Tramp art is a style of folk art woodworking that was popular in the United States from the 1870s to the 1940s, characterized by layering and notch-carving discarded materials like cigar boxes and crates into geometric forms. While the name suggests it was made by itinerants, the majority of its creators were actually working-class people, including factory workers and farmers, who used simple tools like penknives to create items ranging from small boxes and frames to furniture. The art form emerged due to the abundance of wooden cigar boxes mandated by tax laws and the broader culture of resourcefulness during that era