Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana Company of the Month for April: Johnson Oil Refining Company

Well, for tonight we have a couple of "fly foe" products. This was Johnson insect repellant. The can is a sample can and the sprayer was suposedly found with 11 others in a case that hadn't been used. The Centralene can is a "trip to the hospital waiting to happen". You have to be carefull and your shots have to be up to date to pick this one up. This is one of the earliest cans, from the teens. We have pictures of better examples that we do not own. Those will come later.
Next, is a salesman sample perfect gallon can. It doesn't even look real. A case of those was found with the "fly-foe" sprayer. How would you like to be that guy?? Another thin gallon can (what is "knee action lubricant"?) is next, then a handy oiler, a can of "handy cleaner" and a really neat little Brilliant Bronze guaze bandage tin complete with unused bandage rolled up inside.
Finally, we have the "floss e gloss" cans. Believe it or not, all 4 of those cans are different. You have to look at each one close, but the other 3 sides of each can tell the tale as well.
Tomorrow, we will start posting some of the "premiums" that were given away at the stations.

Thanks,

Jeff

[This message has been edited by JORECO (edited 04-08-2004).]

[This message has been edited by JORECO (edited 04-08-2004).]

wonderful story and the writing of the piece was first rate, a breath of fresh air. gary

Here are some of Jeff's and Neil's calendars.

Here we go. I love calenders. Simply put, they date the logos. You can learn so much about a company from them and maps. Anyway, these are all desk calenders. All are cardboard wrapped in a leather like material except for the 1941 calender. It is metal. The 1946 has balsa wood on it which I think is odd. The one from '53 is the newest dated item (other than a few maps) we have from the company.

Thanks,

Jeff

OK, Bob wants to know if that is some kind of sick pain toy in the first picture. That is a "bolo" paddle. There should be a rubber ball stapled to it. The back side is marked like a baseball diamond. I personally had one when I was a child and it lasted about 10 minutes before the ball fell off.

Next to it is a little plaque that has the Pledge of Allegience on it. On the back, the wood is stamped or branded "Compliments of your Brilliant Bronze Stations".

The next pic is a really cool, old metal wind up alarm clock, next is a balsa wood plane never assembled in the box (wind with advertisement shown), then 2 different angles of a cardboard G-MAN toy periscope (it works), Brilliant Bronze hot pad, Brilliant Bronze pocket dictionary, a pocket watch with leather cover (this is not really old, a reproduction) and finally a Brilliant Bronze business card holder.

Tomorrow, more of the same.

Thanks,

Jeff

Tonight we have a small pin back thermometer, a few bigger (about 8" tall) painted metal termometers, license tag toppers that I am sure most of you have seen, and a few variations of hot pads for the last couple of pictures.

Thanks,

Jeff

Here, we have 3 colors of coat hooks with suction cups. One of them still has the box. One interesting thing to note is that the yellow one in the middle has "save 2 cents". This is the only item we have, or have seen that uses 2 cents instead of 3. Weird. Next picture is of a couple of wall mounted broom holders in the box, next is a wooden ice scraper and a set of 4 license plate mounting bolts on a cardboard ad, and finally a Brilliant Penn fly swatter.

Thanks,

Jeff

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Scott in Kansas City
quarts@mindspring.com

just super really enjoying it. cheese

First picture is a really neat mirror that clips on your sunvisor and also reminds you to change your oil. Next, is our "bag of bags". It is a envelope with sandwich bags in it. Third picture is of 3 different colors of pocket mirrrors advertising Brilliant Bronze, next we have 3 different years (all from the 30's) of local high school football schedules, and finally we have 2 different colored flashlights. To me, these are some of the coolest items we have. Both are made of cardboard, take 1 "D" size battery and 1 has a piece of wood that acts as a filler (the perfect size) for that battery. Really neat trinkets to look at.

Thanks,

Jeff

[img]http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4da37b3127ccebcb6579f9e170000004610[/img]

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Scott in Kansas City
quarts@mindspring.com

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Scott in Kansas City
quarts@mindspring.com