Collection Guide
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Allison, (David N.) collection, circa 1883-2000
MVC040
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Contributing Institution:
Museum of Ventura County
Title: David N. Allison collection of tractor manuals and books
Identifier/Call Number: MVC040
Physical Description:
31.58 Cubic Feet
(25 boxes)
Date (inclusive): circa 1883-2000
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.
Physical Location: Stored off-site and advance notice required for timely retrieval. Please contact the Research Library reference desk prior
to your visit.
Language of Material:
English
.
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.
[Identification of item], David N. Allison collection of tractor manuals and books, (Collection MVC040), Museum of Ventura
County, Research Library, Ventura, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Christina Allison; gift; 2006.
Processed by Andrea Robles, 2013.
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.
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.
This collection is arranged at the series level. Many of the descriptive titles are also the titles of the publications they
refer to.
This collection has been arranged in the following series:
- Series 1: Tractor manuals, circa 1883-1994
- Series 2: Ford cars and trucks, circa 1903-1998
- Series 3: Catalogs, books and bound materials, circa 1916-2000
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.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Tractors -- Catalogs
Tractors
Farm equipment
Agricultural implements
Antique and classical tractors
Technical literature
Farm tractors -- Maintenance and repair -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Ford automobile
Caterpillar Tractor Company -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Deere and Company -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Allis-Chalmers Company -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Ford Motor Company
Massey-Harris Company
Oliver Farm Equipment Company
Holt Bros.