Henry Ford and the Vagabonds

We’re sure Henry Ford would have approved of the Big Nugget, Ford’s large new campervan. An early pioneer of glamping, between 1916 and 1924 he made regular trips into the great American wilderness with a group called the Vagabonds, which included his great friend Thomas Edison (second from left), tire-maker Harvey Firestone (right), naturalist John Burroughs and even Presidents Warren G. Harding (second from right) in 1921 and Calvin Coolidge in 1923.

For several weeks each year, the group retreated from their fast-paced lives and ventured out in to the eastern United States in search of adventure. While their name suggested a rough and ready bunch, the Vagabonds were extremely well prepared and travelled with a caravan of vehicles loaded with tents, camping furniture, cooking and electrical equipment as well as a full complement of staff, including cooks, personal attendants, drivers, mechanics, photographers and even a film crew.

Video of a Vagabonds camping trip.

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