Jacob Holdt - my friends:


Tommy Howard


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My greatest sponsor as a vagabond

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I met Tommy when he picked me up on I-85 in his Jaguar. We right away made friends. He gave me a key to his "tree house" and a free car - "Old Grey" Buick - which I could tank up for free at his various gas stations. That way he made it possible for me to explore the back roads in the poverty-stricken eastern North Carolina and take some of my most important pictures. Without Tommy American Pictures would have been nothing! I connected deeply with Tommy who like me came from a rural background and spoke a local dialect. He was from an un-educated so-called "redneck" family, but had with his great intellectual curiosity risen above these circumstances and built up a great local business enterprise.

Yet he found his new-found wealth empty in itself and upon meeting me immediately got inspired by my vagabond philosophy: "Security and happiness is being on the road with no money." So much - in fact - that he shortly after sold all his business in order to become a "vagabond" himself.  First he hitchhiked around Europe and later - after marrying Linda - they drove around for 7 years all over Latin America in a motor home. However, before that trip we had some wonderful moments together whenever I visited his "tree house" in Greenville, NC where he would always gather all his friends when I came.
And that friendship has now lasted for more than 30 years with both his daughter Megan and himself visiting us in Denmark. Hooked himself on traveling he is
today traveling around America in his motor home and trying to encourage hard-working Americans to get on the road to expand their often much too narrow horizons a bit .....and enjoy life a little more.

     
Tommy with Christie 1974 Tommy with Christie 1974 Christie with Tommy's Jaguar
     
Scene from the Tree House 1974 Living room 1974 With Jim Bassler and my son 1982
     
Top of tree house 1973 In the Tar State 1973 Linda and Daniel 1982
     
Old "tree house" in 1982 Tommy and Linda in 1992 With Vibeke in 1992

 

 

 
With Tommy in "our" motorhome In his favorite motorhome Using his motor homes 1992
     
With Vibeke in Jaguar 1992 Hitching with the same
Jaguar 30 years after
Riding with Tommy 2003
     
Tommy and his daughter,
Megan 2003
With Megan 2003 With Tommy 2003
     
Tommy with Danish model Rikke Marrott
With Danish photo model
Rikke Marott
2003
Tommy with Rikke 2003 Tommy and Rikke in Jaguar 2003

 

 

 
Tommy and Rikke at pool Tommy cooking for Rikke Still selling Jaguars 2003
     
Portrait of Tommy 2003 Family picture around 1996 Vibeke in pool 1992
     
Tommy's trip to Europe in 2004
     
In doom of the Reichstag With Vibeke in Berlin bar In doom of the Reichstag

 

 

 
At the Brandenburger Gate With Vibeke in Berlin hotel At Berlin wall

 

 

 
In the Opera House In the Berlin Opera At the ballet
     
Tommy in Christiania With vagabond in Christiania In Christiania

 

 

 
Tommy crashing stock market At women's blacksmith Farewell family dinner for Tommy
     

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