I have long known about the National Hobo Museum in Britt, Iowa though I have never really dug into the lore of those who ride the rails. Surprising given my own propensity to crash wherever my head found rest in my younger years, I often considered myself a bit of a vagabondish hobo but reading now about some of the lives the real rail riders lead I am certainly too soft to be considered in their league. One of the most notorious of all hobo's Iowa Blackie passed away last month. A google search for Iowa Blackie quickly returns 128,000 results and over 16,000 images. Certainly not all are related to the life and art of Richard Gage of New Hampton who spent a good deal of time hopping cars and writing poetry but there is much about his life and work online and some amazing photos as well. There are artists to be found everywhere and Blackie's masterpiece just may have been his life which was clearly not devoid of adventure.
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