Farm Equipment Exposed: 19th Century Collectible Advertising Leaflets Give New Perspective on Huber Mfg. Co.
Collectible antique advertising leaflets give new perspective on the Huber Mfg. Co.
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Image 1: The outside covers of a late 1880s Huber leaflet featuring company founder Edward Huber and an aerial drawing of the Huber plant in 1889.
courtesy of Jim Ward
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Two rare pieces of collectible literature give unique insight into Huber Mfg. Co. of Marion, Ohio.
During its long and successful history (the company was founded in 1875 and remained in operation until the 1980s), Huber issued annual catalogs as well as leaflets illustrating its latest “improved” products: farm and road building equipment.
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The leaflets were among the dozens of inexpensive handouts folks would take home with them after a day at the local fair. Leaflets might also be found on the counters in a local hardware or general store. Though company catalogs were dated, the leaflets generally were not. Using Huber tractor catalogs found online, I was able to match both the steam engine and the separator (images 2 and 3) to equipment shown in a catalog published in 1888, corresponding to the height of leaflet distribution in the U.S.
Time is money
The Huber leaflet to the left on the opposite page is a four-part (three-fold) piece. The outside covers (image 1) feature company founder Edward Huber and an aerial drawing of the Huber plant in 1889. Although the equipment shown in the leaflet matches that shown in the company’s 1888 catalog, the piece probably remained in production for a few more years, at least until 1893. If there were more catalogs available between 1888 and 1893, a more precise date could be established.
Two more “outside” pages (image 2), printed in a tan duo-tone, are far more exciting than the covers. The first – “The Huber on the Road: Time is Money” – shows the engine-drawn separator racing against a cyclist and a horseman, with Father Time pedaling a high-wheeler (backward!) in the lead. The second scene shows Huber machines operating successfully in tandem, as the field is cleared in short order.