oh, I know you've been waiting for this one...if you're one of the few people I mentioned this to over drinks, if I ever even did that, maybe I just imagined it. but I've been wanting to post it for a while. really just a photoblog entry, since the history of gas stations is something I haven't learned yet. I certainly could on Flickr, but I'm trying to learn more about trains and transit (and as always, architecture), so I haven't put much effort into learning the history of gas stations, chain restaurants, motels, department, discount, and grocery stores, etc. I imagine when I post more of these on Flickr I'll get some help.
photos of this first place were taken mid-June 2008:
flowers that go rather well with the fallen sign:
yes, another large symmetrical shot looking out! the rest are from my trip on September 9. 2008:
okay, this one isn't Googieesque, I just thought it had interesting signage, and it was across from the previous station:
both these trips were on absolutely gorgeous warm sunny days, when I took the Metrolink from St. Louis by myself and wandered around downtown East St. Louis for the afternoon, including into several abandoned buildings. the followup will be the terrazzos of downtown East St. Louis (and I should post the abandoned buildings eventually!).
(okay, that was three new posts in three days, but I'm not locking myself into a daily format here--hopefully several posts a week, though)
5 comments:
There are a whole crop of those gas stations around Saint Louis (Philips 66). Here's one in suburban Saint Louis I photographed a few years back that's now gone.
Do you know if the one you posted still exists? Could you explain how to find it?
Cool photo.
I don't really know the streets there, but I know the yellow one is visible not long after the downtown Metrolink, past the abandoned hospital. I think it was still there in September, I haven't been up close in ESL since.
The others were when I wandered off away from downtown...
Thanks. I'll look for it.
A friend of mine has been tracking these down all over town.
The yellow one is on Missouri Avenue just west of collinsville Avenue. The architectural artifacts come from several demolished EStL buildings, including the Public Library and City Hall. The long-gone gas station owner was a collector of sorts.
The other one recently reopened as tire shop -- so some good news there.
Katherine, the first few photos you have got are from the old prototype of Philips 66 bat winged gas stations. I did a write up on this around our parts late last fall which is at:
http://dimbeautyofchicago.blogspot.com/2008/09/its-bird-its-plane-no-its-bat-gas.html
I love gas stations. It has been my fascination the last couple of years. These are some awesome photos!
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