Gas stations have become dull places-mini-malls for the purchase of junk food, cigarettes and aspirin. No one looks forward to the experience of being there, especially given the price of a gallon. But before the 1960s, gas stations were often little Chinese pagodas or Art Deco wonders; they were fascinating as examples of vernacular architecture. A book published recently by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Fill'er Up:The Glory Days of Wisconsin Gas Stations, reminds us that-sorry, Bauhaus fans-functional buildings can (and maybe should) aspire to fantasy. Filled with color and black-and-white photographs of eccentric places where motorists filled their tanks, the book is a gem for local history buffs as well as students of design.
The authors, architectural historians Jim Draeger and Mark Speltz, also issue a polite call to action: Save the dwindling remnants from an earlier, more romantic automotive age before they disappear entirely. Many have already been lost to the wrecker's ball. Some stand empty. A few of the old stations have been imaginatively repurposed, such as the Standard Oil transformed into a Milwaukee coffee shop, Sherman Perk.
This weekend, Draeger and Speltz will give a presentation based on their book as part of the Masterpiece Style & Speed Showcase, a car show at VeteransPark. Draeger and Speltz will speak at noon on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 22-23.
