# Origin of broke people wearing barrels **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2008, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-broke-people-wearing-barrels/441064 "2008-03-12T02:26:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Concoctious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@Concoctious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Concoctious)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-broke-people-wearing-barrels/441064/1 "2008-03-12T02:26:27Z")
The standard editorial cartoon symbol of flat-brokedness: naked person with a barrel for clothes, shoulder straps to hold it up and bare feet protruding from the bottom. From whence did this come? I’m going to guess someone from the Thomas Nast era (late 19th century). With the promised recession, we will be seeing a lot of this one soon. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-broke-people-wearing-barrels/441064/2 "2008-03-12T02:53:55Z")
[QUOTE=Concoctious] The standard editorial cartoon symbol of flat-brokedness: naked person with a barrel for clothes, shoulder straps to hold it up and bare feet protruding from the bottom. From whence did this come? I’m going to guess someone from the Thomas Nast era (late 19th century). With the promised recession, we will be seeing a lot of this one soon. [/QUOTE] Nothing conclusive Origin possibility [Here](http://lambiek.net/artists/j/johnstone_will.htm) and discussed [Here](http://ask.metafilter.com/74065/Barrel-Poor) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-broke-people-wearing-barrels/441064/3 "2008-03-12T18:12:06Z")
Also discussed in an old GQ thread [Origins of comic portrayal: suddenly poor = wearing a barrel](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=416867)