Photography Buy Essolube Ad, Advertising c. 1935

Gelatin silver printDimension: 11.5 x 18 cm / 4.33 x 7.08 inches The name is derived from the initials of Standard Oil, before 1911 it was called Eastern States Standard Oil (ESSO). In 1972, this brand was largely replaced in the United States by the Exxon brand after purchasing Humble Oil, while Esso remained widely used elsewhere in the world. In 1911, the dismantling of the Standard Oil founded by John D. Rockefeller led to the formation of 34 independent companies (Mobil, Chevron), some of which retain the right to use the Standard Oil mark in certain American states or countries, such as the Standard Oil of New Jersey, which is progressively renamed Eastern States Standard Oil or Esso (phonetic contraction of SO or acronym for Eastern States SO).