Imagining the Age of Oil: Case Studies in British Petrocultures, 1865-1935
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Imagining the Age of Oil: Case Studies in British Petrocultures, 1865-1935 by Ian Wereley A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © 2018, Ian Wereley Abstract This dissertation investigates the cultural history of oil in Britain over a seventy- year period, between 1865 and 1935. While much has been written about the economic, political, diplomatic, geopolitical, and military aspects of oil during this timeframe, there have been few investigations into the ways that cultural factors have shaped the history of oil in Britain, a gap in the literature that this study seeks to fill. Britain was one of the first industrialized nations to make the transition to oil and in the period under consideration, everyday consumption of the commodity increased dramatically, especially in the cities, where new oil technologies for heating, illumination, and transportation became commonplace conveniences. Using understudied sources such as public lectures, cartoons, advertisements, exhibitions, and architecture, the dissertation examines the discourses of transition that were created to help Britons navigate their changing energy landscapes. It maps the complexities, opportunities, and impasses that accompanied the historical rise of oil in Britain during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and argues that the system of things that brought oil from the wellhead to the consumer was predicated on a vast constellation of ideas. ii Acknowledgements This dissertation is the product of a long and complicated journey that would not have been possible without the guidance and support of several individuals who, in one way or another, extended their valuable assistance in the preparation of this study. A dissertation has only one name on its cover, but in the following pages the reader will discover the time, energy, and ideas of many close friends and family members seeping through. It is with great pleasure that I can finally acknowledge these debts and express my gratitude to those who have been at my side from the very beginning. I owe much to Carleton University’s Department of History. It was here that I began my postsecondary career in 2006, and since then the fourth floor of Paterson Hall has been my home away from home. To my peers in the Department of History, particularly Dr. Nick Hrynyk, Dr. Nicole Marion, Jason Charbonneau, Stuart MacKay, and Meghan Lundrigan, thank you for your contributions to this research. Our shared trials and tribulations (and the many ways in which we commiserated) have forged friendships that extend well beyond the classroom. I am also indebted to my best friend and fellow Carleton alumni, David Meinen, who frequently reminded me to have fun, and to look beyond the “ends” and toward the “means” of this research project. My supervisor and close friend, Dr. Aleksandra Bennett, has been an unflinching source of kindness, encouragement, and dedication to my research for many years. She always made time for me, day in and day out, and her tutelage has been instrumental in my development as a student, researcher, writer, and educator. She has taught me a great deal about history and what it means to be a historian. To my dear friend and dissertation committee member, Dr. Norman Hillmer, CM, a special word of thanks. I have frequently relied on you for advice and guidance on all matters academic, but it was during our regular afternoon walks that I received the most important lessons – how to select the finest pastries, and what it means to be a good Canadian. Other Carleton faculty who have fostered my interests in history include Professors Dominique Marshall, Susan Whitney, Simon Dalby, Danielle Kinsey, Chinnaiah Jangam, David Dean, and Jennifer Evans. The completion of this dissertation is also, in no small measure, thanks to the Department’s beloved graduate administrator, Joan White, whose unlimited patience and knowledge were sorely needed and greatly appreciated from beginning to end. Members of my defence committee, Dr. Ruth Sandwell, Dr. Andre Plourde, and Dr. Pamela Walker are also to be thanked for their insightful and challenging questions, and for their encouraging words for the future. Additionally, I want to express my gratitude to the numerous librarians, library staff, and archivists who have helped me locate materials crucial to the research and writing of this dissertation, particularly Frances Montgomery and Christine Taylor at Carleton’s MacOdrum Library, and Joanne Burman and Peter Housego at the British Petroleum Archives. Making this journey worthwhile has been the unconditional love and support of my wife, Camille. Her patience has been a source of inspiration while writing this dissertation, and her quiet and expertly timed words of encouragement (“you got this”) have helped me to see the light at the end of what has sometimes been a very long and dark tunnel. Finally, I dedicate this dissertation to two very special people – one who has left this world, and one who has just arrived. To my mother, Janet, who has made me who I am, and to my son, Emmett, who will forever shape who I am to be. iii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. iv List of Figures .................................................................................................................... v Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One - An Expert of the Oil Age: Sir Thomas Boverton Redwood and the Development of Oil Science in Britain, 1869-1919 ....................................................... 38 Chapter Two - Illustrating the Age of Oil: King Coal, Prince Petroleo, and the Imagination of Punch Cartoonist Leonard Raven-Hill, 1912-1933 ........................... 86 Chapter Three - Building the Age of Oil: The Anglo-Persian Oil Company and the Promotion of the Llandarcy Refinery During the Early 1920s ................................ 116 Chapter Four - Selling the Age of Oil: The British Petroleum Company and Motor Spirit Marketing, 1919-1925 ........................................................................................ 165 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 222 Bibliography .................................................................................................................. 229 iv List of Figures Figure 1: Share of primary energy consumption in the United Kingdom (1500-2000) .......................................................................................... 20 Figure 2: Sir Thomas Boverton Redwood, standing next to his namesake viscometer 73 Figure 3: “A Second String” ........................................................................................... 92 Figure 4: “Black Magic; Or, the New King Coal” ....................................................... 113 Figure 5: Map of Persia showing extent of D’Arcy Concession.................................. 126 Figure 6: Illustration of Hermes and Prometheus from Llandarcy souvenir booklet ............................................................................................................ 144 Figure 7: “Where ‘BP’ Motor Spirit is Made” ............................................................. 147 Figure 8: Thermos Flask fireless locomotives at the Llandarcy Refinery .................. 163 Figure 9: Residences for senior management staff, Cefn Park ................................... 163 Figure 10: A view of The Greenway, Llandarcy Village .............................................. 164 Figure 11: Illustration of Llandarcy Refinery .............................................................. 164 Figure 12: BP Motor Spirit ghost sign (c. 1924), King’s Cross, London .................... 179 Figure 13: “The Sporting Spirit” .................................................................................. 187 Figure 14: “Transporting Pipe Line in Persia” ........................................................... 198 Figure 15: “150 Miles of Pipe Lines” ........................................................................... 199 Figure 16: “The Petroleum Beacon” ............................................................................ 200 Figure 17: Official Map of British Empire Exhibition, 1924, with location of BP’s Persian Khan exhibit outlined in red ............................................................................ 205 Figure 18: Postcard distributed by BP staff at the Persian Khan exhibit ................... 211 v Introduction This dissertation investigates the cultural history of oil in Britain over a seventy- year period, between 1865 and 1935. While much has been written about the economic, political, diplomatic, geopolitical, and military aspects of oil during this timeframe, there have been few investigations into the ways that cultural factors have shaped the history of oil in Britain, an absence in the literature that this study seeks to fill. Britain