NEW HAMBURG, ON — Miller & Miller brings a number of prominent Canadian petroliana and soda pop collections to market Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8 in a two-session sale. Numerous desirable Canadian-market examples highlight the event. Both catalogs are now open for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.
Day One is led by three vehicles: a 1949 Buick Roadmaster convertible, a 1948 Chrysler Town & Country ‘woodie’ convertible, and a 1964 Airstream Overlander travel trailer. Petroliana collectors will zero in on the day’s top advertising lot, a 1940s-era Oldsmobile single-sided porcelain neon dealer sign featuring the Hydra-Matic emblem. First developed by General Motors in 1939 for the Cadillac and Oldsmobile divisions, the Hydra-Matic automatic transmission had four speeds and a fluid coupling without a torque converter. It was complex but reliable, and the Hydra-Matic saw extensive action in World War II military equipment.
Originally a double-sided sign, the example on offer has been restored with new neon and converted to a single-sided wall display. Measuring 31.5 by 66 by 4in, the sign carries an estimate of CA$15,000-CA$20,000 ($11,000-$14,700).
Founded in the 1880s and merged into Canadian Oil Companies in 1908, White Rose Gasoline was a national Canadian brand that existed until 1963. A favorite of Canadian petroliana collectors because of its beautiful floral logo, White Rose signs are always star performers at Miller & Miller.
This three-piece service station banner set would have been mounted prominently as the building’s main branding device. The two horizontal panels measure 94.5in in width each, while the central circle plaque is 48in in diameter. The porcelain set is estimated at CA$11,000-CA$14,000 ($8,100-$10,300).
Day Two’s soda advertising features an Orange Crush soda fountain dispenser. Users would open the lid on top with the ‘Crushy’ mascot handle (described by Miller & Miller as ‘rare’), pour in the concentrate, then dispense with a mixture of carbonated water and syrup. Dating to the 1940s, the piece is estimated at CA$3,500-CA$5,000 ($2,600-$3,700).
A sentimental favorite in the sale is a Drewrys Dry Ginger Ale & Crystal Soda ‘Mountie’ embossed single-sided tin sign. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer in his classic uniform and hat pours himself a refreshing ginger ale in this 55.75 by 17in artwork. Marked ‘A.M. Patton Adv. Agency, Winnipeg’, the sign is estimated at CA$2,000-CA$3,000 ($1,470-$2,200).
