"I thought the title 'Got Gas?' was humorous," said Jimmy Rosen with a chuckle. "It elicits a smile when people see it." All humor aside, "Got Gas?" is about filling up the car - literally. The full title is "Got Gas? - A Pictorial Look at Central Pennsylvania Service Stations From the 20th Century."
Rosen, who created the hardbound coffee table book based on photos connected to Atlantic Refining, once located in Harrisburg, will attend the Lititz Historical Foundation meeting at the Lititz Public Library, 651 Kissel Hill Road, Lititz, on Saturday, Nov. 20, beginning at 1:30 p.m. A display, question-and-answer period, and book signing will be part of the event. The book covers gas stations once located in Harrisburg, Hershey, Camp Hill, Lancaster, Chambersburg, and some in Perry County.
Rosen said that the roots of the book project lie in a call he received from a friend who had worked for the Atlantic Refining district office in Harrisburg, which was closed around 1969. As the buildings were being cleaned out, hundreds of original, large- format negatives of professional photos were found. "(The photos) were from the 1930s, 1920s, and teens, and they were all to be thrown out," said Rosen. Instead, his friend boxed the negatives and took them home, where they sat for 50 years. When the man and his wife decided to downsize, he called Rosen. "He said, 'Jimmy, I have something to give you,'" recalled Rosen. "He was very understated about what was there."
Rosen began researching the photos, only some of which were marked with identifying information. "I wanted to figure out street addresses," said Rosen. "I compiled 200 pages of wonderful photos and a few articles," he said, noting that with the help of two young folks he used online resources to find addresses. "We identified 95% of the locations based on characteristics of the photo," he said.
Rosen decided to add a few articles to round out the book. "There are two articles written by New York Times bestselling authors who are friends and one written by the screenwriter of 'Sleepless in Seattle,' who has roots in Pennsylvania," noted Rosen. "I am not an author or photographer, but two years later, I am really proud of the book."
There is no cost to attend the meeting, but seating will be limited to 50. Those wishing to attend may make reservations by calling the library at 717-626-2255. More information about the book may be found by searching for "Got Gas?" on Facebook, and books may be preordered by emailing sledworks@aol.com. A portion of the proceeds from books sold at the event will be donated to the Lititz Historical Foundation.
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