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History of a Painting - The Marathon Gas Pump

By
Real Estate Agent with Broker, Friends & Neighbors Real Estate and Elkhart County Subdivisions, LLC RB14037276

History of a Painting - The Marathon Gas Pump.

Acrylic Painting by Larry Johnston©

During my years of painting and selling, I had many requests for prints.  The subjects ranged from outhouses to Fancy Theatres.  As I collected my subjects and painted them, I started painting them in sets of four.  One of those sets included Gas Pumps. They included Texaco, Shell, Gulf, American, Sinclair and Marathon.  As you can see, my sets of four grew as more requests came in.

One of those pumps I found, was in central Indiana, north of Indianapolis.  Many farmers had their own pumps for the farm equipment.  This one was behind the farm house, out by the barn.  The old pump up gas pump, with the glass top was still in pretty good condition, however you can tell they no longer use it, since the rubber filler hose was missing. It was called a "Gravity Pump".  You pumped the gas into the glass top, for the amount you wanted and then when you were ready, you opened the valve and the gravity forced the gas through the hose into the equipment. Several of my paintings included gravity pumps.

The Marathon pump was conveniently located, right by the entrance to the fields.  With Winter at hand, there was not much activity.

 

Blogs About Some of My Other Paintings and their History:

Loew's Jersey Theatre,....  Marathon Gas Pump,....  Calloway's Round Barn,....  River Street, Savannah, GA,....  Court House, Crown Point, IN,....  Pooles Mill Covered Bridge,....  Steak and Shake,....  The Peanut Shop,....  Hot Diggity Dogs,....  Wrigley Field,.... Piano Through a Window,.... The Coconut Tree,....  Barber Tonics,.... Pelican Diner,.... A & W Drive-in,.... The Lantern,.... The FOX Theatre, Atlanta,...  Tri-Way Outdoor Theatre,...  Rexall Drug Store,...  A Family Homestead,...  The Palace Theatre,...  Angel's Diner,...  Krispy Kreme, Gainsville, Florida,...  Bonnie Doon US31,...  Ross Diner,...  The Gag & Heave,... A&W Root Beer Barrel,...  Bonnie Doon, Lincolnway, Mishawaka, IN,...  Train Depot, Cartersville, GA,...  Dairy Queen,...  Firestone Store,...  The South Shore,...  The Gathering Place,...  4-Way Lunch,...  Mustard and Ketchup,... McDonald's,...  Lost Mountain Store,...   The Big Chicken,...  Euharlee, GA. Covered Bridge,...  Juliette, GA Church,...  Fried Green Tomatoes House,...  Whistle Stop Cafe,...   Whistle Stop Train Depot,...  Tilley Park,...   Jimmy's Hurricane,...   Barber Chair,...  Fire Truck,...   Rosies Diner,... Judge Roy Bean's   

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If you know someone who wants to Buy or Sell a Home in Elkhart County, Indiana or surrounding areas, have them call me:

Larry Johnston, 574-304-7577

Friends & Neighbors Real Estate and Elkhart County Subdivisions, LLC

Elkhart, Indiana

or email larry@larry-johnston.com

Richie Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

The beginning of anything when decades are added to it does become a topic for conversation...

Jan 17, 2015 11:21 PM
Noah Seidenberg
Coldwell Banker - Evanston, IL
Chicagoland and Suburbs (800) 858-7917

I love those old glass pimps from the 30's through 50's Larry. Great art work. You are amazing.

Jan 18, 2015 12:18 AM
Debb Janes
Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

Really cool painting, Larry. I've never seen a glass gas pump in person, but would appreciate seeing one. Americana - :)

Jan 18, 2015 01:27 AM
Sandy Padula & Norm Padula, JD, GRI
HomeSmart Realty West & Florida Realty Investments - , CA
Presence, Persistence & Perseverance

Larry Johnston Great painting you shared. It definitely exhibits the contrasts of our life, i.e., open spaces and a means of shortening the distance between those spaces.

Jan 18, 2015 02:14 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

I can remember as a kid a couple of older gas stations that filled their cars from those glass pumps and the attendant made change from their pocket after they checked the oil and washed the windshield. 

Jan 18, 2015 02:54 AM
Evelyn Johnston
Friends & Neighbors Real Estate - Elkhart, IN
The People You Know, Like and Trust!

First time I have ever seen a gravity gas pump was here in Indiana.  Don't know if this was it or not...

Jan 18, 2015 04:07 AM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Larry there are a number of old farms around me, and I have seen these gas pumps on a couple of them.  Great job in capturing what one looks like in this painting.

Jan 18, 2015 07:02 AM