This exhibit traces the formation and growth of Imperial Oil during its first 100 years, from 1880 to 1980, with an Atlantic Canada perspective. It does so using Imperial Oil advertising covers, postcards, and other related postal material.

The exhibit won a Vermeil at ORAPEX 2012 in Ottawa and a Silver at BNAPEX 2013 in Charlottetown, PEI.

View the pdf version (14.3 MB)

View the synopsis (132 KB pdf)

• Introduction (p. 1)
• 1857 - Oil discovery in Oil Springs, ON (p. 2)
• 1880 - Imperial Oil Co. incorporated (p. 3)
• 1885 - Shatford Bros. establishes Nova Scotia oil business (p. 4)
• 1886 - Imperial Oil opens branch office in Saint John, NB (p. 5)
• 1888 - Joseph Bullock & Sons of NB establishes Eastern Oil Co. (p. 7)
• 1893 - Petroleum products transported by rail tank car (p. 11)
• 1894 - Shatford Bros. merges with Eastern Oil (p. 13)
• 1898 - Eastern Oil merges with Imperial Oil (p. 14)
• Oil barrel motif on advertising covers (p. 19)
• 1898 - Oil transport by steamer (p. 22)
• Imperial Oil window envelopes (p. 24)
• Oil byproducts and appliances on advertising covers (p. 25)
• 1914, 1918 - New refineries in Burrard Inlet, BC, and Dartmouth, NS (p. 31)
• 1915 - Imperial Oil establishes offices in St. John's, NL (p. 32)
• 1907 - First Service Station (p. 33)
• 1917 - Advertising covers for car products - Polarine Motor Oil & Premiere Gasoline (p. 34)
• 1925 - Advertising covers for monthly statements (p. 41)
• 1930s - Airmail covers (p. 42)
• 1935 - Road maps introduced (p. 44)
• 1936 - Imperial Oil sponsors hockey broadcasts on the radio (p. 44)
• 1946 - Early Imperial Oil credit card - on cardboard (p. 45)
• 1940s - ESSO advertising begins to replace Imperial Oil (p. 46)