Old gas stations

[Fading Fast]

Walter Dorwin Teague, who was the first designer to produce a station in this style -- for Texaco, in 1935 -- was very familiar with Bauhaus and had worked under a Bauhaus designer in the 1920s, and the influence is pretty clear in his work.

He was also influenced by mysticism -- he set great weight in the image of the Five Pointed Star, which fit in well with his work for Texaco, and wrote about this at length in his book "Design This Day." He was quite an odd character.

His gas station design, however, was the most influential ever created -- Texaco built over 20,000 stations to his specifications between the late thirties and the early sixties, and several other companies basically helped themselves to his concept. Gulf's "icebox" was almost a direct swipe of Teague's design, although it featured more rounded corners and blue stripes along the fascia instead of green. Cities Service also used a design that essentially duplicated Teague's, complete with green stripes. Other companies weren't quite so baldfaced about their design cribbing -- Socony and Esso used one red stripe instead of three, whoa, different design entirely! -- but the influence was still very clear. Without Teague's work the mid-20th century roadside would have looked very different.

Note: This entry copyright of Lizziepedia: Fedora Lounge's premiere source for Golden Era information.

 

[2jakes]

Here's more on Texaco by Catherine Yronwode.
Texaco Gas Stations - Lucky Mojo

 

[LizzieMaine]

"A hellish charcoal gray and red" indeed. I was glad, at least, that we went out of business just before that awful, awful "reimagining" of the Texaco image in the 1980s, and remained pure Teague until then end. I'm convinced that a big reason why Texaco collapsed and died in the '80s and '90s had to do with its abandoning of a carefully-cultivated place-product-packaging image in an effort to "modernize." Red and gray made them look like something out of a Korean War military parade.

 

[BobHufford]

I listed this one earlier, but these photos go back a few decades from the previous vintage pic. These are news photos from 1948 of an overturned coal truck (vintage things that have disappeared). Note that the GLO dry cleaner is still there, but those big houses are long gone.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Subway, huh? Nice to see you can still go there and get gas.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob

 

[Fading Fast]

⇧ outstanding Mobil station.

For our car experts, does anyone know what is the car at the far right in the Mobil station picture - the white convertible coupe sports car?

 

[Ghostsoldier]

A Triumph, MG or Jag, maybe?

 

[BobHufford]

I love Cadillac's hidden gas caps.

I'm no expert but that looks like an MGA in the Mobil pic.

 

[Fading Fast]

I love Cadillac's hidden gas caps.

I'm no expert but that looks like an MGA in the Mobil pic.

Wow - that is one gorgeous car and looks pretty darn close to spot on. Thank you. Do you know what year it is?

Also, yes, the hidden gas tank in the Cadillac's tail light is fantastic.

 

[BobHufford]

Wow - that is one gorgeous car and looks pretty darn close to spot on. Thank you. Do you know what year it is?

Not precisely.

http://www.barcboys.com/MGAinfo.htm

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob

 

[LizzieMaine]

Be glad, all of you, that you never worked for Pacific Guano.

 

[Stearmen]

⇧ outstanding Mobil station.

For our car experts, does anyone know what is the car at the far right in the Mobil station picture - the white convertible coupe sports car?

I am leaning more towards an AC Ace. The doors look more rounded then on an MGA. I can't see a powered by Ford emblem on the fender, so that rules out any early Shelby AC Cobra's!

 

[Fading Fast]

I am leaning more towards an AC Ace. The doors look more rounded then on an MGA. I can't see a powered by Ford emblem on the fender, so that rules out any early Shelby AC Cobra's!

Cool, I just read about about this car on line - didn't know about it until you pointed it out. As to the car in question in the gas station, I'm going to let you car guys who know way, way more than I debate it out.

 

[1955mercury]

⇧ outstanding Mobil station.

For our car experts, does anyone know what is the car at the far right in the Mobil station picture - the white convertible coupe sports car?

It might be an Austin Healey.

 

[Stearmen]

It might be an Austin Healey.

If only that station wagon was a foot back, it would be pretty easy to identify. One thing for sure, what ever car it is, I wish it was in my garage!

 

[2jakes]

^^^^^
Anaheim, 1956.

It's an Austin-Healey Convertible!

 

[2jakes]

It's "Art Deco" time !

Norment Motor Co. Lumberton, N.C. 1930 ~ 1945.

Roarin' Rohrer's gas station, McAlester, Okla. 1930 ~ 1945.

Gilmore gas station, Los Angeles, Calif. 1940s.

Union Oil station, 1940.

 

[LizzieMaine]

^^^^^
Anaheim, 1956.

It's an Austin-Healey Convertible!

That futuristic Flying Red Horse is even more disturbing than the regular one. Looks like some kind of gigantic space arachnid.