While searching Wikipedia, I found a couple of interesting links to hobo pictograms - graffiti code used to pass information on local conditions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo
http://www.slackaction.com/signroll.htm
http://www.epcc.edu/ftp/Homes/monicaw/borderlands/12_hobo_sign_language.htm
http://www.worldpath.net/~minstrel/hobosign.htm
thanks for posting it…
My grandma grew with train tracks right next to her farm, and she has a lot of story of hobos stoping by her place for a meal. She told me about how one of the hobos had told her that hobos would “mark” differnt houses along the tracks. I dont think she remebered the markings but they went along with frases like “good christian talk will get you a hot meal” and the like. Basictaly letting other hobos know where was a good place for a possable meal or place to sleep. I thought it was very all very interesting.
sweet cool links
Sure. I know graffiti’s a flaming topic around here, but it’s hard to see how you can capture yard grit without it. I’ve done some looking around for ‘period’ slogans that someone could chalk up on a car side or a building. This is something I didn’t pay much mind until NG&SLG ran a piece on an Australian layout a couple of years ago, and one of the buildings had the words “Draft Billy Hughes Instead.” This was a reference to the debate in Australia over conscription during the First World War, and when I saw it, it sort of placed the layout (which was freelanced and kind of indefinite, although very well done) in a place and a time for me. Before that I had just sort of disliked graffiti, since it always reminded me of Seventies ugliness, but now I’m interested in finding stuff like this.
at some poing im going to paint the symbol for “mean dog” on the curb in front of my house. (my dog–2/3 black lab, 1/3 german shepard, 100%evil)
GEARHEAD426
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