David N. Allison collection of tractor manuals and books
Scope and Contents
This collection comprises an extensive array of tractor and farm-related materials collected by David N. Allison during his lifetime. The majority of the collection consists of manuals, brochures, and sales information on tractors from various companies dating mostly from the early 1900s. Materials include photographs, letters, books, magazines, and newsletters. The materials mostly cover farm equipment and machinery. However, various types of engines and antique cars (mainly Fords) are also covered in this extensive collection of books, magazines and newsletters, brochures, pamphlets, and other published material.
Dates
- circa 1883-2000
Conditions Governing Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE: Open for research. All requests to access materials must be made in advance by contacting the Research Library staff.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
Property rights to the physical object belong to the Museum of Ventura County. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where the museum does not hold the copyright.
CONTAINS AV MATERIALS: Advance notice required. Researcher may be required to bear the cost of digitization or creation of an access copy.
Biographical / Historical
Christina Murphy Allison donated this collection on behalf of her late husband in 2006. She was born in Brooklyn in 1939 and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was an accomplished soprano and sang with European opera companies for many years. She moved to Southern California in the mid-1970s and married David N. Allison in 1980. David Allison's mother was a Knapp, a family that has a long history in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. The collection was assembled over a 50-year period by David, who was a well-known tractor collector and scholar. He also authored several articles on tractor collecting and farm literature, some of which are included in the collection.
The newlyweds moved to Montecito and traveled widely. David died on March 3, 2000. Christina continued to be active, especially with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the Irish Historical Society, where she served as a Board member, as well as writing, performing, and contributing to the Montecito Journal. The couple did not have any children. Christina died in Santa Barbara on August 22, 2018.
Extent
31.58 Cubic Feet (25 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Christina Murphy Allison and David N. Allison lived in Santa Barbara after marrying in 1980. She was an accomplished soprano who traveled widely for her performances. He was a well-known tractor collector and scholar. He also authored several articles on tractor collecting and farm literature. This collection was amassed over a 50-year period by David Allison and donated by Christina Allison. The majority of the materials are manuals, brochures, books, and magazines on the subject of farm equipment and machinery. The focus of the collection is tractors. However, there are also publications on various types of engines and antique cars (mainly Fords) in this extensive collection.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged at the series level. Many of the descriptive titles are also the titles of the publications they refer to.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
COLLECTION CONTAINS AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS: Special equipment or further processing may be required for viewing. Requests to access audio-visual materials in collections must be made in advance. Please contact the Research Library at library@venturamuseum.org.
Physical Location
Stored off-site and advance notice required for timely retrieval. Please contact the Research Library reference desk prior to your visit.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Christina Allison; gift; 2006.
Processing Information
Processed by Andrea Robles, 2013.
- Agricultural implements
- Allis-Chalmers Company -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
- Antique and classical tractors
- Caterpillar Tractor Company -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
- Deere and Company -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
- Farm equipment
- Farm tractors -- Maintenance and repair -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
- Ford Motor Company
- Ford automobile
- Holt Bros.
- Massey-Harris Company
- Oliver Farm Equipment Company
- Technical literature
- Tractors
- Tractors -- Catalogs
- Title
- Finding aid for David N. Allison collection of tractor manuals and books, circa 1883-2000
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Andrea Robles, 2013.
- Date
- 2013
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- This finding aid was made possible in part through funding from the County of Ventura and the Heritage Fund at the Ventura County Community Foundation.
- Edition statement
- This finding aid was updated by Krystell Jimenez, 2022.
Repository Details
Part of the Museum of Ventura County Repository