Minneapolis Moline Twin City Brochure Catalog Literature UDLX Comfort Tractor

Description

This listing is for a sales literature display rack from the showroom of a Minneapolis-Moline farm equipment dealership. It was used sometime in the 1930's or early 1940's to display sales brochures or sales catalogs. It was made from steel sheet material and painted the special red color that graced the wheels of the Minneapolis-Moline tractors and other farm equipment at that time. It had a water transfer type of decal local at the center of the lower front area.
This rack measures 19" wide by 17-3/4" tall and 6" deep. It has 18 separate pockets that measure 6-1/8" wide by 1" deep and 7" tall. This last measurement means that the bottom 7" of the particular displayed brochure is hidden from view when it is in the rack. It could have been placed on a table or counter or it might have been hung from a wall using the two holes in the upper outer corners.
The second photo of this listing shows this rack with 8-1/2" by 11" white paper sheets folded vertically and placed in 5 pockets of the rack. I did this in an attempt to give you some idea as to what the brochures might look like when they are in this rack. Unfortunately, I have no brochures to place in this rack to show better how it might look if it were filled with them. I sold the few I had 5 years ago at a very successful 1-1/2 day auction with Girard's in Wakonda South Dakota.
I have no way to positively date this display rack but I know it is newer than 1929. The Minneapolis Moline Power Implement Company of Minneapolis Minnesota was formed in 1929 with the merger of the Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Co., the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Co. and the Moline Plow Co. I have no idea when the headquarters of the company was moved to Hopkins Minnesota. If I had that date, I could determine that this rack was built sometime between 1929 or before the company moved it's headquarters to Hopkins Minnesota.
This rack is still in good overall condition with the water transfer decal's deterioration being the most significant problem. There is only very minor surface rust is a few places. It still retains the majority of it's original paint and still displays very well. I have been interested in items like this for over 40 years and can not recall ever seeing a rack like this before.
I found this very scarce item at an antique mall in Great Falls Montana so there is a good chance it came from the dealer that was in business in Great Falls many years ago. I remember Hanson Implement being in business on "implement row" when I was in my teens in the 1960's. I still have the deck lid from a 1928 or 1929 Model A Ford coupe or roadster that Dad bought from them a long time ago.
Thanks a lot, Bob Woodburn in Bozeman Montana USA