Colorful citrus packing labels once
adorned every wooden box of oranges and lemons that were shipped to
market. The practice of pasting paper labels on boxes began in Southern
California in the 1880s to identify and advertise citrus fruit to the
trade. Easily recognizable with catchy brand names, the labels helped
growers, packers and shippers market their products across the United
States. The age of labels came to an end during the 1950s when the
traditional wooden box gave way to the preprinted cardboard carton.
Thousands of citrus labels were destroyed, leaving just a few pieces of
vintage art to remind the world of a uniquely American marketing tool.
Those labels that have survived are collectibles.
The artwork will never fade and will look
beautiful for years to come!
