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Antique Real Photo Postcard. Identified as a Shell Oil Well fire on Signal Hill in California, dated September, 1921. Published by Winstead. Divided back, AZO stampbox, unused. Condition: This is an original photo postcard, not a copy or reproduction. It has a small stain in the upper left corner white border, and a bent tip in the lower left corner. Comments: The Shell well on fire at Signal Hill was captured in a real photo postcard dated 1.30 a.m., September 1921, showing flames from a Shell oil well in the Signal Hill oil field. The image was taken by Winstead and is part of the “California Winstead Postcard” collection. Signal Hill, California, was a major oil discovery site in 1921. On June 23, 1921, Shell Oil Company struck oil at its Alamitos #1 well, which gushed oil 35 meters into the air at 9:30 p.m. The discovery triggered a rush to drill nearby wells, and by April 1922, 108 wells were producing 14,000 barrels of oil daily. However, the early days of the field were dangerous. Fires, explosions, and accidents were common. The city had no water system until 1926, and firefighting relied on Long Beach’s department. While the exact cause of the September 1921 fire is not detailed in the available sources, it fits the pattern of early field hazards. The postcard’s timestamp suggests it was taken during the intense oil drilling and production period, when multiple wells were active and flammable materials were common. |
