Re: History of the Atlas MOLO and Version Selection Chart

[Rodney Young]

Rodney,

I have a blue cover original, an Ozark Woodworking reprint, and a scan of a blue cover original of what I have been calling Version 1 (or 1937V1) of the MOLO. After comparing your three photos to them, to originals of 1937V2 and 1937V3, and to several originals of 1937V4 and 1937V5 that I have, my conclusion is that yours is a later printing of 1937V1. Your photo of the TOC appears to show a blank page to the left. I currently have 19 originals of the MOLO. In all of the originals that I have except for the blue cover 1937V1, the first sheet inside the front cover is blank both sides. So I'm thinking that your copy is a later printing of 1937V1 and someone ripped the title page out. In December of 2014, someone here sent me a PDF excerpt from a black cover wire bound 1937V1. The PDF shows 6 pages (three sheets) of catalog info in the rear. And at the bottom of the last page shows the IHLING Bros. etc. information. I can't recall who sent me the PDF but either your copy is the same as his or you are he.

Atlas Catalog No. 37 dated November 1937 shows a MOLO for sale. The scan was gray scale and too dark so I can't say whether the covers are blue or black. But it does not have the round Atlas logo below the micrometer. So could be blue. I have an earlier catalog No. 26 so probably early 1937 or late 1936 that lists the MOLO for sale. This is the exact bound (glue and staples) version that I called 1937V0 in the MOLO History document for want of any more information. Probably the contents are the same as in 1937V1. The scan of the page showing it was done with better contrast and exposure settings and although I can't say for certain that it is blue, it isn't black.

Next time that I revise the MOLO History, I'll add that apparently more than one printing (edition) was done of 1937 V1 and that the later printings had black covers and the logo. As with Versions 8 and 9, I don't think a different cover warrants calling it a different version as it doesn't appear that any changes were made to the contents. I didn't do that for the various binding methods of 1937V4 and 1937V5. If an original ever turns of of the exact bound one and the contents prove to be the same as in 1937V1, it will revert to just being the earliest printing of 1937V1.

Thanks Robert,
I just think its cool that the book would have come with the machine when new and has survived in very good condition except for the cover which is crumbling every time I touch it so it will be put away in an open plastic bag with the tooling so it doesn't get seperated from the machine some day in the future.
Rodney