Oil & Gas Advertising Cans, Bottles & other Petroliana

Oil & Gas Advertising Cans, Bottles & other Petroliana

Petroliana is a term used to describe antiques related to gas stations and the oil business in general. The area for collectors is focused on advertising using oil cans, bottles, gas pumps, gas-pump globes, signs and even road maps. Major name players in the gas and oil field included Mobil, Texaco, Standard Oil, Shell, Phillips 66 and Esso.

In the early days of auto travel, service stations were often poorly lit so lighted gas-pump globes and other signage was used to draw in motorists and reassure them that is was safe. Gas-pumps had clear glass windows in which a customer could see the gas being pumped through and into their cars. Later on, those glass windows were used to show the price as the gas was being pumped.

Popular with petroliana collectors are oil cans that are in good condition with little rust and still showing some of the vibrant colors it once had. Of course, signage depicting these oil and gas companies continue to find a huge following today, in particular, porcelain signs.

Collectors who often look for petroliana are avid car enthusiasts although many just love collecting items that feature the company names of bygone oil-and-gas companies and service stations. It is nostalgia that brings these collectors searching for the right oil and/or gas piece, searching for a place in time where things were simpler.