do appear to be foolish. Photographer Herman Knutzen honed in on the comical side of being homeless and drunk in this 1906 set of photos. And since they are 'loveable' drunks, they are rather funny. But I'm not sure if we would laugh at this today, or maybe it's just me. I live in a community under 24,000 and never see this kind of thing. What do you think?

"Ah, here is where those bums get what is coming to them."

"You big lobster, what did you hit me for?"

"Now we will give the other one a dose of the 
same medicine for that tired feeling."

"You hit me first."...."I didn't."...."You did."....You are a***!!!"

"Biff--Bang--Bing. Call me a liar, will you?"

"You kids come out here and we'll wake you up, too."

Source: http://www.mandymnewman.com/2012/05/american-hobo_3202.html

Doing Nothing: A History of Loafers, Loungers, Slackers, and Bums, Tom Lutz, p. 162

Stereoviews, copyright 1906, Herman Knutzen; Gravseth family archive; Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing