[AT] Other related collections question for the list

[Larry Goss]

It didn't happen overnight, John.  And it doesn't happen without some people wondering, "Why would you do all that without charging an arm and a leg for it?"  It does take an altruistic attitude on someones part along the line to make it happen, and we have an unbelievable camaraderie when members meet from around the country at a few tractor shows each year.  As for organization, it takes almost none.  Any computer operating system can take care of automatically alphabetizing the listing of the files, and no one really cares where a file may physically be located -- it just doesn't make any difference.

I gave myself a large scanner for Christmas (11" X 17") so I can easily add a number of documents to the archives that are printed on that size of paper.  My brother asked me how I was going to print anything of that size?  I told him that I'm not.  Once you have a digital file of a document, there is no reason to print it out on paper.  He's an artist, literally, and doesn't understand that concept.

Larry

----- Original Message -----
From: "john hall" <jtchall at nc.rr.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" 
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 7:08:24 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] Other related collections question for the list

It's a good thing you guys are that well organized and can share info. 
easily. Must have taken quite some time to organize it all.

For those that did not know it, the Wisconsin Historical Society has lots of 
very early IH info that includes operators manuals, parts books, and even 
blue-prints.

John

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry Goss" <rlgoss at insightbb.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" 
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 12:23 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] Other related collections question for the list


> I've been doing that for years with Power King, Jim Dandy, and Economy 
> tractors, John, but the situation is a bit different with the products 
> from EPCO (Engineering Products Company).  They were only in business for 
> 50 years, so the whole archive is effectively closed -- there won't be any 
> additional models or literature produced. Bottom line: The archive 
> currently contains around 32,000 pages of literature, and we use a wide 
> geographic distribution of the whole collection as a way to make sure the 
> information doesn't disappear.  Those of us who actively collect that 
> brand have the ability to repair and/or restore whatever model crops up. 
> It's being distributed in PDF format so anyone can open the whole 
> collection and use it.
>
> The heirs of a former dealership gave me all the literature that had 
> collected over the lifetime of the dealership.  I filled the whole crew 
> cab of my pickup to move it all home. About a dozen various dealers and 
> collectors from across the country have contributed literature to the 
> archive over the years so we can make it as complete as possible.
>
> Larry
>

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