Adventures of an Imperfect Man In Search of a Handmade Life
Early work vans were designed to house manual laborers when on the job. Great for highway and railroad crews. These caravans were noted for poor ventilation and their spartan interior. Three to six workmen were often housed in these wagons.
All the necessities for living with none of the comforts of home. Cheaper than regular housing and mobile too. One can see how this evolved into the later caravan. These were expensive and not as well thought-out as later ‘vans.
At the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, the young artist Frances Jennings became a semi-invalid and was advised by her doctor to spend as much time as she could in the open air. Being a Victorian lady at loose ends, the obvious choice was to take to the open road. Her simple rig and a good spirit served her well. As described by J. Harris Stone:
She is extremely delicate, partially paralysed, and her doctor told her that she should practically live in the open air. Being of an active and practical mind she set to work to see how she could, within her means, carry out the drastic requirements of her medical adviser. She joined the Caravan Club, and all the assistance, in the way of pitches and introductions, was of course afforded her. Her desire was to take to the road and live altogether in the open air in rural parts of the country. Her cart—it can scarcely be called a caravan—she describes as “strange and happy-looking.” It is four-wheeled, rather like a trolley, and painted bright blue, with a yellow oilskin hood—something like a brewer’s dray in shape.
“I carry,” she tells me in one of her letters from a pitch in a most out-of-the-way spot in rural Gloucestershire, ”a hamper of food, and one of soap and brushes and tools, etc., and a box of books, a small faggot of wood for emergencies and a gallon can of water. I have a covering of sheepskins with the wool on them, and a sack of oats, bran, chaff, hay, or something to feed my little ass upon. Also I keep in a sack the donkey’s brush and comb and chain, etc., and the harness when not in use. I do not generally travel after dark, but if overtaken by dusk I hang out my candle lantern.”
“…I build immense fires. That constitutes a great happiness to me. I have a kettle-hook and hanging pot, and I buy food in the villages. At the farms I find a plentiful supply of milk, fruit, honey, nuts and fresh vegetables. I build the fire just by the cart, with the donkey near at hand.”
Described in her first year on the road, she “sleeps in the covered cart, and she carries a few straight rods with her to drive into the ground on her pitch, on which she hangs squares of sacking across as a screen to keep off the gaze of curious watchers when she wants to sit by the fire ” and dream, and not be the object of their gaze.”
In her own Walden experience, things were not always easy or perfect. “I find great excitement, in the winter, in hearing the storms raving around me in the black of night… I feel my present outfit and way of getting along is very far short of perfection!… at present it is rather by the skin of my teeth that I manage to exist amid the elements of wind and rain and cold and space.”
Speaking of her time with the more traditional travellers, she says: “They have spoken like poets, worn silver rings on their copper hands and rosy beads around their necks; and their babies have round little twigs of hazel-nuts in their red hands. And perhaps the roof of their cart has been on the sea—the sail of a ship.”
Many considerations concerning floor plans and general layout have come my way over the years. I am compiling as many as possible to post here. To start things off, here is the iconic Reading Waggon by Dunton’s (note: two “g’s” in the older British spelling).
This design is truly the classic. When one sees this, it cries of the open road and Gypsy Wagons. It is Henry David Thoreau’s Walden cabin on wheels. The wide rear axle and narrow front carriage was the best of compromise for agility, weight, and worthiness on and off road. This design is worth a potential builder scrutinizing in detail for it’s perfection of design. A mollycroft roof, high clearance, well-proportioned windows, and solid design make this ideal for the rolling home.
On the downside, kite walls (out-sloping) add some difficulty when working on interior shelves and cabinets. Also, as noted for over a hundred years, the mollycroft can weaken the roof and ultimately increase the chance of leaks. A small price to pay maybe but something to keep in consideration.
The classic caravan at this period included a full chest of drawers and a fairly large stove, limiting seating to a largish space on the stove side and a small dressing seat next to the dresser. Although we read of dozens of children being born and raise in this design, the real layout seems to be based on the couple. Kids will make due.
All images above are taken from The English Gypsy Caravan, currently out of print.
A great historic image of the long road ahead to start your weekend off right.
It’s always a good time to hit the road.
Three great and rare books have come to me in the very recent past. Each has it’s own merits and is full of great stuff. I am scanning, reading, and summing up some excellent stuff and will get it out as soon as I can. In the mean time, enjoy these great photos ca. 1911-1914 the Golden Age of Caravanning.
More and better details on the way, including plans and historic photos that have lots to show us about design.
To aid in downsizing our worldly possessions (and tons of raw materials), I initiated the buckskin bag project. The goal is to produce as many little beauties as possible while experimenting and learning new techniques.
This is the first run of bags, which still require embellishments, closures, and neck straps. More to come…
A beautiful stone cabin essentially based on Henry David Thoreau’s retreat. As seen on Tiny House Swoon. Check out more of this great blog HERE.
From her ABOUT Page: Nukshi is a documentary and portrait photographer and an artist living and working in Nottinghamshire.
Her sensitivity to situations, culture and people, has allowed her to adapt well to new challenges and environments. She captures her images by getting involved with people, their culture and lifestyle, which motivates her to preserve those times and moments. Knowledge and empathy with her subjects is the key to her image success, especially when intimate portraits are involved.
With an open mind and a quest to explore extreme situations, places, cultures, people and learn from that interaction. She intend to travel more, in doing so broaden her abilities. Often able to impart new skills to individuals in an exchange for their confidence in her, which has allowed her to bond with them easily.
When a friend sent a link to her website I was, of course, immediately interested in the vardo. Looking beyond the structure, there is wonderful documentation of life on the road. An exterior wash stand tripod, pragmatic stairs, cooking tripod, and the ubiquitous tea kettle extend the home.
A homey interior, with an eye for beauty is shown in this “typical” vardo.
A rare site where I live. Nomads and Travellers are not often welcome in the modern world. I’m glad this couple can live as they wish.
More details are documented on her website. I picked a few of my favorites for this post.
And let’s not forget the people who keep this tradition alive. It’s all well to look at the staged “gypsy” wagons across the web, but it’s important to remember that these are truly home, made complete by their inhabitants.
A way to make a living. I still remember the knife grinder who made his way around the city in St. Louis many years ago. His was not quite this flashy but had the housewives scurrying out with handfuls of knives and scissors when he came around. I suspect that’s a rare job in America today.
Many more images from this series and others are viewable on Nukshi’s website. Have a look and read the little story that accompanies the photos.
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful,” William Morris.
From the Road to Glamperland Facebook page. A very interesting all or mostly wooden home built camper trailer. It has two simple slide-outs, a nice little kitchen set-up and I suspect the benches fold out to be the bed. I really like the water tank on the roof. I have been looking for a vintage looking tank to use for quite a while now but so far, no luck.
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 