Online Catalogue last updated 15th of September 2008
When Ralph Baumheckel began writing this book about IH several years ago, he did so with a great knowledge of the subject. After all, he had worked for International Harvester for close to 20 years. "A wonderful International Harvester career relived," that's how Baumheckel, the retired manager of IH Product Planning Research, describes his writing experience.
Great stories from IH retirees rekindled his personal memories from tractor, combine, and planter product development committee meetings and his hundreds of trips to the field. The memories all came alive again during the three and a half years of personal interviews, correspondence, and IH archive research.
Research, research and more research went into this book. Baumheckel made over 140 contacts with IH retirees and spent over 22 weeks researching the International Harvester Collection in the archive of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin - this was in addition to his already vast personal knowledge of the company and the farm equipment industry. Baumheckel and co-author Kent Borghoff tell the IH story like nobody before them. This is more than just a great collection of product photos; It's a unique insight into IH products and their development and how their evolved.
Cyrus McCormick invented the first practical reaper in 1831. No one at the first public demonstration in July of that year could have imagined the impact his machine would have on the future of agriculture. That is where this book begins. In the years that followed, an entire industry emerged that was devoted solely to making agricultural production more efficient and easing many of the farmer's burdens. The invention and the industry forever changed the world.
The International Harvester Company was officially formed in 1902 with the consolidation of five companies. These five companies, once fierce rivals, finally agreed to work together in cooperation ... the harvester war was over. IH made a major direction change in 1906 with the sale of its first gasoline traction engine. The company's focus had changed forever as tractors became the emphasis. This book tells the entire IH tractor history - from the first traction engine in 1906 until the last 5488 all-wheel-drive tractor rolled off the line in May 15, 1985.
More than tractors are included in this book; the implements and combines that made International Harvester a full line farm machinery company are also covered.
The entire IH panorama of products is provided in this one volume.
Find out many behind-the-scenes stories that only long-time employees would know. Author Ralph Baumheckel interviewed one former employee who worked for IH in 1924. He recalls some of his experiences test driving, assembling, and "breaking in" the first 200 Farmall's produced at Tractor Works. Early engineering sketches are also included which show some of the early ideas behind products such as the Axial-Flow combine. Interesting "International Harvester Firsts" are sprinkled throughout the text, highlighting when IH was a step ahead of the rest of the industry. This book is an insider's account of IH's product history.
Colour fills this book, Nearly one-forth of the over 800 photos are featured in full colour. A special aspect of this book, which is truly one-of-a-kind, is that many of the photos came from IH retirees. These never-before published photos; along with many personal interviews, give a unique insight into the company that only former employees can provide.
To complete this one volume history of International Harvester, nine pages of appendices provide some of the facts and figures that collectors crave. This incredible book will provide years of entertainment for all tractor lovers. Hardcover.
Code No. 008162, 408 pages, $78.00