= White Rose=
Motor Gasoline (S)
 
 
 
    In the early days of the Canadian Oil Refining Company (1901-1904) and the Canadian Oil Company (1904 -1908), gasoline was an almost useless by-product of the petroleum refining       process. So much so that gasoline was only casually mentioned in their early advertising. It wasn't even given a 'brand' name.
    However , by the time The National Refining Company (Ohio) purchased controlling interest in the company (Dec. 1908) , the automobile craze was about to boom. The new  Model T Ford, introduced October 1 , 1908 at $1150 (Cdn.),  would  fall to a low of $395 (1925) and be within the reach of much of the population . Gasoline would no longer be that useless by-product .
    Canadian Oil Companies Ltd.  now had Nationals, "White Rose Gasoline"  brand name , the market and the product . How could they go wrong ?
(With thanks to Don Cooper for the above scan)

 
 
   It is interesting to me  that a company with a product called "White Rose Motor Gasoline" would not have made better use of a "rose" logo.The tin sign (above) and the barrel at the top of the page are the only examples I can find where they incorporated a image of the flower. I have a 1912 postcard which helps date this era. 
   Several different logos for other petroleum products were used but the "Boy and Slate", with his 1917 patent date, would soon become the gasoline logo of choice ---for many years to come.
 
                          *The "White Rose " brand name only applied to gasoline.*

 
 

   1925
      A "new" dealer publication called En-ar-co Booster  appeared in May 1925 .These newspaper     style  publications were issued monthly and are my best reference material for this period.Besides supplying  dealers with the Boy's messages ( called En-ar-co-grams) they were filled with new
product information , dealer testimonials and station photographs. In 1925 photos, a few pre-visible
pumps are shown but I can not make out the globes. They do not appear to use the Boy and Slate.
Early  globes may have been a generic 1pc. milk-glass or metal band type with just the word
"Gasoline", or a slogan of the pump manufacturer.
I suspect these were supplied by the pump manufacturer and not issued by the oil company.

* Do you have  a photo of an earlier Canadian Oil Co. globe that you could share on this page?

                                                                                                     wpf@mnsi.net

       1926
 
  
   By the summer issues ,dealers begin mentioning increased business due to their "new" visible
gas pumps.Red Seal Gasoline is introduced to compete with lower priced brands.Pump photos
clearly show  only the metal band type Boy and Slate /White Rose Gasoline and Red Seal  globes
for the next few years.  I have seen Red Seal with both 15" and 16" dia. glass faces. These early
gas pumps photos show no signs or decals but had the words "White Rose" or "Red Seal" hand
painted or stenciled , usually vertically , on the pump skirts.
 
* All globe photos with the blue backdrop courtesy of Noel Hamer *
  
1927
     Two dealer testimonials in the April 1927 En-ar-co Booster extol the virtues of White Rose Gasoline for dry-cleaning purposes--YIKES !
 A 1911 ad reads;
Use White Rose Gasoline for cleaning purposes.It will not leave any greasy carbons in the cloth or silk.
 

 1929

  In Sept. 1929 National Refining Company signed an agreement with the Ethyl Corporation (1923)
to use their process of adding lead (tetraethyl-- lead) to gasoline.
 


1930
 
 
     The March 1930 En-ar-co Booster and En-ar-co Oil News booklet introduces the newest
member of the White Rose family --- Canadian Ethyl Gasoline.
     It appears to me that this is the time Canadian Oil Companies Limited began using one piece
milk-glass globes on their pumps.All previous photographs that I have show the metal band type
globes.
  
    One piece milk glass globes, as well as the metal band type globes,  were now available for
White Rose , Red Seal and Canadian Ethyl Gasoline .
    Canadian globes were produced by at least two, possibly three manufacturers and this could
explain some variations in graphics and styles.One piece  milk glass and metal band globes
overlapped in their usage , possibly depending on current market price , geographic location of the
station or dealer preference.
    Close examination of some one piece globes will reveal a date , embossed in the glass-- on the
inside , near the base .
   Original glass faces for metal band globes were not dated -- but the earlier versions have the
vertical wording on the edge of the slate. (National Light Kerosene and En-Ar-Co Gear Compound)
   An ex-employee of a globe manufacturer recalls a common practice of buffing to remove the logo
of Red Seal one piece globes and re-lettering them with the Boy and Slate logo. I have seen
examples of these where the Red Seal image is still visible if viewed at the right angle.

 1932
   Canadian Ethyl Gasoline was now promoted as "Red in color". Note the American influence
here ,as I was taught the Canadian spelling "colour". White Rose Gasoline was described as
"uncolored".
    I believe various amounts of tetraethyl lead were used in all grades of gasoline as an octane  booster. Hence the "Contains Lead" signs could be found on the pumps of all grades of gasoline
  
1933
 
 
     I believe this blotter and a similar envelope in my collection , postmarked July 1933 date the  introduction of White Rose No-Knock Gasoline. Notice that White Rose No-Knock Gasoline is
called "green" , suggesting the green dye , used to identify specific grades  in the visible gas pumps.
Remember that Canadian Ethyl  Gasoline is "red" , while White Rose Gasoline is called"white",
presumably still "not colored".
 
    Although  the National Refining Company also produced  WHITE ROSE GASOLINE ,
WHITE ROSE NO-KNOCK  was exclusively a Canadian product.
 
   Here are  two one-piece globes (thanks to Ron Carey) of this era. Notice the vertical lettering on the side
  of the earlier "Gasoline" globe (1930) which is noticeably absent on the newer "No-Knock" version (1934).
  Also new is a slight different face for the "boy" , with his hair parted on the opposite side.This "look" is quite
rare.
 

1934-1939
 
  
         My reference library is quite skimpy for these years. I suspect the depression and lean
times for the parent National Refining Company lead to a reduction in the amount of advertising .
What info I have been able to find, suggests that late in the 1930's Canadian Oil Companies Ltd.
began to use the "new " 3-piece glass , wide bodied globes , with 13  1/2"  dia. glass face plates.
Later a switch was made  to the narrow body globe .
       Three grades of gasoline were produced
                        "Canadian Ethyl Gasoline "              (globe as shown above)
                        "White Rose No-Knock Gasoline  (No-knock in white letters) --- (70 octane)
                        "White Rose Gasoline                         (Gasoline in white letters) --- (not shown)
          * Notice the absence of the vertical lettering on the sides of the slate,
             and the words "White Rose in the yellow border of the slate. This will soon change !
 
   There was also a similar ad-glass available for all gas pumps so equipped.These used a black background. (see ad-glass photos at the bottom of this page)
 
          * Do you have any additional information concerning this era?                   wpf@mnsi.net
  
1939
        Canadian Oil Companies Limited returns to Canadian ownership !  (late 1938 actually)
Almost immediately the company grasped their un-used asset---The image of a "rose".  
      The "White Rose" brand and logo were implemented on almost the complete product line.
Fortunately they were permitted to carry on using the "Boy and Slate" logo and used this in
conjunction with the "rose" during the transition years,  mainly on their printed advertising.
      The "Boy and Slate" would remain on the medium grade oil until 1952 and , likewise the
"en-ar-co" name, until the end came in 1967.
 
       New  globes continued to use the Boy and Slate ,but with a few changes :
                           (1) The yellow border of the slate now says "Canadian Oil Companies Limited "
                           (2)  White Rose Ethyl  replaces  Canadian Ethyl Gasoline
                           (3)  Colour was added to the gasoline brand name on the slate.

   Undoubtedly there was some overlapping of names , as a 11-38 invoice , which would have
been printed near the time of the Canadian purchase is already pre-printed with:
                     White Rose Ethyl Gasoline    
                     White Rose No-Knock Gasoline    
                     White Rose Gasoline
 while an order form (code dated 8-39) still shows Canadian Ethyl Gasoline.

    A later order form ( dated 10 - 41) changes to the new White Rose Ethyl Gasoline ,
while White Rose Gasoline has been dropped.


1940
     In the summer of 1940 the company issued a new dealer publication called
the White Rose News .I am fortunate to have a complete set and used them to help research
much of the following information
 

1941
  Invoices now show the Boy and Slate plus the "rose" logo .

. *  I believe the brand "White Rose Gasoline" was discontinued by this point. *

         Effective July 21, 1941, wartime gasoline and oil regulations ruled gasoline could not be sold between the hours
       of 7 P.M. and & 7 A.M. or anytime on Sundays. Also it is now illegal for any dealer to offer premiums,loans, gifts,
       concessions or any benefits apart from the normal services rendered by the dealer. (No More Goodies !)


1942
    A dealer invoice shows Red Seal Gasoline is still available
New invoices have only the "Rose" logo.


1943
     Along with  wartime gasoline rationing , gasoline now has a grade number ,
and octane ratings show up on pumps;
                    White Rose Ethyl Gasoline            Grade 1 ,  Octane 75
                    White Rose No-Knock Gasoline    Grade 2 ,  Octane 66


1946
 
 
      The Summer 1946 issue of the White Rose News shows the first photo of the new
"circle rose"  globe (center) that I can verify. It is on the head table at the Managers Meeting,
leading me to suspect it was just being introduced. Previous photos show the Boy and Slate globes.
I believe the narrow-body glass globes appearred at this time.

    The Fall 1947 issue of the  White Rose News has the first photos I have seen of the 3-piece
glass  globe with White Rose Ethyl face plate (right). The first was taken at the Dominion Day parade
(July 1) in Ridgetown, Ontario. A second is shown  on a gas pump, in the companies display, at the
Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.
         (1)  in the photo above, the globe on the left  has the words White Rose at the top , and the
               additional word Ethyl   below the logo.
               ( I have recently found a photo (1934) which shows me that this face plate was used in
               the U.S.A. on a wide-bodied globe, by National Refining Co. It is from the era when
               Canadian Oil  Co. was using the Canadian Ethyl Gasoline globe. It does however provide
               a clue to the era of wide-bodied globes.)
         (2) the Canadian globe (right) uses the Ethyl Corp. logo , encircled  by the  words White on top,
              and Rose below. Text inside the Ethyl logo denotes" Trademark registered in Canada".

   * About 1942 (?) the name in the ethyl logo changed from ETHYL GASOLINE CORPORATION
      to simply  ETHYL CORPORATION. This might provide a clue help you to date your globes.
      Note: this name change and date may only apply in the U.S.A.
 


 1950
    Photos of the newest - company owned stations, shown in the companies 1950 Annual Report,
 no longer have globes on the gas pumps. While stations may have continued using their old globes,
 their days were numbered.
 

1952
 
 
      I have two pieces of memorabilia , probably issued in 1952 ,advertising "1953 GASOLINE". Strangely , these were printed with the soon to be out-dated circle-rose logo.
I have found no other mention of the "1953 GASOLINE" promotion in any of 1952 or 1953
literature.
    Gas pumps through the 40's and early 50's were  yellow with a "circle rose" transfer (decal) ,
and an additional  Ethyl transfer on those pumps.
    The base of these pumps were sometimes painted green.

1953
 
 
         The New Look ! In the companies own words ; "Our emblem was re-designed into a
distinctive wedge shape, which achieves identification at a glance---even from a distance."
Lots of other changes too! "In conjunction with the new company emblem , new packages have
been designed for many of your companies products."
    The New Look would included the new "speckled rose" design on tank-trucks, signs, stationery,
oil tins, and pump transfers, and new product lines such as White Rose Batteries. More important
to this article is the introduction of the new "ULTRA" line of oils, grease and gasoline.
   "ULTRA  Gasoline" became the new #1 grade and replaced White Rose Ethyl.
The "ULTRA" pump was white with a green base , no globe, but had a green ad-glass with
"ULTRA" in yellow block letters , and the new "wedge" above an "ULTRA" transfer.
The "Ethyl" logo is dropped. (sample ad-glass photos are shown at the bottom of this page)
     Also,  "White Rose No-Knock Gasoline" was replaced with "White Rose Gasoline" It was
now dispensed from yellow pumps on a red base , and had a red ad-glass with three images of
the white rose. They also used the new wedge design transfer.

 I appears, in photos, that the Ethyl logo is no longer used on the gas pumps of this era
 


  1955
                                   This years annual report discusses their new ad campaign featuring :
                                               "CANADA'S HIGHEST OCTANE GASOLINE"
 

1958
 
 
        Brought about a  new ad program for "Golden Jubilee Gasolines", in celebration of the
Companies 50th year in business. Coincidentally this year also marked the 100th anniversary of
the first oil well in North America, brought in by James Miller Williams in 1858 at  Oil Springs,
Ontario.
    This ad campaign was probably never fully developed , as I have only seen it used on road maps
and a banner (above) in my collection.
 

1960
 
    
      White Rose "TOTAL GASOLINES" are introduced May 20th, 1960.
The above scan came from a road map. I have also seen it used with gas station window displays and billboards.There was extensive advertising at the time , but I have very few examples in my collection.
    Canadian Oil Co's Ltd., since 1930 , had used tetraethyl lead in their gasolines as an octane
booster. In 1957 an expansion at the Sarnia , Ontario refinery allowed increased production of toluene.
Perhaps to save the royalties to the Ethyl Corp.,or perhaps seeing the writing on the wall (towards  unleaded), the company switched to toluene to enhance the octane rating.
    Gas pump ad -glasses remain White Rose GASOLINE and White Rose ULTRA Gasoline
but a "TOTAL"  decal is added above the wedge transfer.
   The May-June 1960 issue of the White Rose Dealer , dedicated to the introduction, presents this description:
"TOTAL GASOLINES have everything needed for the cars of today and tomorrow.Name an
important additive or development presented in top brand motor fuels during the past decade and you'll find ALL of them in the new White Rose TOTAL GASOLINES."
   " ---secret formula has a carburetor detergent, fuel system de-icing qualities, anti-rust protection, a storage stabilizer, oxidation and gum retardent, spark plug fouling preventer, control of pre-ignition factors, refined toluene component."

  


  1963
   Shell Canada purchases Canadian Oil Companies Limited. The White Rose name would slowly
          be phased out over a five year period.
  
1966
    I have a farm dealer invoice (date code 1966) that shows Red Seal Gasoline was still available,
probably for tractors, along with White Rose Gasoline and White Rose ULTRA Gasoline.
 

1967

     White Rose Gasolines  -- gone--- but not forgotten !



 
 
Don't forget to visit the "monthly feature" on gasoline prices
 
 
      Ad-glass Samples
       (not in order)
 
 
        e-mail--  wpf@mnsi.net
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