Westbrook's Filling Station
by Gene Walls
Title
Westbrook's Filling Station
Artist
Gene Walls
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
In Kingwood, West Virginia, there are a few things that haven't changed a bit in my entire lifetime... or even since my Grandparent's childhood. The most striking among them is the "living" museum known as Westbrook's Esso Station.
You can't actually "fill 'er up" here anymore, but you can vividly see a nostalgic slice of American life from the 1920's through the 50's, exactly as it appeared when the intersection of High and Price Streets was a bustling corner in this little town.
This nostalgic site is listed on the National Historic Register. It is included in the Kingwood Historic District and was added in 1994 Preston County, West Virginia #94000723
The "museum" is still beautifully maintained by the Westbrook family to this day.
The image was taken Saturday morning, October 9th, 2010, with a Canon EOS 10D DSLR camera through a Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L Ultra-Wide Angle Zoom lens, at the widest focal length of 17mm, ISO 100. The aperture was f/11 with a shutter speed of 1/125th of a second. A Monfrotto tripod and 222 pistol grip ball head were used.
Four different exposures of this image, each at one stop apart, were processed in Photomatix Pro 3.2 to produce this HDR photograph. Perspective was corrected in Photoshop CS2, with the Lens Correction tool.
Your comments are always welcome! Constructive criticism is appreciated.
© 2010 Gene Walls
All copyright and reproduction rights are retained by the artist. Artwork may not be reproduced or altered by any process without the express written permission of the artist. This includes my image and the 100% original text that describes the work. A copyright watermark is embedded within the image to guarantee successful prosecution, in the event of any violation.
Uploaded
June 13th, 2013
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Viewed 138 Times - Last Visitor from Beverly Hills, CA on 03/28/2024 at 6:43 PM
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Comments (7)
Steven Bateson
These old gas stations are hard to find. Wonderful photo.
Gene Walls replied:
Thanks a lot, Steven! Yes, these old stations are very rare, indeed. Best regards, Gene
Jeff Swan
This is way cool love that feel of nostalgia places like this give
Gene Walls replied:
Thank you very much, Jeff! Yes, it's like a real time machine into the past. I actually remember when Westbrook's was a thriving business. It still looks exactly as it did 60 years ago. Best regards, Gene
Tim Devine
A great slice of American Gene! f/v
Gene Walls replied:
Thank you very kindly, Tim! I lived near here as a small boy. Lots of great memories, like looking through an old family photo album, but it's still there for everyone to see and touch today. I get a "Twilight Zone" feeling when I visit this little town now. Kindest regards, Gene