Oil Company Ephemera
Just a small collection of oil company maps I’ve found around the web; I wasn’t aware of this fascinating sub-genre of design. This is the sort of throw-away stuff that for some reason is the coolest thing to find in the garage drawer it’s been sitting in for 30 years. I think that Hawaii one is actually just a Casino Versus Japan 12″ cover. That German one is ridiculous; leave it to them to design a map that they give out free at the gas station that betters the collective output of United State graphic designers for the entire calendar year in which it was produced. Way to go guys.
Sources:
Shell Nature Lovers’ Atlas
Shell Deutschland Map
Mobil Travel Map
Shell Hawaii Map
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04/26/10 - 
June 25th, 2009 at 5:17 am
Konstanz – my hometown is on the shell map – nice designed, too.
June 25th, 2009 at 7:04 am
what’s wrong with the german one?
June 25th, 2009 at 7:48 am
While I think the German map is nice, I’d hesitate to throw US designers collective output for an entire year under the bus for it. Check out a few Graphis design annuals from the 60’s and I think you’ll find quite a few great pieces from US designers that would rival this map.
June 25th, 2009 at 8:43 am
… the german map shows also a special state of mind of the publisher: the eastern part of germany was in those days a several state (GDR). and the graphic also includes west-poland without a several borderline (stettin is since the WWII the polish szczecin) … a typical cold war-product
June 25th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Yeah, I am sure the Eames Office, Gorge Nelson Associates, and Eliot Noyes ans Partners just to mention a few, have some pieces to rival that map.
For example
http://www.fl.../2416138634/
June 25th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Love how on the Nature Lovers’ Atlas what could be topographical map contours might also suggest an oil spill.
June 25th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Oh hell yeah! I saw the 2nd one down yesterday on FFFFOUND and saved it almost instantly…that top one is amazing!
June 25th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Brent & Scott –
hy⋅per⋅bo⋅le [hahy-pur-buh-lee]
–noun Rhetoric.
1. obvious and intentional exaggeration.
2. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”
But yeah, I get your point, and I agree with you, I just figured I’d have a little fun because I didn’t think anyone would take me seriously when I compared a gas station map to the US graphic design industry.
June 26th, 2009 at 7:04 am
Well of course you where, it just that the internet automatically forces us to take up arms and prove your wrong by being equally shortsighted.
June 26th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Hey! I’m from Oklahoma. Lovely map, there.
June 29th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
[...] an awesome collection of vintage maps that Scott Hansen has compiled. I love this kind of stuff and I always scour eBay for these gems. [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
That was fun. Would have loved to see more. Reminded me of those good old days of motoring. My dad was naturally excited to see those when I showed him the post. Nice work.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:48 am
Hi Scott. What are the maps like in the Nature Lovers’ Atlas? Do they use colours similar to the cover design, or is that the best bit?
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:01 pm
schwerin my nabortown and hamburg my worktown is on the first map, like it
July 23rd, 2009 at 2:25 am
[...] via ISO50 [...]
November 9th, 2009 at 1:27 am
(Spoilers: Frankfurt is twice on the German map.)