Mobilize with Mobil

This 1940s road map was handed out by the Mobilinn Cafe and Curios located at the intersection of highways U.S. 60, 66 and 87 in Amarillo, Texas. Mobil Oil’s Flying Red Horse was a common sight along the highways of old.

Stop in Shamrock

Shamrock, Tex. is located on the eastern side of the Texas panhandle. This flat landscape is punctuated by several towns that catered to Route 66 travelers. Shamrock offered the gamut of roadside services. Gas stations were sprinkled along the highway through town, including the well-known Tower Conoco. This Art Deco masterpiece sits at the corner [...]

Masterpiece map

There are plenty of beautiful road maps. But this 1929 example from Shell would be on many folks Top 10 list. Almost 80 years old, this relic shows a bountiful landscape filled with the optimism of people on the move. And who wouldn’t want to stop at that crackerbox-style gas station? This map heralded in [...]

Happy service

One of the great things about old road maps are the depictions of the service station attendants. They gleefully hand out the latest map or wave goodbye. Smiles and impeccable dress are a must. It doesn’t matter that these guys have been changing tires and oil all day. Here are two examples of how oil [...]

Don’t forget your passport

Drive the Meridian Highway from Winnipeg, Canada all the way south past Monterrey, Mexico. This classic guidebook, from 1931, does a fantastic job of selling travel along U.S. Highway 81. Pages of this guide are filled with romantic illustrations and descriptions of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The road was 1,851 [...]

Scribbles from 66

Used almost like a diary, this little gas station booklet details a 1949 road trip along portions of Route 66. Mrs. Fillotson began her journey from Kansas City in a 1941 Ford. She left on July 8 driving U.S. 54 west through Kansas. On July 10, she pulled onto the Mother Road at Tucumcari and [...]

Drive with care – and use Sinclair

If you pulled into your local Sinclair station in 1958, chances are the attendant would have offered you this calendar. Sinclair was just one of several oil companies that handed out a plethora of great-looking graphic design. Each month of this calendar was illustrated with a simple photo and a reminder of your auto’s needs. [...]

Best in the West

This sparkling little booklet was handed out by Standard gas stations in 1936. It is filled with fantastical descriptions of western scenes and cities. Here is a description of Southern California: Huge, astonishingly varied – what a place to play! Deserts with their tonic sunshine. Miles of orange and date groves. Foamy breakers on semi-tropical [...]