CAPTIONS for Attached Images: (Additional Images of Vintage Filling Stations Available upon Request)
-Roadside filling station, Pittsfield, N.H. along the route between Concord and the eastern edge of Lake Winnipesaukee. The rise of the car culture and the persistence of vacationers’ love of the lake resulted in stations like this one popping up along major tourist routes.
-Howard Brothers store in Piermont doubled as a filling station in the 1920s and 30s. In addition to serving local residents, it catered to travelers along the route between Lyme and Woodsville.
-This ca. 1940 Shell gas pump is among a wide variety of vintage automotive memorabilia on display in the Wright Museum’s new exhibition.
-Filling station attendants were often noted for their professional appearance, courteous demeanor, and overall helpfulness.
Wright Museum Lecture Highlights New 1940s Gas Station Exhibit
WOLFEBORO - A new display at the Wright Museum has re-created a WWII-era filling station within the museum’s gallery that illustrates an important aspect of home front life. To mark the opening of the new installation, the museum will be hosting a special program on Tuesday, July 6 at 7p.m. exploring wartime gas stations and their place in the broader context of American history.
During WWII, American auto manufacturers were fully committed to war production and no new cars were being made for the civilian market. Motorists, therefore, needed to do all they could to keep their pre-war jalopies roadworthy. As a result, WWII-era filling stations took on a vitally patriotic role by keeping older model cars in good repair.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do – or do without was the mantra of the day,” said Wright Museum director Mark Foynes, who will be co-presenting the July 6 program with John Warner, owner of the Melvin Garage of Melvin Village. “Folks made due with what they had so the nation’s industry could fulfill America’s role as the “Arsenal of Democracy,” said Warner, who is also a member of the museum’s Board of Directors.
With the rise of the automobile decades earlier, America’s roadside architecture changed to reflect its people’s increased mobility. Filling stations helped define the streetscapes of the mid-20th century. The addition of the major new exhibit enhances the museum’s ability to evoke the broad totality of American culture during the WWII years.
“Building a 1940s gas station was part of [late museum founder] David Wright’s original vision for the home front room,” said exhibit sponsor Richie Clyne. “He and I used to talk about what it would look like and how much visitors would enjoy the display. That was just a little while before he died. … I’m proud to have had the chance to be part of fulfilling that original vision.”
“This exhibit is a great enhancement to the museum’s home front displays,” said John Warner, who is also a member of the museum’s Board of Directors and a guest curator of the new exhibit. “I can’t wait for new and returning visitors to see this addition and, hopefully, come away with a richer and deeper appreciation for the time period.”
“While we opened the exhibit a short while ago, John [Warner] and I are really looking forward to using the July 6 lecture to formally introduce the display to anyone and everyone who loves history,” said Foynes.
In addition to the lecture and the exhibit opening, Warner will be displaying several items of vintage petrolina and other gas station collectibles on the evening of the lecture.
Admission to the July 6 event is $5 and free for Wright Museum members. Admission to the museum’s exhibits is included in the price of lecture tickets. Doors open one hour before the 7p.m. program. To make reservations, please call 569-1212.
The Wright Museum is located at 77 Center Street in Wolfeboro and is dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of America’s Greatest Generation for generations to come.
Mark Foynes
Executive Director
Wright Museum of WWII History
P.O. Box 1212, 77 Center Street
Wolfeboro, NH 03894
603/569-1212
Visit www.wrightmuseum.org for frequent updates!
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