Monday, January 14, 2013

1946 Texaco magazine advertisement


This bright-red 1946 Texaco advertisement1 is touting the newest version of "Fire-Chief Gasoline." The brand, which met the octane requirements for fire engines, was first introduced in 1932. Fourteen years later, the gas got an upgrade:
"Pre-war, wartime, post-war ... you've never known a Texas Fire-Chief gasoline like this! It's better than ever before! It was made possible by Texaco's intensive wartime research."
Some of the other products mentioned in the advertisement include Sky Chief Gasoline2, Havoline and Texaco motor oils, and Marfak Lubrication. (Man, if I had original signs or containers for those products, instead of just a paper advertisement, I bet I could get some nice coin from Mike and Frank.)


The advertisement also promotes "Texaco Star Theatre," which was still a Sunday night radio show at that point. (It didn't make the move to TV until 1948).

James Melton is the host listed in the advertisement. He had followed in the footsteps of Ed Wynn (The Fire Chief), Eddie Cantor and Fred Allen. When Texaco Star Theater moved to television, of course, it made Milton Berle famous.

Footnotes
1. I think the advertisement is from National Geographic, but I can't be 100% sure, because it was already loose-leaf when it came my way.
2. Sky Chief Gasoline was introduced in 1938. According to Wikipedia, it was dispensed from a silver gas pump, as opposed to the red pump used for Fire-Chief Gasoline.

1 comment:

  1. I love this! The 40s & 50s had the best graphics in advertising :)

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