Given our latest redesign, we thought it would be highly appropriate to feature something one of our users (and sponsors) is highly passionate about – vintage service station signs. Steve Johnson is the man behind GarageArt.com and he pretty much lives for the conservation and history of old signage. One of his favorites is the signage from the Flying A Service Stations. He’s so into it that I thought it might be cool to have Steve write up a little history lesson for us… Here it is:
Flying A gasoline was sold by associated dealers of Tidewater Oil Company on the west coast before and after World War II. In the early 1900’s a group of well operators formed the Associated Oil Company to transport oil out of their fields. The pipeline ended at the company’s refinery in Martinez, CA. In a few years Associated products were distributed all over the west coast and Hawaii.
In 1936, Associated joined Tidewater Oil, makers of Tydol and Veedol, to form the Tidewater Associated Oil Company – a nationwide firm. Associated’s trademark, flying wings attached to a letter ‘A’ for Associated, became the new company’s national marketing emblem. While Tidewater Associated was becoming one of the country’s major oil companies, J. Paul Getty bought stock over about 20 years and by 1951 he controlled the company.
In 1966, Phillips 66 bought out the west coast stations and the east coast stations became Getty Oil Stations, bringing an end to the Flying A brand by 1970.
Granted, oil and gas history isn’t really on topic or our thing here at garagejournal.com, but it is kind of cool to learn about the origins of some of the signs we might have hanging in our work space. Thanks for the lesson Steve!
Reply with your favorite wall hangers…
