Picture of the month #2: Tilting tractor

Author
Alison Hilton
Published Date
July 25, 2013

<This month’s picture has been selected by Guy Baxter, University Archivist, as one of the images featured in a new MERL calendar…

 

Demonstrating tilting. MERL P FW PH1_74689
Demonstrating tilting. MERL P FW PH1_74689

This image, from the photographic archive of Farmers Weekly, shows a Fordson Major tractor demonstrating tilting in 1947 – it was clearly an important test because the driver is wearing a tie and a white coat! The image is one of the many striking photographs featured in the MERL Tractor Calendar 2014, which will be available from the MERL shop this Autumn.

As well as photographs, MERL also has important collections of engineering drawings, instruction manuals, trade literature and promotional films relating to all types of farm machinery. And of course there are 3 of the most iconic tractors on display in the main gallery

Friday Fledglings brand logo – a cartoon bird jumps through autumnal leaves
Author
Joe
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Published Date
September 17, 2026

A new Friday Fledglings brand has hatched

An iconic under-5s group deserves iconic design.

Author
Joe
/
Published Date
September 15, 2026

Digitising the Fowler archives

Learn about our project to improve access to our Fowler archives of engine drawings, including 7,171 new drawings in our database.

Robert Davey
Author
Joe
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Published Date
September 1, 2026

Remembering Robert Davey

All of us at The Museum of English Rural Life are deeply saddened by the recent passing of Robert Davey – a valued member of our community.

Merle the bat, asleep in a glove
Author
Joe
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Published Date
August 19, 2026

So we found a live bat in our galleries (again)

Seven years after we gave a bat a library card, another bat has visited The Museum of English Rural Life.

three glass pint milk bottles
Author
Madeleine
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Published Date
June 15, 2026

Milking time: Bacteriology and pasteurisation

Explore the University of Reading’s role in dairying research into milk pasteurisation.

Richard Watts film archive
Author
Joe
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Published Date
May 12, 2026

Watts in the Country: Inclusive approaches to rural film (with the BFI)

We’re collaborating with film NGO Real Time, volunteers, and focus groups to bring the Richard Watts archival film collection to rural communities across Britain.

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