Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana Company Of The Month "Socony"

Welcome to this month's version of Company of the Month. This month I will feature The Standard Oil Company of New York.
Better known as Socony. Hopefully I along with your help will be able to make this month even come close to being as good as
what the previous 2 COTM features have been.

Socony history dates
from the late 19th century as part of American John D. Rockefeller’s oil giant Standard Oil.
Rockefeller, along with Maurice B. Clark and Englishman Samuel Andrews, founded Standard Oil in 1870 in Cleveland,
Ohio after investing in an oil refinery in 1863. Following a trust agreement in 1882, the Standard Oil Company of New York
was created, the predecessor to Socony-Vacuum and later the Mobil Corporation. In the next decades, the company
spread its business to Europe and Asia, and employed the use of large ‘kerosene clippers’ to transport their material
overseas. 1911 marked the end of the giant consortium of 34 Standard Oil companies after an antitrust suit forced
Rockefeller’s conglomerate to split. Standard Oil Company of New York was now a spin-off company of the original Standard
Oil, and became known as Socony (an acronym for its full name). In 1931, further changes were implemented when
Socony merged with the Vacuum Oil Company to become Socony-Vacuum. Vacuum Oil Company was already selling
a product called Mobilgas, and Socony’s Pegasus logo was adopted (a remnant of an old Standard Oil logo); these
were the origins of the Mobil Oil Company’s name and logo. Socony-Vacuum continued expansion and mergers with other
oil companies in the United States and overseas. In 1955, the company dropped the 'Vacuum' and became Socony-Mobil,
then finally just Mobil Oil in 1966. After surviving the petrol crisis in the 1970’s and subsequent recovery in the 1980’s,
Mobil Oil merged with Exxon Corporation in 1998 to form the ExxonMobil, currently the largest integrated oil and gas
company in the world.

I am just going to focus this on the time that Socony was used as a brand from it's founding up through WW2.
after ww2 socony as a brand had largely disappeared, renamed or rebranded as mobil and mobiloil products.

Since I only have a small collection of Socony items I'm hoping I will get to see lots of goodies in everyone elses
collections. So please post it if you've got it!!!

That's enough history for now here are some things to get us started.

Some more stations:

Here are a couple pics I've found from ebay or the net somewhere...

First is a lot of Socony items from ebay
Next pic is an ad for perfection oil ranges
3rd is a handmade sign for Socony Ethyl gasoline

Here is a lubester lid Never seen another like it:


Here is a cap from a fuel tanker from ebay:


And a socony Polarine watch FOB:

Some more stations:

Thanks for picking a great company for COTM. I have to say out of all gas brands this is on the top of my list. Socony was a very common brand of the time in the north east. Till this day I am amazed how many socony items I have found locally at the ORIGINAL STATIONS. Looking back into town archives, the number of stations they had was tremendous. Socony purchased many smaller local independents. Here are a few of my items from this company.

This lubester sign came from the original station-Has tabs instead of mounting holes...never seen another with tabs:

Cool Topic Mr. Socony!!! Great pictures.

Some pins and badges:

Tom, is there anyway to get a better image of "Babe Ruth" and the five 1 gallon cans?

I have a couple items, so I will get the camera "warmed up"....

57tbirdkid,
I love the socony stuff. Must be more out your way cause I sure can't find it in central New York. John Mancino probably got all the stuff around me LOL.Thanks for the look into your collection That banner is awesome...

Matt,
Don't think I qualify as Mr Socony though but I'd like to get there if I could.

John,
Those safety badges and pins are great. There was one of the large ones on ebay not to long ago but it went for wwwaaaayyyyy more than I could afford.

Bob,
Unfortunately that is the only picture I have seen of it. I think it's actually some kind of fantasy baseball card.

Lets see what everyone has in thier collections. Post um if you got um...

Lots more stuff to come stay tuned.

