Old gas stations

[GHT]

Ivy Dean, fuel pump attendant circa 1952.

 

[Fading Fast]

Ivy Dean, fuel pump attendant circa 1952.
View attachment 84060

An alternative caption: "After graduating from one of the Seven Sisters, I thought my life would have turned out differently than this."

My God, that girl does not look natural or comfortable pumping her own gas.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Love the steel-toe safety shoes.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob

 

[dh66]

View attachment 84045

This one is too cool!!

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[BlueTrain]

The photo of the two men in white at the Standard Stations remind us that cars did in fact come in colors other than black.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The "Harley Sprague" station is famous -- it's one of only two surviving examples of the pagoda-style stations that were trademarks of the Wadhams Oil Company, which built them in and around the Milwaukee area in the 1910s and 1920s. The design was inspired by the popularity of pagodas at various World's Fairs of the early 20th Century, but there was no further Japanese connection to the company, which eventually became a subsidiary of Socony-Vacuum. This particular station was the last of the Pagoda design to remain in operation as a gas station, continuing into the 1980s.

 

[Fading Fast]

This one is too cool!!

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I love it too. "Hey, let's incorporate a rocket into our advertising since people love rockets and maybe they'll think our gasoline will change their practical (boring) station wagon into an Apollo rocket ship."

 

[David Conwill]

The discussion of Wadhams' pagoda stations led me to the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee's James Blair Murdoch photo collection, which has numerous stations, including these two pagodas from 1932 and 1935. Lots of good stuff in there!

 

[GHT]

In the UK, we have a law that permits The Authorities to put a preservation order on a building. It helps to stop corporate vandalism by those who just come along and demolish the past. Some such buildings have historic interest, for example, the modest house that Paul McCartney grew up in, others have architectural interest. The first photo is that of a petrol station that no longer sells fuel. It has a preservation order because of it's roof. All it needs now is a cash rich fairy to weave her magic.

The second photo also has a preservation order for it's roof. I can't decide if it's a case of magic mushrooms or The Martians are landing.

The last picture is that of a petrol station in Madrid, built in 1970, it's supposedly inspired by a flock of birds.

 

[BlueTrain]

It's surprising they were allowed to be built, given that they might have been thought of as "out of place."

 

[2jakes]

 

[2jakes]

 

[2jakes]

 

[2jakes]

 

[Ghostsoldier]

The Tucker....ol' Preston was way ahead of his time.

Rob

 

[LizzieMaine]

The last surviving shell-shaped Shell station, one of several built in the 1930s in Winston-Salem N. C. by the Quality Oil Company, a regional Shell jobber. The stations were built of molded concrete, over a framework of wood and reinforced chicken wire. No, you can't buy any gas there.

Many gas station enthusiasts call the Shell logo a "clam." It's not a clam. It's a scallop. Big difference, especially if you're on a scallop dragger.

 

[Fading Fast]

Who'd a thunk this would be one of FL's best, most active, most engaging threads that really captures the look, feel and vibe of the period - with a ton of extremely neat information to boot - but it is.

 

[2jakes]

My “early-morning-ride-prior-to-work” klunker!

Including “scallops” from 1939 Shell license toppers.