Page 38 - JOAMay2021

Visible Gasoline Dispenser fromTokheim Bulletin 1920 Advertisement for Wayne Company Model 60 1936 print advertisement
Tokheim Oil Tank & Pump Co.

even magazines—that might have information in them about anything Other companies also created Bulletins but called them a “Form”
petro. I discovered eBay was also a good source of literature back in and some just used a letter and a number. Smaller companies like Erie
the 1990s. used brochures showing 10 or 12 pumps and everything else they made.
The search for more literature also took me to libraries and museums Some companies used what might be called a Brochure; these usually
in cities where there used to be a pump company. I started in Ft. had as many as 10 or 12 pages and covered more than one pump. There
Wayne, Indiana, copying everything the History Museum had on usually was a “Price List” at the back of the brochure. Erie used this
Bowser, Wayne, and Tokheim gas pump manufacturers. sales method more than the other companies.
These Bulletins or Forms were almost all printed in color, and
Shifting Literature to Bulletins this is where I got most of the pictures that I used in my Gas Pump
It was right around the turn of the Bible book.
century that the pump companies
started advertising gas pumps to Filling the Tank
station owners. The booklets started In the late 1990s, I was invited to the Bennett Pump
getting larger, but not yet to the 8.5 Company in Muskegon, MI. The Bennett Company was
x 11-inch size we are accustomed to about to be dissolved when two local men, who had
today. Some were long, some were worked for Bennett, purchased the company. They were
tall. When companies expanded moving everything out of the original building in
their product line to include other Muskegon. They took me to a small building that
items, some booklets also expanded appeared to be where the designers worked, and I was
to include these items. shown where the literature was and told to take anything
Around about 1910, the ability I wanted. As a result, I believe I have a picture and
to focus product selections for various literature on every Bennett product ever made. I now have
stations started to change as the 41 file drawers filled with petroliana literature (one drawer
companies began printing large-size is Bennett only). There is
pieces of literature. John Tokheim, not literature for every gas
who was doing business in Cedar pump and air meter, but
Rapids, Iowa, began publishing a there is for any piece of
“Bulletin.” J. Tokheim’s Bulletins equipment used in a service
covered everything they had for sale station. I estimate I have
at some point. Virtually all of the over 12,000 pages of
Tokheim Bulletins are two pages, service station literature at
8.5” x 11”, and all color. present featuring anything
Bulletins were used to announce used around the station.
the pump to the salesmen, but My collection includes
magazine ads introduced the pump Union Metal Ornamental eight Bowser booklets alone,
to the oil companies or the service Filling Station and Tokheim plus some from Wayne
station owner. Most Bulletins Filling Station literature and other companies. My
covered only one pump and were used by the salesmen when dealing collection of Tokheim
1:1 with a customer. They explained everything about the pump or Bulletins covers almost every
pumps and explained why the buyer should buy the pump. item Tokheim ever made
In 1924, both Wayne and Tokheim even published a bulletin that between 1920 and 2003 –
covered how to fit a filling station on the size lot you had and included of the 624 Tokheim printed,
20+ pages in full color. While the Bulletins didn’t include the price of I am missing only about
the pump, it did include lots of pictures and information. 40 Bulletins.
36 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles