Humble, Texas

This gasoline advertisement for Humble/Enco petroleum company (later Esso/Exxon [remember the “Put a tiger in your tank”campaign?]) ran in Life magazine in 1962… pretty much the exact opposite image of that which petroleum companies are trying to show today. Here’s the text from the advert:

EACH DAY HUMBLE SUPPLIES ENOUGH ENERGY
TO MELT 7 MILLION TONS OF GLACIER!

This giant glacier has remained unmelted for centuries. Yet, the petroleum energy Humble supplies—if converted into heat—could melt it at the rate of 80 tons each second! To meet the nation’s growing needs for energy, Humble has applied science to nature’s resources to become America’s Leading Energy Company. Working wonders with oil through research, Humble provides energy in many forms—to help heat our homes, power our transportation, and to furnish industry with a great variety of versatile chemicals. Stop at a Humble station for new Enco Extra gasoline, and see why the “Happy Motoring” sign is the World’s First Choice!

Click on the image above for an enlarged view. The hubris of Humble is really quite remarkable (Humble is the town in Texas that Exxon U.S.A. traces its roots to). Thanks to Gregor Brandt (via Ms. Marx).