Classic Tractor Collectors: Restoring and Preserving Farm Power from the Past
Classic Tractor Collectors: Restoring and Preserving Farm Power from the Past
ITEM 232AP
By John Harvey
If you like antique farm tractors, youll fall in love with this book about the people who collect and restore so-called old iron. Author John Harvey highlights 29 exceptional tractor collectors. This book begins with a description of the oldest Hart-Parr tractor and the man who now cares for it. The spotlight then turns to other collectors and their tractors, including: Allis-Chalmers, John Deere, Heider, Farmall, J. I. Case, Massey-Harris, Minneapolis-Moline, and more. Much of the text is anecdotal stories about real people, who, through their love of old tractors, are preserving an important part of this centurys agricultural heritage. Most, but not all of the collectors featured in this book are farmers; most, but not all are men. Heres a hobby that bridges the gender and age gap. Stunning photographs showcase each collectors tractor. Almost every tractor is shown in brilliant color (over 170 color photos).
Sftbd. 127 pgs. Color.
You might consider this a “Who’s Who” of tractor collectors dating to the book’s publication in 1994. Author John Harvey, billed as an agricultural journalist, has written about 27 prominent collectors and their collections. Each account, typically three to four pages, provides brief biographical information and collection details, with a focus on a particular tractor. The 12 black-and-white and 184 color photographs feature each collector and the tractor and, where appropriate, other facets of the family and collecting. As author Harvey explains, “a beautifully restored classic tractor is a piece of history.”
The classic tractors featured include Hart-Parr, John Deere, Minneapolis-Moline, Silver King, Huber, Massey-Harris, Case, Pioneer, Allis-Chalmers, Oliver, International Harvester, Heider, and Rock Island. In addition to the featured individual tractor collectors and their tractors, the book offers mid-1990s text and visual time capsules of aspects related to tractor collecting, including three attractions: the Sunnyside, Washington, Country Christmas Lighted Farm Implement Parade; the now-closed Dumont Museum of Dreamworld Collectibles near Sigourney, Iowa; and home of toy maker Ertl and the National Farm Toy Museum in Dyersville, Iowa. The book also provides a look at some no longer active individuals and events, including a photographer and various shows and swap meets.
Book Review by Robert Gabrick