Here are most of my items:

Here are 2 cardboard signs I got from fellow oldgas member bonjimmi. Bonjimmi is famous on lodgas for the dig he had in his yard:
http://www.oldgas.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=33907&page=1

An all time classic on oldgas.





Here are two signs that aren't exactly Socony but would have been available at most Socony stations...

NICE! Is the gargoyle price sign paper or tin?

Some more items:

Two new old stock lubster signs:



and this small harder to find sign:

Paper not tin

ok, looked like paper, but wasn't sure. Thanks!

Here's a tin one Noah. Got some other stuff around here, i'll get some more pics….Owen

I want one of those tin ones, but I can't hang it up in the house...

Socony was also very big into transporting oil around the world using many ships and tugs to do so. Here is one of the ships they used:
This is the traverse city Socony vessel built in 1938 and still in service today the following 4 pictures show the same ship through the years the last being taken in 2009...

"Traverse City Socony", was build in 1938 by Manitowoc Shipbuilding, Manitowoc WI, for Socony Mobil.

Sold in 1962 as "Raymond J. Busey".

In 1979 converted to fish factory ship, named "Bering Trader".

Sold in 1991 as "Independence" and still in service.

Heres a photo of the two SOCONY globes that I have! The first is a 15 inch milkglass globe marked as being produced in April of 1928. The second one is a very rare metal/porcelain 15 inch globe lens. Not sure why they were ever produced, as light could not pass thru, but I doubt they ever got broken! LOL

Well since Kevin showed me his I'll show him mine...
Thanks for the pictures of your globe and procelain lens. Those are awesome someday maybe I'll find one.

Got this from Rex Bensons auction my 1st Socony globe.


Don't remember where I got this one might have been from rex's also?


My favorite one...


all lit up

Looking great guys keep it up

Here are a couple of my signs:
My Socony shield


Socony Motor Oil a bit faded but fairly clean

And a couple flat gallon cans.
A Ford 990


And a Polarine can with pinstripes. A bit worn but it still exists.


I love these stripped cans I'll be showing a few more later on in the month in an assortment of colors.

And a couple handy oilers

A porcelain "Ask for Socony motor oil" sign is what got me started collecting. Now I'm up to seven different Socony signs,a few maps & a gas gauge. I'll post some photos soon. Cool stuff everybody! Also a big thanks to Tom for doing a COTM on Socony!

looking up..

Here are some more cans:
1st a General Petroleum 5 LB grease can From the General Petroleum Museum. The can also mentions Magnolia oil and White Eagle oil. all which were bought up by Socony in the late twenties into the early thirties.

A Socony chassis lube 5LB can and a smaller NOS 1LB can:

2 different 1LB'ers:

A couple 25lb cans:
The 1st one is still full!

All of um:

Here's my Socony collection. Seems like I'm forgetting something though...

more...

and a couple more. Still thinking I forgot something.

I found this pump about a month ago. It was behind a building in a local city- under an overhang. Has the original signs and cloth hose.

Nice stuff guys.
That service station shield is sweet!

Also liking the calendar tbird...

You guys have some nice Socony stuff. Here is my modest collection.

WOW! That calendar is awesome!

I like socony, but I don't have allot. I will try and post pics tonight. I love your booklets, and signs rustynuts!!

While I have literally hundreds of items that say Socony on them, they are not from the time frame that we are concentrating on for this COTM. Surprisingly, I only have one lonely Socony Harness Oil can in my collection as an example of the early years of the company that came to be Socony-Vacuum, the era that I concentrate on. (My collection's focus is 1932 to 1965) When we do a COTM for Mobil, I'll be able to add a few more items to the thread, lol!
So here it is, my lonely can....
Darin

Here is a group of related items:

First up is a Socony floor oiler I have never sen another one of these. Even still has the instructions on the back.

Next up is a Socony dust absorbing mop tin. Unfortunately no mop...

Here is a matchless liquid gloss can as pictured on front of dust mop tin

Here is a 1 gallon standard floor dressing can that would have been used with the above floor oiler.

