Ghostsoldier
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,408
- Location
- Starke, Florida, USA
Rob
-
The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.
Old gas stations
- Thread starter hatguy1
- Start date
Rob
LizzieMaine
Bartender
- Messages
- 33,061
- Location
- Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
"Let's Get Associated!" -- radio-commercial tagline for Associated Oil Company football broadcasts on the West Coast in the 1930s and 40s.
Associated merged into Tide Water Oil to take the Flying A brand national, and later turned into Getty Oil Company, which was later bought out by Texaco, leading to years of litigation. What little was left of the company later faded away into a morass of international licensing and marketing agreements., surviving today only as a "ghost brand." That's what happens, I guess, when you Get Too Associated.
Associated merged into Tide Water Oil to take the Flying A brand national, and later turned into Getty Oil Company, which was later bought out by Texaco, leading to years of litigation. What little was left of the company later faded away into a morass of international licensing and marketing agreements., surviving today only as a "ghost brand." That's what happens, I guess, when you Get Too Associated.
Ghostsoldier
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,408
- Location
- Starke, Florida, USA
[emoji14][emoji14]
Rob
Rob
KY Gentleman
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,881
- Location
- Kentucky
I remember my dad getting glassware from gasoline purchases at our old Tressler Comet station in town.
- Messages
- 15,259
- Location
- Arlington, Virginia
1970s Standard
LizzieMaine
Bartender
- Messages
- 33,061
- Location
- Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
Those fake Colonial cupolas were a huge fad in the early 70s, during the runup to the buy-centennial, and they were especially prevalent in New England, where there are more fake cupolas than real ones. Along with American/Amoco, which seemed to pioneer the trend, Sunoco went in big for the style, renovating hundreds of their oblong-box stations with fake gable roofs and a quaint little cupola with a functional weathervane on top.
- Messages
- 13,635
- Location
- down south
My ex-wife's house has one of those, complete with the eagle weathervane like in this photo, on top of the garage. Along with the colonial looking brass eagle topped porch lights, I always thought it looked oddly out of place on an otherwise sleek, low roofed, mid century modern ranch style house.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Those fake Colonial cupolas were a huge fad in the early 70s, during the runup to the buy-centennial, and they were especially prevalent in New England, where there are more fake cupolas than real ones. Along with American/Amoco, which seemed to pioneer the trend, Sunoco went in big for the style, renovating hundreds of their oblong-box stations with fake gable roofs and a quaint little cupola with a functional weathervane on top.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
David Conwill
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,854
- Location
- Bennington, VT 05201
Our house in Vermont, built in 1970 to replace an older one that burned the winter before, is redolant with that late-midcentury faux colonial stuff. I kinda like it, but my wife detests it and we've been slowly stripping it away and going for a sort of pseudo late-'40s look. "Buy Centennial," I like that.
- Messages
- 16,876
- Location
- New York City
Those fake Colonial cupolas were a huge fad in the early 70s, during the runup to the buy-centennial, and they were especially prevalent in New England, where there are more fake cupolas than real ones. Along with American/Amoco, which seemed to pioneer the trend, Sunoco went in big for the style, renovating hundreds of their oblong-box stations with fake gable roofs and a quaint little cupola with a functional weathervane on top.
Like you, that's the world I grew up in, in the '70s. Many of those of-the-period new / redone stations looked like the one in your post and 1mach1's station one post above. Never thought a lot about the roof style / cupola then, but you look at them now - especially the cupola - and it just looks silly.
The classic Art Deco box gas stations we talk about here all the time like these
look great, IMHO, because they aren't trying to be something they are not. They seem to be a very form-follows-function design with a simple, clean aesthetic.
A gas station should look like a gas station not some bastardized house.
LizzieMaine
Bartender
- Messages
- 33,061
- Location
- Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
The most ubiquitous "updating" of the highway-beautification era was the Shell Ranch Station --
Thousands of these were built all over the country -- some of them from scratch, others reworkings of existing oblong boxes, and the reworked stations are usually pretty easy to spot, since the template didn't quite fit:
From this --
To this --
Shell even ran a memorable magazine ad around 1968-69 where they showed a bulldozer taking down an old box-style station, and bragged in the text about their contributions to a less gaudy roadscape. So many of these stations went up that they're still the most instantly-recognizable gas station building you'll see, often reworked into dental clinics, real estate offices or whatever --
Thousands of these were built all over the country -- some of them from scratch, others reworkings of existing oblong boxes, and the reworked stations are usually pretty easy to spot, since the template didn't quite fit:
From this --
To this --
Shell even ran a memorable magazine ad around 1968-69 where they showed a bulldozer taking down an old box-style station, and bragged in the text about their contributions to a less gaudy roadscape. So many of these stations went up that they're still the most instantly-recognizable gas station building you'll see, often reworked into dental clinics, real estate offices or whatever --
2jakes
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 9,680
- Location
- Alamo Heights ☀️ Texas
District of Columbia, 1919. Willard Service Station, Washington Battery Co., 1623 L Street.
The sign: “We respectfully request customers to refrain from talking to workmen. Any information desired will be cheerfully given out by floor superintendent.” National Photo Company glass negative.
The sign: “We respectfully request customers to refrain from talking to workmen. Any information desired will be cheerfully given out by floor superintendent.” National Photo Company glass negative.
- Messages
- 16,876
- Location
- New York City
I can think of several reasons for this policy, but none reveal an honest, open company. Nothing changes - some percentage of companies are always bad. Great pic though.
David Conwill
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,854
- Location
- Bennington, VT 05201
The place installing Willard batteries sent me back to some of my early favorites on Shorpy! Both in the Washington, D.C. area, circa 1921.
David Conwill
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,854
- Location
- Bennington, VT 05201
Every DC-area visible-register pump has had a metal protective screen around the glass. Makes me wonder if it was some kind of local ordinance--or there were just a lot of vandals around.
David Conwill
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,854
- Location
- Bennington, VT 05201
Another parts store, this one from 1926:
2jakes
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 9,680
- Location
- Alamo Heights ☀️ Texas
I've used this as my desktop wallpaper. Very pleasant with my apps
resting on the bottom wood floor.
David Conwill
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,854
- Location
- Bennington, VT 05201
One more that I love from Shorpy: Cambridge, Vermont, 1937.
LizzieMaine
Bartender
- Messages
- 33,061
- Location
- Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
The wire screens around visible pumps were a safety requirement in many communities. Their primary purpose was to protect the glass cylinder from damage by hail.
2jakes
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 9,680
- Location
- Alamo Heights ☀️ Texas
Using Preview, I can see the name. Seaton Garage.
Many moons ago a 1948 Clark Carloader forklift appeared at my job with a 6 volt Willard battery in it. I wondered then how old that battery was. It was still in place several years later when I left there.
