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Stop 13

Stop 13 at the Filling Station Museum Quincy FL Self Guided Tour
13A- Spur & Citizens Gas Pump Globes
13B- Salesman Kit, Gulf Globe, Promotional Items and Gulf Speciality Products
13C- Gulf service manuals & Gas Pump globe box

13A – Spur Gas Pump Globe & Citizens Gas Pump Globe

Vintage Gas Globes Spur and Citizens 77 at the Filling Station Museum Quincy FL
Left: This Spur gas pump globe, dating to the 1940s, is crafted entirely from glass to create a glowing advertisement atop a gas pump. The all-glass construction features the Spur Oil Company’s logo—a vivid red horseshoe with a white spur icon and blue lettering.
The Spur Oil Company, active primarily in the 1930s and 1940s, was a smaller, independent oil company based in the Midwest, focusing on gasoline distribution to rural and farming communities in states like Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri. During the 1940s, Spur competed with larger brands by emphasizing affordability and reliability, appealing to farmers and budget-conscious drivers amidst the economic recovery following the Great Depression and the demands of World War II. 
Fun Fact:

Swing Your Partner Do-Si-Do: Spur Oil sponsored local barn dances in the Midwest during the 1940s, tying its horseshoe logo to rural entertainment, much like a modern brand sponsoring a music festival.

The horseshoe logo, a symbol of good luck, was a deliberate choice to convey trustworthiness, resonating with rural customers who valued practical, dependable fuel for their vehicles and farm equipment. The horseshoe logo was often paired with a slogan like “Ride with Luck, Ride with Spur,” playing on superstitions to build customer trust.

Right:  This 17-inch by 15-inch Citizens 77 globe, dating to the 1950s, is an original piece with a glass lens set in a metal frame. Citizens 77 was a regional gasoline and oil brand, primarily active in the Midwest and Southeast U.S. during the 1940s and 1950s, often associated with independent distributors or co-ops that marketed fuel under this name. 

Fun Fact:

Timing is Everything:  The “77” in the name was sometimes linked to a promotional campaign where the 77th customer of the day got a free gallon of gas.

During this period, the brand focused on providing affordable, high-quality gasoline and lubricants, targeting small-town drivers and farmers who valued reliability over flashy branding. The “77” in the name likely referred to the octane rating of the gasoline or was a marketing gimmick to suggest superiority, a common tactic among smaller brands competing with giants like Gulf or Texaco.

Fun Fact:
More Muscle:  Citizens 77 gasoline was marketed as ideal for the new, more powerful engines of the 1950s, appealing to drivers eager to test their cars’ limits.

13B -Salesman Kit, Gulf Gas Pump Globe, Gulf Promotional items, Variety of Gulf Speciality products

Salesman Kit, Gulf Gas Pump Globe, Promotional items and Variety of Gulf Developed Oils and Fules at Quincy Filling Station Museum

Salesman Sample Kit (Second Shelf, Leftmost):  This Gulf Salesman Sample Kit, dating to the 1950s, is a compact leather case containing miniature bottles of Gulf’s latest oils and lubes, designed for salesmen to showcase products to service station owners. These kits were crucial in expanding Gulf’s market share, as they allowed salesmen to physically demonstrate product quality to station owners in rural and urban areas alike.

This kit reflects Gulf’s cultural impact in the 1950s, a time when personal connections and face-to-face sales were key to business growth.

Gulf’s emphasis on quality lubricants helped shape the car maintenance habits of a generation, encouraging regular oil changes to keep vehicles running smoothly.

 

Fun Fact: 
Can’t Argue With That:  Salesmen carried small funnels to demonstrate oil viscosity, pouring samples to show how Gulf products outperformed competitorsfor a hands-on demo.
Gulf Glass Gas Pump Globe (Second Shelf, Middle):
This Gulf glass gas pump globe, dating to the 1940s, is a luminous piece of service station history, designed to sit atop a gas pump and attract motorists with its glowing presence. These globes were a staple at Gulf service stations, serving as both a functional light source and a bold advertisement for the brand’s gasoline and motor oil products.
The Gulf Oil Corporation in the 1940s was a dominant force in the U.S. oil industry, having grown from the Spindletop discovery in 1901 to a nationwide network of stations. During this period, Gulf supplied fuel to the U.S. military during World War II, which boosted its reputation, while also expanding its consumer market as car ownership surged post-war.
Fun Fact:

Upsidedown Vase:

These all-glass globes were hand-blown by a skilled craftman and took hours to create, much like creating a custom vase.
Gulf Promotional Items -Glasses, Playing Cards, and Other Giveaways (2nd, 3rd & 4th Shelf):
These items were distributed at Gulf service stations as loyalty rewards, encouraging repeat business by offering practical and entertaining gifts. Gulf’s strategy of tying its brand to everyday items helped cement its place in American car culture, as families associated the logo with quality and reliability.
Fun Fact: 

Starbucks Didn’t Start It:  The glasses were sometimes collected in sets, with different slogans on each, a collecting craze similar to modern limited-edition merchandise drops.

Cans of Gulf Oils,  Lubes and Fuels (2nd & 3rd Shelf):
This collection from the 1950s includes a variety of metal containers. Labels feature products like “Gulfpride Motor Oil,” “Gulflube,” and “Gulf No-Nox Fuel Additive,” with detailed text promoting their benefits for engine performance. These cans were sold at Gulf service stations, used by attendants to service vehicles or purchased by customers for home use, reflecting the era’s focus on hands-on car maintenance.

13C -Gulf Service Manuals & Gas pump globe box

Service Manuals and Original Box from Gas Pump Globe at the Filling Station Museum Quincy FL

Mid Century Service Manuals (2nd from Bottom Shelf):

This collection of service manuals essential for standardizing service practices. The Gulflex Guide was a key tool in mid-20th-century service stations, used to ensure proper lubrication for vehicles during a time when cars required frequent maintenance due to less advanced engine technology.

Fun Fact:

Town and Country:

The Gulflex Guide often included tips for maintaining farm equipment, reflecting the rural customer base of many Gulf stations in the 1940s and 1950s.
Gulf Automotive Lubrication Service Guide (Bottom Left):

This service guide dates back to the 1920s or 1930s, a period when the Ford Model T was a dominant force in the automotive world, with over 15 million cars sold.

This guide dates back to the 1920s or 1930s, a period when the Ford Model T, produced from 1908 to 1927, was a dominant force in the automotive world, with over 15 million units sold. Gulf Oil, already a major player by this time, produced these guides to assist mechanics in maintaining these early vehicles, which required frequent lubrication due to their basic mechanical design.

 

Fun Fact:
“Tin Lizzie,”: A common nick name for the Model T, required lubrication every 100 miles, making manuals like this Gulf guide indispensable.
Cincinnati Advertising Products Co. Glass Box (Bottom Right):  
This aged cardboard box on the lower shelf, labeled “GLASS” and stamped with the mark of The Cincinnati Advertising Products Co., once held a glass gas pump globe—a decorative and functional piece that adorned early 20th-century gas stations. The box is addressed to The Gulf Oil Corp. Quincy, Fla. Glass gas pump globes were iconic fixtures at service stations from the 1920s to the 1950s and the box’s sturdy cardboard construction was designed to protect its fragile contents during shipping.
Fun Fact:
They Got Around:  The Cincinnati Advertising Products Co. produced globes for multiple brands, including Gulf, Texaco, and Sinclair, in the 1920s and 1930s.
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