Author: HP Authorized Customer

Petroliana Collecting – Part 3 (B) Signs
By Bill McIntosh
Collecting petroliana deals with accruing items related to vintage gas station and service garages (including
dealerships). Three major segments of the hobby are (1) gas pumps, (2) oil cans, and (3) signs. In the first part of this series (Oct/Nov 2022 Pontiaction), I offered an overview of gas pumps. The second part of this series (Jun/Jul 2023 Pontiaction) I devoted to the subject of oil cans. In this third part, I focus on signs or signage. This comes in the form of four articles covering the variety of signs in my collection. The first of these, “Petroliana Collecting – Part 3 (A),” appeared in the March/April 2024 edition of Pontiaction.
The majority of gas station signs in my collection feature TEXACO, and are the focus of this article. The sign
that got me started on TEXACO was the sign shown directly below. While I got it for free (believe it or not), it is probably one of the more valuable signs I own. When living in Maryland, the homeowner beyond my back yard was cleaning out his barn. He had two piles of stuff – one that was junk and would be thrown out and the other, to save. This sign was on the top of the junk pile, so I asked if I could have it and he said yes! It was covered with green paint on both sides and did not look very promising. Fortunately, the combination of water-based paint and porcelain finish wound up being easy to clean. With a little elbow grease, compounding, and waxing, it is a beautiful example today.

This is an early TEXACO sign. Collectors refer to these early examples as “Black T”, specifically referring to the black outline around the large green T in the middle of the star. Later logos have “White Ts” meaning the T in the middle of the star is outlined in white. This sign is probably from the 1930s or 1940s -- and is in very, very good shape given its age. It is 42” in diameter, two sided and porcelain. It was likely used as the main identification for a service station. My guess is that today it is worth a few thousand dollars.

This sign represents TEXACO’s attempt to make a brand name out of its lubrication service, thus the name MARFAK Lubrication. A 36” long by 24” high single-sided painted sign such as this one was usually hung on an exterior wall or on the lubrication bay wall of the service station. My guess is that this sign dates from the 1950s.
I do not believe that the MARFAK name was promoted much past the early 1960s.
Continued on next page

This sign is unusual for a couple of reasons. First, it is the only one in my collection that is made of cardboard. Second, it is the only TEXACO sign that displays the famous slogan, “Trust your car to the man who wears the star.” This slogan was used in the 1950s and 1960s, and was most popularly used on TEXACO sponsored TV variety shows. The sign is 21” square, is printed on both sides, and has punched holes in the top. Clearly, the sign could not have been displayed outside the station, so I believe it was hung from the ceiling in the waiting room or where patrons paid their bills

This sign is made up of large plastic letters. These were used on the upper front of TEXACO gas stations in the 1960s and 1970s, up to the point that stations were modernized for the last time before going out of business following Chevron’s buyout. The set was actually pretty inexpensive when I acquired it in the early 2000s. While the letters were not damaged in any way, the finish on many had been marred. As a result, I spray painted them before installing on a dedicated backing board. This is a very big sign measuring 2’ tall and over 11’ long. Note also the TEXACO star on the right and the three TEXACO green stripes just beneath the letters.

This is a very early two-sided porcelain TEXACO motor oil sign. You will note again that the T in the middle of the star logo is outlined by a black line and thus, a “Black T” -- and quite early. I would be guessing that this sign was used in the 1930s or early 1940s. It is in remarkably good condition given its age. The sign was acquired by my late cousin, Bruce Todd, who lived in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. In time, he sold it to me. The sign is relatively small, measuring only 24” by 18”.
Continued on next page

This is another early TEXACO two-sided porcelain sign. It is not quite as early as the previous sign that claims the product is “clean, clear and golden.” This one promotes the “insulated” quality of TEXACO motor oil, which seems to relate to viscosity that withstands both heat and cold. It probably appeared in the 1940s as it has the “White T” in the star. I doubt that the “insulated” campaign lasted beyond the 1950s if that. Again, a small sign, measuring only 24” by 18”.

This sign is one of the largest in my collection. It is 48” (4’) in diameter and double-sided. I am not sure if it is porcelain or painted, but is certainly not the heavy porcelain of the earliest signs. These were used as the main identification signs for stations in the late 1940s, throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. Generally, they were encased in a heavy metal ring and installed on a pole, high in the air so potential customers could see it from far away.

While there are other TEXACO signs in my collection, I conclude this article with a sign that was displayed almost exclusively somewhere in the service station’s driveway. Mounted in a frame that allowed the sign to swing in the wind, it is painted, double-sided, 30” by 37” in size, and does not show any of the typical TEXACO logos or colors. TEXACO, in attempting to attract tourists to its stations required franchisees to keep its rest rooms up to a high standard. Only then could they display this sign in the driveway. The signs were used in the 1950s and 1960s as a way to differentiate TEXACO stations from the competition. I also have a matching print advertisement showing both the sign in a station driveway and a little girl apparently needing to use the clean, comfortable facilities.

# kscpociinfo@gmail.com www.kscpoci.org June-July 2024 Pontiaction