Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion NEW FOUND TEXACO GLOBE?

I believe I have found Texaco's very first globe, before what collectors call the "TEXACO CHIMNEY TOP"

Most collectors know this globe to have a "wide body" & a cap on the top. Also this globe is etched.

Below are photos from the Commonwealth Avenue filling station, Boston, Mass. around August 1917. I believe this globe is etched also and it seems to be a narrow body and no cap....

The final two photos are taken by Dan Matthews of Erol Tuzcu's collection before he sold it...


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Thanks to Doc and my wife Mary Ann for helping with these scans.

A special Thanks to Erol Tuzcu for these priceless books !

To Heck w/ the Globe, WHO made the pumps? Notice how tall they are compared to the 2 men in 1st photo standing next to a pump housing.

Dick,

Do you think it was a housing for a curb pump and at night they would lock the access doors?

Thanks for the great pics Doug and Doc super nice globe!

That is what I was thinking also. Jack?

Heck with the pumps (LOL), love the shared collection display!

What are those pumps anyway? Custom wooden or metal columns with lamps built made just for that station designed to go over a smaller pump perhaps?

Taking into account what Dick brought up regarding the size of the pumps, these Texaco globes are in my opinion oversized in comparison to a normal 1pc etched globe.

The "fat body" chimney cap version of this globe is average in height standing 18" high (just measured ours sitting on the shelf, to the top lip of the chimney cap w/ cap removed). When viewed in the line up of other globes it does not stand out as being any taller than most other globes at casual glance.

Based on the height of the guys next to the pumps, the pumps must surely stand in excess of 10'. Taking this into account, the globes from my perspective would be taller than the normal 18" when looking at them propotionally with the pumps they're on. Compare the size of the globes on the pumps to the open spoke wheel on the lubester for another reference point that would point to them being taller than "normal".

As I studied the zoomed in photo of the globe initially I thought the globe was unusally skinny, but it may be that it is in reality close to the average width of a typical narrow bodied one piece globe, its just taller than all others giving it the look of being much narrower.

Texaco did have use an oversized leaded glass metal frame globe with 22" faces, so the company is known to have used oversized globes early on. I do not know for sure off hand, but I'd suspect the large leaded glass globes were used in the neighborhood of 1920 which isnt that many years removed from the 1917 date "Blacktee" attributes to these photos.

Aaron Hop

IF someone Hadn't plastered TEXACO lettering on 2nd picture, might have been able to lighten picture to get more detail about meter!
Guessing pumps were either air or electric operated.

Aaron, I was going to suggest that very same thing about the larger appearance of these gems before I read your post. That is one awesome filling station. What do you suppose that iron contraption is? Some type of canopy? It looks like the pumps are really spread out and a long walk from the station doesn't it?

Great photos Doug, thanks for sharing them (or should I thank MA?)

New globe, new pump. Have never seen this pump.
First the date, I would guess about 1917-1921, based on the cars & trucks.
Second a question, why are there three hoses coming out of the pump?
Third, why isn't the price of the gasoline posted on the pump? This was a requirement in most locations.
Forth, is this possibly a commercial location where they were pumping gasoline for company owned trucks or cabs, etc.?

I gave up posting pictures here on old gas about a year a go, image shack messed with my computer too much. I'll send a pic of a similiar pump to DB and he can post is for me.

Jack Sim

1st picture is 26667.75 inches wide! Anyone wanting to print [w/o resizing] better have a Truck Load of paper & a Tank Load of ink! LOL

Dissecting the 2nd pic, I count 4 hoses [2 coming out the side w/ the nozzle end placed back in w/ dial on EA side].
Back then the average height of men was close to 5ft 10in. By using Photo Shop that puts the globe holder at over 10ft. & by coping/paste 5 globes don't equal the height.
I think Most Oil Cart wheels are close to 30" & comparing the globes to wheels would make globes approx. 24".

There was a big section of Commonwealth avenue that was called 'Motor Row' and had some of the biggest 'motor' dealers in the country. The government during WWI was trying to requesition (sp?) the buildings for wartime production. If you look close, there is a (something) MOTORS OF N.E. in the background. I also think it says General Vehicle Company further back. I am guessing it was close to the railroad for the cars, or partially assembled cars to get to these dealers.

Any vintage car folks know how those early 'motor' dealer compare to the modern autmotive dealers?

Perhaps all of the new cars from the dealers were gased up there day and night depending on when they got the new cars ready or transported them? When I say night, it get's dark early in Boston in winter and most folks worked more than 8 hours a day back then. Or maybe it was for the new owners to gas up?

What do you think?

I found the reference when I googled '1917 boston commonwealth avenue factory' There was an article in an October 24, 1918 article from Automotive Industries. Google excepted the article from -Automotive Industries, Vol. 39- I also found a seperate article on the same page where the factories are asking the dealers for their parts inventories so that they can finish cars 'for which various things like axels or springs may be shy.'

Google indicated this book might be available for sale. Looks like a cool reference to have for Automotive history. Tho I imagine many of you know about Automotive Industries already.

Back to the original globe Q, do you think they might have been custom made just for new car owners to see with that first fill up?

Hi, Gang. I know this is a new Texaco Globe posting (originally)...but for what it's worth, the building in the background of the photo houses the Walker Vehicle Co. (of NE). They were a maker of electric trucks and delivery vehicles, based in Chicago. This location at 592 Commonwealth Ave. in Boston housed Walker's NE U.S. branch. Notice the Willard and Exide battery signs on the building! Isn't the internet something??!! John

I was thinking that the 2 buildings were separate 2-3 businesses.