Finding Texaco

Here in Ohio, the Texaco brand is defunct. There are no current Texaco stations in the state, at least to my knowledge. However, every once in a while, you may pass by an old abandoned gas station, and they sort of look the same. Dilapidated, grungy, old. It is rare that you pass by a service station that, at least somewhat, still looks new.

There is an old Texaco service station that I’ve passed several times in Lebanon, OH, which was built in 1942. When Texaco left the station, the pumps and islands were removed, and apparently at one point it was turned into a classic car shop. Interstingly, the owner decided to keep the Texaco branding and maintain the exterior of the building. I mean, the building isn’t in perfect condition: there are cracks in the brickwork, the white brick is now yellowed and the grout is dirty. Additionally, there are some stains and such over parts of the facade. But still, it’s rather well maintained. It’s rare this happens anymore. In fact, some old Texaco memorabilia still sits outside. The place is now for lease…I can only hope the new owner keeps the exterior the same. It’s a great little piece of Americana. In fact, the well maintained Texaco memorabilia contrasted with the weathered look of the building make it perfect for exploring as a photographic subject.

So what’s the point of this post? Well, mainly to say: if you see something that catches your eye. STOP. I finally did, and pulled off on my lunch break and took some pictures. I think I spent a total of 10 minutes there and I think I got a few decent shots. One thing I’ve found that has brought great joy to my photography is the found photograph. I’ve gotten a good number of interesting and memorable images just by actually stopping when something interests me. I chronicled a similar find two weeks ago. The key here is to take the time to explore a subject that interests you. There are cool things to photograph that you may see every day but have never stopped to actually work as a subject. Sometimes these excursions result in nothing, but you’ll never know if you don’t stop and explore from time to time.