Recently, my family and I paid a visit to West Virginia for my in-laws’ anniversary. While we were there, my partner, Pat, came across a little place called Fill ’er Up with Memories in Berkeley Springs. I wasn’t with her at the time, but happily she had our camera with her and, knowing how I love this kind of thing, took some photos.

The place itself is a kind of museum in which the proprietor, David Weidemoyer, has put on display his personal collection of “petroliana” as well as his wife’s doll collection and an assortment of toys. It’s not a store, but he’s interested in selling some of the petroliana stuff. He’s become more interested in enameled signs.

When I was a little kid, I had a toy gas station very similar to this. It was made of lithographed tin and plastic. I seem to recall spending a lot of time with it. Kids are strange little creatures.

Some oil cans. I love the script lettering on the Artex can. Not a bit of type on any of these—it’s all hand-lettering.

Old gas price sign. Dream on.

(All photos by Pat Thompson, taken on September 4, 2005.)