Adolph Vandertie

From childhood until his death, Adolph Vandertie was fascinated by the stories, lifestyle, and material objects of the hobos and tramps passing through his hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Starting in the mid-1950s, Vandertie began teaching himself the hobo and tramp art of notch and chip carving, eventually mastering the ball-in-the-cage. He went on to create thousands of such carvings, trading his creations for those of others. He eventually co-wrote the book Hobo and Tramp Art Carving: An Authentic American Folk Tradition to share his collection and teach others the skills of the craft. Upon his death, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center acquired nearly thirteen hundred of Vandertie’s carvings and some of his archival materials related to hobos and their work.