hoboesofamerica

In 1914, Jeff Davis "King of the Hobos" testified before a Congressional committee about how itinerant workers ("hobos") should not be considered "tramps".

Nice one

He seems to have led an organization known as Knights of the Road -- Hoboes of America and sometimes signed himself King and Emperor. See some ephemera for sale at www.heldfond.com/pages/books/8719/hoboes-of-america-jeff-... He introduced the idea of the Hotel de Gink, a shelter managed by the homeless for themselves. See, for example, books.google.com/books?id=5mNMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA630&l... What is stunning to me is that it appears he was still active representing the itinerant workers in the 1950s. See quod.lib.umich.edu/l/labadie/2917239.0001.001/2?page=root... which appears to be pages scanned from a scrapbook he compiled: Title: Hash on Life Scrap Book : Some of My Philosophy, Life and Adventures. Author: Davis, Jeff. quod.lib.umich.edu/l/labadie/2917239.0001.001/51?page=roo... has a photo of him that is clearly the same person as pictured here.

www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=%22hotel+de+gink%22&st... shows that there are Bain pictures of a Hotel de Gink at LoC, not yet on Flickr.

www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=jeff+davis&co=npco&... has more pictures of Davis from the National Photo Company Collection at LoC.

In 1914, Jeff Davis "King of the Hobos" testified before a Congressional committee about how itinerant workers ("hobos") should not be considered "tramps".

Nice

Cool portrait of a cool dude!