Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Red Crown Thermometers....

Hello All,
I was curious if anyone has ever researched an approximate timeline of the years the different 6 foot Red Crown thermometers were produced? At one time I printed off the photo that circulates of 5 or 6 different versions for sale at a show years ago. The one is obviously quite early due to the design of the crown and overall appearance, but were they all produced in a 10 to 15 year time span?
For instance, my Power, Service, Economy version has a 1915 patent date, which I know is not the actual year the thermometer was produced, I'm guessing it's 1930-ish but I'm not sure and would be interested to find out a more specific time frame if possible.
Also, just how many different versions of these are there? I was thinking 5 or 6, but I don't know for sure. I'm lucky to own the beautiful working one I have for sure. I'm not looking to add any more unless I chanced upon another someday like I did this one as I couldn't have afforded dealer prices on one!
Thanks for any information....
Darin

Darin

I know of 5 versions. Would love to see another version if one exsists.

I too was thinking these thermos were circa 1930. Someone that is an authority on redcrown and polarine could better pinpoint date. Beach company ceased operation in 1940, so it would be impossible to be newer than 1940.

I have some pictures that show these thermos with early cars. I will dig them up and post.

I just found my copy of the picture, there are 5 shown. The one does not have the Red Crown logo, but the Polarine and Standard torch logo on it. I gather it's still considered part of the series due to the size and is still a Standard Oil Co. thermo. I'm guessing that might be the last one of the series?

I have always thought they were 20's.I have a pic of one of mine along with a Red Crown raised letter globe with a 20,s car in the pic.

I've got the Polarine and Standard torch version and I would consider it a part of the series.I don't know where it is in the series,but I do think It might be the most scarce one because it deals with only oil while the oyher versions deal with gasoline and oil .But I'm not sure of that.

I'll look when I go over to the shop to see which version of the thermo is in the pic.

Darin--Could you post that picture of the 5 different versions? Thanks--KEVIN

Ditto..

Great topic, I too would love to see various pictures
Ray

Here you go guys...not a very good pic as I had to scan the one I printed out in 2007, when I first started collecting and had found my thermometer.
Darin

WOW, would love to have the one on the far right.

Thanks for posting the photo, Darin!

I agree with craig.....the one on the far right is the big dog.

Great photo and an informative thread! That's a photo I'll be adding to my resource library.

The one on the far right is SO of Nebraska as I recall.The others are SO of Indiana I think.My Red Crown,the one in the middle,is marked on the bottom with ADV 244.My oil one with the Indiana torch is not marked in any way.Anyone know what those numbers mean?

Here is a 6th different one for the list. The one on the left.

Also....the one on the right has no holes around the perimeter for mounting. I made the frame and cut a groove around the perimeter and assembled the frame around the sign. I am thinking originally it could have had a seperate bead piece to hold the sign in the frame....???

Jim

Here's mine.

I think Standard used the ADV prefix on lots of different advertising items, from porcelain signs to paper items. My thermometer has the same ID number as yours, ADV 244, which I find interesting. Below is the pic of me with mine after I found it and framed it. The globe was given to me by my brother's boss, who was the Standard jobber in the area where I found the thermometer. He said I needed it as a go along piece, so I got both pieces within a week of each other. I've since found the ring for the globe. It was still screwed in a M&S 80 sitting in his work storage shed.

Is one of these 2 simular ones harder to get than the other one?..

Okay, so here's what I know.
Here are photos of some Red Crown thermometers in situ.
In the first one, please note the Ford sign. This sign was released to Ford dealers in April 1917 (per that month's issue of The Ford Times) Later versions included "Fordson" (post-WW I tractor production) and one that includes "Lincoln" (purchased by Ford in 1922).
The second photo shows a Glascock Coca Cola cooler. Glascock obtained the rights to manufacture these coolers in 1928 or 1929.
The third shows an obviously 1920s car at the pump.
Now, as with everything else it is important to remember that once a sign, thermometer, gas pump or tire rack was put up, it did not come down because a later version was available. Also, a photo showing a car could be made any time after the car was made. So a 1920s car can easily be in a photo taken in 1933 or 1935 or during WW II or last week for that matter if skillfully posed.
The rule of thumb here is: "No older than." If a photo shows a 1922 Ford Model T, the photo can be "no older than" 1922. As with our Glascock cooler, that photo is "no older than" 1929. But, the thermometer could have been tacked up in 1920 for all we know.

Here's a 1925 Ford Model T at the pump.
This photo is no older than 2010 (that's when I took it, LOL)
The point being, be careful in dating photographs.
I could take this image, change it to sepia or black and white and you'd have a pretty deceptive image.
After analysis, however, the pump has a variety of SO items on it from different companies and the photo obviously wasn't taken in 1925.

I have never come across one of these in person. How scarce are they and what are they worth?

Thanks to this thread and being exposed to them...I'm going start looking for one.

Interesting thread.Usually we try to answer direct questions when they are asked yet no one has responded.I think many of us,myself included,won't post unless we are almost sure of what we are saying.

With that qualification in place that I'm not sure,I do think this topic deserves perhaps some reasoned speculation.I don't think any of us really know what went on with specific pieces from the early times,but I do think that comparisons to other pieces from the same era can be useful in estimating age and rarity.

Mr Wadhams,I think your sign without the holes in it may have been a part of a three piece assembly;back frame,sign sandwiched in between and a highly detailed and milled front wood facing.I say that because I have a US Tires sign that I believe to be from the 20's constructed in the same three piece assembly.

Randy,if my comparison is accepted,then the one without the holes is going to be the most scarce.I say that because it would not have taken them long to figure out that it is cheaper to put holes in a sign and screw it to a cheap frame than it is to make a highly detailed frame around each sign.

Oh,BTW Dave,scarce?In 9.0 - 9.5 condition with an orginal wood frame and good original tube,YES,I think so.Value?I don't post values on here.I'll let someone who goes to the big shows handle that one if they choose to.

Just my thoughts,nothing more.

Need to revive this great post as I recently acquired a Red Crown Thermometer and need a little help. Mine is missing the Mercury Tube (located a new replacement) but need help in how it was mounted to the sign. If anyone could post or send me pics of a close up of the back and the front of their sign I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Need to get a piece of wood I believe around a 1x4 and make a groove for the tube to lay flush then it screwed on from the front. Mine are all hanging otherwise I could shoot you a picture.

Thanks for the information.