Up for sale is an incredibly rare, 100% original early 1910s antique advertising cloth bag issued by the historic Waters Pierce Oil Co. for their \"Best Grade Automobile Waste.\"In the dawn of the automotive era, \"automobile waste\" consisted of raw, unspun cotton fibers used by early motorists and mechanics to clean grease, wipe dipsticks, and absorb oil spills in garages. Because these bags were intended to be used up, thrown away, or stained with grease, surviving examples in clean condition are rare. This fantastic piece of Petroliana features bold red and green typography cross-promoting two iconic early brands: Polarine Ideal Motor Oil (\"Frost and Carbon Proof Oil\") and \"Pennant\" Gasoline (\"Best and Cleanest... Gives Maximum Power\").The Waters Pierce Oil Co. (headquartered in St. Louis) was a highly powerful regional marketing and distribution arm tightly tied to John D. Rockefeller\'s Standard Oil Trust, operating primarily in Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Mexico. Following fierce anti-trust legal battles led by the state of Texas, the company was famously forced to dissolve and reorganize around 1911–1913. This specific corporate timeline dates this bag precisely to the 1910–1912 era, making it a true survivor from the pioneer days of the American highway.This bag is in excellent, investment-grade antique condition given its age and intended utility.The graphics are remarkably bright, crisp, and fully legible with excellent color.The fabric shows beautiful, authentic age patina with minor light spotting and faint storage folding creases as expected.Structurally sound with tight seams. There is a tiny bit of minor thread fraying/wear at the very bottom left edge seam (please see close-up photo), which does not affect.This item is being sold in its unaltered, original found state. It has not been washed or ironed to preserve the integrity of the early water-based inks and historic patina.Please study the high-resolution photos carefully to judge the condition for yourself. This would look phenomenal framed behind UV-glass as a center-piece for any serious gas and oil, Standard Oil, or early automobilia collection.
Related Items:
RARE 2 Antique Victorian Spelter Knight Candlesticks Figural 19th Century
$750.00
RARE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ANTIQUE Statue Goddess Bastet Cat for Amber Stone Egypt BC
$383.20
Rare Antique 1872 Moscow Polytechnic Exhibition Ludwig Marks Glass Bottle Flask.
$164.55
