Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Earliest Phillips Sign Made?

Hey Guys, Came across this photo of an early Phillips station. I’ve seen this globe design before and assume there are a few out there but had never seen the sign hanging from the pole before. Does anyone know if any of these signs still exist? I’m assuming this is the first Phillips sign made and would be the “Holy Grail” of Phillips signs. I’d love to hear your feedback! Thanks in advance!

Is that a Mobil curb sign there?

Yes it appears to be. I also have an early Phillips photo for aviation fuel that has a square 5 gallon can of Mobiloil in the pic

Yes Les, it is....in the early days before the Socony and Vacuum merger, Mobiloil was sold by many different gas companies as many weren't really into the lubrication end yet. After S-V merged Mobiloil was mostly only sold at Mobil stations, and by that time the other gas companies started to can their own lubricants under their company names and market them.
Darin

appears they were having a gas war with all the traffic .. ...

Thanks guys, didn't know that. Just assumed Phillips would of had their own. Great info.

Ill guess at the date of this picture. Because all the vehicles have wooden spoke wheels, I will a guess of 1920 to 1925. Wire spoke wheels began in the mid 20s with Model T Fords in 1926.

Jack Sim

Believe it's the green one

Thanks for all the input! Has anyone seen the 1927 or 1928 version signs before? There has to be a few that survived right?

I have black Phillips gasoline/motor oil 29.5” and a white Phillips ‘66’ ethyl 30” both of which I believe are pre-1930. I thought until now that those were the earliest Phillips signs. Maybe I need to visit the museum in Bartlesville??

Another question...I also see a “pickup truck”. My question is, were pickups being factory produced at that time or were they personally engineered by their owners?

Ford had a 1926-27 Model T roadster pickup. In 1928 they went to a sold cab pickup plus the roaster pickup. Richard

There probably weren't too many of the green signs and possibly only the one shown? The photo might be from the first Phillips 66 service station that opened November 19, 1927 in Wichita, Kansas (805 E. Central). As shown, Phillips changed logos in 1928 as additional stations started opening. I need to check my Phillips 66 reference book (Oil Man: The Story of Frank Phillips and the Birth of Phillips Petroleum by Wallis, Michael) for more information.

Thanks for the info PetroPlus. You mentioned they changed logo is 1928, are you referring to the Phillips ‘66’ logo shown above for 1928? If so, have you ever seen that sign and how many might have survived? I’m assuming the ‘27 and ‘28 logos were only used one year and in much more limited numbers than years to follow. Thanks again
Mike

Yes, they changed the logo in 1928. I know I've seen the 1928 logo (porcelain sign) somewhere and it might have been at the Phillips 66 museum. Actually, I believe the 1927 and 1928 signs are both displayed there. It's been several years, so I don't recall if they were original or reproductions? Finding an original of either year would be challenging and likely above my budget. I've seen visible glass globes with both logos.