Visible

The visible pump was introduced around 1918. A large glass cylinder was affixed to the pump, allowing the customer to view the amount of gasoline he or she was purchasing. When the cylinders were first introduced, they were retrofitted to existing curbside pumps. Around 1923, companies began to manufacture new pumps already fitted with the cylinders. Additionally, at this time, manufacturers experimented with motorized pumping mechanisms, which eventually replaced the hand crank. The cylinder was replaced in the late 1920s and early 1930s, when clock-style meters were placed on pumps to measure the gasoline.

In the images below, one can see how the original curbside pumps were retrofitted with the visible cylinders.

Visible Pumps: Image courtesy of Jack Sim, An Illustrated Guide to Gas Pumps, 2002.

The pumps in the following images were manufactured already fitted with the visible cylinders. These pumps were designed either with out without the advertising globes at the top. Note how tall and slender these pumps are.

Visible Pumps: Image courtesy of Jack Sim.

Visible Pumps: Image courtesy of Jack Sim.