Travel

Road trips were meticulously planned out during the era because of the risks surrounding travel. When households prepared for trips they would often pack everything–food, bedding, toiletries–as many faced long stretches of travel with limited places that would serve Black travelers. Finding gas stations willing to serve Black travelers required an additional layer of planning. Esso gas stations, with parent company Standard Oil, were one of the few companies that would serve Black travelers. People would even prefer traveling at night just to limit potentially dangerous interactions. Numerous travel guides were created during this time (e.g. Hackley & Harrison’s Travelers Guide for Colored Travelers, the Go Guides, and the Green Book) to aid Black folks by sharing safe hotels, restaurants, and recreational venues with Black travelers. These guides and the places mentioned in them were ways for Black communities to create safe spaces for themselves.

Road Snapshots

two men in front of Esso gas station, man in front is leaning against gas pump.
Mechanic at Esso Fuel Pump, Denver, CO, 1940s. Photo courtesy of the Stanley B. Burns Archive.
zoomed in image of car with back seat open, woman shown lying down and sleeping on car seat
Woman Sleeps in Backseat of Sedan, 1950s. Photo courtesy of the Stanley B. Burns Archive.

Travel Guide Covers

1953 Cover of the Go Guide
1955 Travelguide cover showing an above view of a convertible with two travelers
Hackley and Harrison's Hotel and Apartment Guide 1930 edition front cover
N.H.A. 1959 guide front cover
1955 Cover of the Go Guide featuring a brown sedan car and two people standing next to it, looking off into the distance.

Images from the New York Public Library.

Driving Guidelines

Travel guide introductions provide insight into the mindset of Black drivers.

A page from the 1952 edition of the Go Guide with the Motorist's Check List and Log.
Cars were carefully checked for mechanical problems and routes were deliberately planned to reduce the risk of getting lost or stranded in potentially unfriendly areas. Pictured here is the Motorist’s Check List and Log from the 1952 edition of the Go Guide. Image from the New York Public Library.
A list of fifteen safe driving rules from the 1949 edition of the Green Book
Driving defensively was essential for Black travelers as this page front the 1949 edition of the Green Book illustrates. Image from the New York Public Library.

Advertisements

Travel guides provided national advertising for Black-owned businesses.

Advertisements from the green book
An advertisement for the Shirley K hotel in Maryland in the 1952 edition of the Go Guide.

Images from The New York Public Library (Simpson’s; Shirley K; Slaughter’s)