THE ARCHIVE / Themes
Gas Stations.
A place to refuel could also be a place to look. Margolies photographed gasoline retailers that borrowed the outlines of teapots, shells and pagodas, alongside more restrained stations. Compare the recognizable silhouette with the working forecourt: pumps, canopies, windows and the space left for a car. The Teapot Dome story follows one especially pointed example, where the commodity being sold became part of a political joke built into the architecture.
793 photographs
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Egyptian Garage, San Diego, California

Egyptian Garage, San Diego, California

Felix Chevrolet, Los Angeles, California

Motorcycle Parts & Accessories, Cheyenne, Wyoming

Nellie Johnstone # 1, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Nellie Johnstone # 1, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Car dealership, Tacoma, Washington

Car dealership, Tacoma, Washington

Brown Motor Company, Leopard Street, Corpus Christi, Texas

Bell Point Motors, Los Angeles, California

Firestone Factory, Southgate, California

Gates Tires, Mar Vista, California

Gates Tires, Mar Vista, California

Gates Tires, Mar Vista, California

Carwash, Detroit, Michigan

Studebaker showroom, West Atlantic City, New Jersey

Birmingham Spring Service, Birmingham, Alabama

Quonset Hut-Store, Cheyenne, Wyoming

Quonset Hut-Store, Cheyenne, Wyoming

Old gas station, Wichita, Kansas

Felix Body Shop, Los Angeles, California

Skerik Auto Parts, Burlington, Iowa

Bryn Mawr Garage, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
