Got Gas? – a new book recently published by Jimmy Rosen

front cover of Got Gas?

back cover of Got Gas?

I recently received a copy of a new book by Jimmy Rosen of Duncannon, Pennsylvania. The book is titled Got Gas? – A pictorial look at central Pennsylvania service stations from the 20th Century. I have known Jimmy for quite a few years through Facebook and we have a lot of friends in common. Jimmy and I have actually never met but we are certainly kindred spirits. Jimmy is an old soul at heart and enjoys collecting among other things, antique autos, motorscooters, arcade games and vending machines. He is the proprietor of The Old Sled Works, a retail market for antique and craft vendors located in the building complex that for many years housed Standard Novelty Works, famous for their Lightning Guider sleds. As Jimmy told me, most people are familiar with Flexible Flyer sleds which were a main competitor to Lightning Guider sleds. You can find out more info on the Old Sled Works here at http://www.sledworks.com/

For some background, Standard Novelty Works started manufacturing sleds in 1904. Jimmy’s dad, Norm Rosen became the second owner of the company in 1968 at the age of 29 and continued making the sleds through 1990 prior to shutting down due to dwindling sales. Jimmy was given the opportunity to reopen the buildings as Old Sled Works in April of 1991. As Jimmy went on to tell me, “I had traveled around central Pennsylvania looking at other similar type malls and flea markets to get ideas. I expected a two or three year run while I was still figuring out what “real career” I wanted to be involved in. Well, we just celebrated thirty years and I still haven’t decided what career I want to be involved in”.

Luckily for us, Jimmy stayed with this non-career he never planned on pursuing. He came across a lot of interesting things from a collecting standpoint. Not long ago an old acquaintance by the name of Bob Shultz contacted Jimmy and asked him to take a look at some items he was looking at finding a new home for, among them a decent amount of cases and boxes of artifacts from the former Atlantic Refining District Office, once located at 2217 North 7th Street in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Schultz had been employed at the district office for Atlantic Refining from 1962 to 1996 when it closed and was among the employees instructed to have everything removed from the office. These cases and boxes had been slated for the trash heap but Shultz knew of the existence of the old maps, car advertisements and some photos of area gas stations that were stashed and could not bear to just toss these, so he took them home.

These photos of area gas stations were actually more than 300 large-format negatives dating from the 1920s and 1930s. The photos from the negatives from this collection have become that basis for Got Gas? In fact most of these have never been seen by the general public before and it is most certainly a huge glimpse into the early history of service stations in and around the Capitol Region of Pennsylvania.

I had been following Jimmy Rosen’s posts about the impending publication of this book when earlier this year he posted a photo of a place called The Park Side Service Station which was located at the corner of State and Walnut Streets in Harrisburg. I recognized this place immediately but knew at as The Park Side Cafe from the 1980s. I was very excited to see this old photo and sent Jimmy my one and only photo of The Park Side Cafe from a 35mm slide I shot in 1983.

The Park Side Cafe, photo from April 3, 1983 by Larry Cultrera

Jimmy immediately asked for permission to use my photo as part of a then & now section in his book. I of course said that would be great. I am always thrilled to see my photos being used (with permission and attribution). Otherwise they may only show up in my Facebook posts… My photo, along with The Park Side as the service station and a more current photo appear on page 49 in Jimmy’s book.

Page 49 of Got Gas?

When I shot my photo, I had often passed this building when visiting Harrisburg and was taken by the old neon signs as well as the retro look of the cafe itself. I guess I was lucky to get this one shot as it captured everything I liked about the place. I know I did finally get to go in and have a meal approximately four years after I took the photo.

Anyway, to talk more about this self-published book, this will appeal to people who enjoy Gas Station photos and/or collectors of gas station memorabilia, as well as anyone who has grown up in the Greater Harrisburg area. It shows a lot of places that may still be around, though altered and used for other purposes as evidenced by The Park Side photos. The photos are just plain wonderful. Jimmy had help with identifying a good portion of the locations from researchers Emily McCoy and Kurt Harlacher, leaving only a small amount unidentified. The book features a wonderful Foreword written by my old friend from the Society for Commercial Archeology – Brian Butko.

This book is a great addition to anyone’s roadside library and at $29.95 it is a good deal as well. To purchase this book you can contact Jimmy at the Old Sled Works for more information….http://www.sledworks.com/