Charles A. Lindbergh was the first pilot to fly non-stop from New York to Paris, landing on May 21, 1927, after flying 33 1/2 hours. His plane, “Spirit of St. Louis,” used Gargoyle Mobiloil, a product of the Vacuum Oil Company. Correspondence, photographs, reports, publications, clippings, and ephemera document this historic flight.

Of note is a portfolio album (one of only 13) produced by the Vacuum Oil Company to commemorate the flight containing photographs of pre-flight preparations, Lindbergh’s landing at Le Bourget Field and the celebration in Paris. A 70th anniversary reprint of select photographs from the album is also included. Also noteworthy are three copies of the Spirit of St. Louis’s engine lubrication report, which document the condition of the oil and the engine after the flight and contain photographs and schematic diagrams.

Correspondence reflects Vacuum Oil’s attempts to persuade Lindbergh to use Mobiloil on subsequent flights, such as Lindbergh’s goodwill tour of South America and the West Indies in December 1927, and his 1931 flight over to China over North Pacific with his wife Anne. They were the first pilots to fly across the Pacific from east to west. Additional correspondence and clippings related to anniversaries of the 1927 flight reflect the continued interest in the first transatlantic flight.

This sub-series contains articles, books, artwork, correspondence, contracts, and other materials related to Mobil’s marine shipping and transportation activities. Mobil’s fleet transported oil on both U.S. and International waters. Inland and Oceangoing files are arranged alphabetically by vessel, which contain notes and references to specific vessels in Arthur Gordon’s 1954 Book of Ships, rather than ship records. This book and many of Gordon’s other works on Mobil shipping can be found here as well. (Note that when Socony Mobil changed its name to Mobil, the ships’ names changed as well. For example, “[Ship Name] Socony,” became “Mobil [Ship Name].” Later, Mobil rechristened many of its vessels again, this time with Native American names.) Also of interest are materials related to naming ceremonies, the use of tankers during both World Wars, original ship record books from the late 19th century and blueprints for a few of Mobil’s tankers.

This sub-series documents a major endeavor of the Mobil Corporation and its predecessors and subsidiaries throughout the 20th century, namely the promotion and sale of numerous petroleum products. Material includes print advertisements, press releases, clippings, reports, articles, correspondence, summaries, scrapbooks, architectural drawings, charts, pamphlets, books, manuals, catalogs, and technical publications. Predecessor companies represented here include Standard Oil Company of New York (Socony), Vacuum Oil Company, Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, Socony Mobil Oil Company, and Mobil Oil Corporation. The material is organized alphabetically in the following groups: Advertising; Articles, Reports & Studies; Fleet; Marine International and Aviation; Products; Sales Rep’s Guides and Lists; Service Stations; and Technical Publications. Advertising and service station documentation dominate this sub-series.

This sub-series includes reports, news articles and correspondence relating to the Mobil Corporation, its predecessors and affiliates’ involvement in World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Highlights include an article from Fortune Magazine about Socony and the role of oil in wartime; a speech about the contributions of Socony-Vacuum to the World War II victory; and articles from Doings in General about General Petroleum Corporation employees who joined the war efforts during the Korean War.

This sub-series contains print ads, correspondence, maps and publications relating to the Mobil Corporation’s Mining and Minerals company and its work with Mobil Chemical Company. A few highlights include information on Mobil’s El Mesquite Uranium plant and maps and images of the Caballo Rojo Mine in Wyoming. [For more information on phosphate production, see files on Mobil Chemical Company.]

This sub-series contains correspondence, paint manuals and guides documenting the Socony Paint Products Company and other departments and divisions responsible for the production and merchandising of paints and coatings. [See also Mobil Chemical Company, Chemical Coatings Division material.].

This sub-series contains news clippings, memoranda, press releases, reports, and photocopies of maps relating to pipelines owned by the Mobil Corporation, its predecessors and subsidiaries. Highlights include maps of Mobil’s pipelines throughout the United States, accounts of the Atlas Works and Olympic Pipelines’ construction and development as well as information on Magnolia Pipe Line Company early pipelines.

This sub-series contains brochures, news clippings, memoranda, press releases, proposals and presentations documenting Mobil Corporation’s land development ventures and, to a lesser extent, its purchase of corporate office and laboratory space. The bulk of the material documents Mobil Land Development Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary established in 1970 as Mobil Oil Estates, Limited, and its many master planned communities developed throughout the United States during the 1980s and 1990s.

This sub-series consists of clippings, correspondence, news releases, reports, minutes, books, manuals, and pamphlets, Facilities documentation makes up the bulk of this material; both domestic and foreign facilities are represented. Most facilities publications celebrate openings and anniversaries and often provide the history of the refineries. Other publications explain how petroleum products are manufactured and supply general facility information. Of note is “Petroleum Refineries in the World Outside the United States,” a 1934 statistical report listing of all the world’s refineries, including Socony-Vacuum’s. Information includes company names, refinery location, products, and local economic or legislative news affecting the facilities. The early history of oil refining is documented in several articles and reports, notably “Twenty-five Years of Progress in Petroleum Refining” (1933). Technical information on the different types of refining processes is also included. [More refinery information can be found in the Mobil Subject Files under the country of location within the Geographic Files.]

This sub-series consists of notes, clippings, correspondence, drafts, news releases, speeches and organizational charts and reflects the work of Mobil Research and Development Central Research in Princeton (Central Research) and Paulsboro (Applied Research and Development), both in New Jersey. Mobil Research and Development Corporation (MRDC) was a wholly owned Mobil subsidiary responsible for all research activities apart from applied chemical research, which was carried out by Mobil Chemical Company. Material also documents Socony-Vacuum’s General Laboratories, a predecessor of MRDC. The material dates from 1916 to 1999 with some items, such as notes on the history of the Eastern Labs, documenting the 19th century petroleum industry.

The texts of talks presented by presidents and vice-presidents of MRDC and other Mobil executives dominate this material and for the most part represent trends in research and development during this period (1976-1992). Individuals spoke at managers’ meetings, annuitant gatherings, and scientific and technical conferences and seminars on topics such as research, technology, refining processes and environmental concerns.

Of note is the Synergy material, which contains a variety of information, including a history of the Standard Oil Company, early kerosene sales, geopressure, synthetic fuel additives, drilling techniques, and the methanol to gasoline plant in New Zealand. Also noteworthy is the section on zeolite, a catalyst used in petroleum refining. Mobil synthesized and patented ZSM-5, a zeolite catalyst that is widely used in refining and other applications. Mobil was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 1992 for this work.