And for the really large jobs the 5 gallon can

A nice grouping...

Those are neat cans

Here are my lubester paddles:

A Socony match case and a brass letter opener

A 1oz sample of Liquid gloss and a Socony banner Gas pennant

An earlier matchless liquid gloss sample bottle and a well worn 5 lb polarine grease can.

Here is a socony hand soap dispenser and not really socony but a nice early zerolene 5 quart can with polar bear graphics.

Here is another early can Socony Eureka harness oil gallon can. Can is in great condition except 1 rub on the front. has great gold tint on the graphics.

Here is an early 5LB matchless grease tin with great eagle graphic. Just wish it was a bit nicer...

Next up comes some of my favorite style cans and products. These were put out after the merger with Vacuum oil. They were put out by socony-vacuum specialties and geared more toward home owners for use around the house. I think these were from the time of the merger to about world war II. Socony as a brand had about disappeared by the end of WWII I believe.

here is a brush away and cleaning fluid kit put out at Christmas time. box is rough but contents are near perfect.

what makes the previous piece even nicer is having the poster that would have hung at the station to advertise the kit for sale...

I will be posting more of the specialty cans over the weekend...

Tom has done an Excellent job presenting SOCONY, in my opinion. I wish I had some more items to share...

Does anyone else have some items "tucked away" that they haven't shared, as of yet? If so, I hope you will share them! I am "greedy" for more! ... LOL


I've said it before, but I do honestly believe that these efforts of Shawn, Tyler and Tom would/and do make the "Authors" of past COTM Threads proud!!!!!!

Bob, here is a model of a Mobil station that I did for a fellow up in Allen Park Michigan last summer :






This was a Mobil station that was built in Allen park Michigan about 1939. It's not recognizable as such today as it's been remodeled into another type of business. Ed Shaver

Back to the Socony Specialties cans I mentioned earlier. Here is what I have...

A Socony auto wax polishing cream:

Here is an upperlube can:

Here is an auto radiator cleaner:

Here are some leather cleaner cans. I have found 2 different labels on these

Here is an insect spray can I have this one thanks to Doc (the american garage) finding it in a shed on Long Island:

Here is my favorite specialties item a insect sprayer:

the grouping:

Not really socony but a nice early Standard Red Crown gasoline can used to prime the cylinders before starting your car in the early years. About an 8oz can:

Just wanted to see if anyone wanted to be a guest host for May and take on Mobil. I have no Mobil stuff so I would not do it justice. Tom has done a fantastic job with Socony this month and we both feel Mobil should be next. If someone wants to step up to the plate send me a pm

I think these maps and credit cards, tie in to the thread:

Ok we got a host for next month Darin Sheffer is going to be taking care of Mobil. Should be another great month.

Figured I'd bump this up once more with the end of the month approaching. Here's the rest of my cans to close out the month.

Here's my other shield sign. A rough one...

A half pint can and a pint can

3 different matchless liquid gloss cans the 1st 2 are pints the 3rd is a quart. All earlier stripped cans.

heres the quart can and 2 auto spring oil cans.

here are 2 different quart cans...

A quart and a gallon Eureka harness oil cans.

a quart hand separator can...

A gallon Aircraft oil can...

A gallon Kerosene can...

Not much for me

Thanks again Tom for being a guest host wonderful job.

It's late but I thought it a good one to post still because of how hard of a time I am having finding another like it or any information on this sign at all.

It is a A frame sign without a date mark and has metal tabs sticking out to hold topper signs in front of the wording on the back. There is also a removable bar going up each side of that side.
It's roughly 5 feet tall and 36" wide.
I just found a original SoCoNY-Vacuum Map pack with the same wording and Font on it and it is dated 1940!

This is a Great thread!

Thanks Steve,
Since you pulled this back up I'll have to update with some new stuff I have picked up since this was done...

Nice canvas Socony Banner