Fruit Crate Labels

In the late 19th century, railroads arrived in Southern California. This gave farmers the opportunity to ship their produce throughout the United States. To identify their produce, crate labels were printed and attached to the wooden crates. Producers soon realized that the labels could be used for advertising as well as identification and began creating colorful artwork for their crate labels.

Over time, the designs changed depending on current trends. Early crate labels tended to show farms and orchards, especially those in Southern California where oranges and lemons were grown. In the early 20th century, labels emphasized the health benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables. In the 1940s and 1950s brand recognition was considered most important and crate labels featured bold and colorful designs highlighting the producer's name.

The introduction of cardboard boxes in the mid 1950s signaled the end of most crate labels. Cardboard boxes were cheaper, lighter and companies could print their information directly on the box, removing the need for crate labels.

Due to the expense of printing crate labels, they were often produced in large runs. When companies switched to cardboard boxes, the remaining crate labels were often stored and forgotten. By the mid 1970s, collectors began to realize the artistic value of the crate labels and started searching for them, often finding large quantities that had been stored for years. These finds are the primary source of the crate labels that can be found on the market today.