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Importance of
What is the deal with citrus labels?
From the 1870s until the 1950s, fruit was packed in wooden boxes. These crates varied in size, depending on their contents. They could be cherries or they could be grapefruits. The crates were necessary to protect the products as they traveled, often by railroad, from where they were harvested to stores around the country.
Labels on the crates helped distributors, store owners, and buyers identify the product. Colorful imagery told a story where it came from and who grew it. A nice-looking label made people more likely to buy that particular brand.
Brand Identity: Labels had names like Corona Beauty, Minerva, or Serenity. These names gave the fruit a personality and made people remember it.
Trust and Quality: Bright, good-looking designs made buyers think the fruit inside was high-quality—even before opening the crate.
Regional Pride: Images of California beaches, missions, or snowy mountains made the fruit seem exotic and fresh to people back east. The labels said things like “Pride of Corona,” showing they were known for growing the best lemons. They helped tell the story of the fruit and the farm it came from.
What Are Citrus Crate Labels?
What Are Citrus Crate Labels?
Think of fruit crate labels like an old-time version of a logo on a soda can or cereal box today. In the crowded market of oranges, lemons, and grapefruits, companies needed a way to make their fruit stand out—and art was the answer.
They helped Sell the Fruit!
In the early 1900s, when Corona, California was transitioning into a booming center of citrus production, grapefruits, lemons, limes, and oranges were packed into wooden crates to be shipped across the U.S. Eventually, Corona lemons and oranges would be distributed around the world. These colorful labels were pasted onto one side—sort of like a giant sticker or poster.
What Did the Art Look Like?
What Did the Art Look Like?
Let's take a look at a few examples...
South Riverside
South Riverside
The earliest labels featured generic scenes of fields and fruit. The colors were light and artistic stippling offered color blending and shading that would stand out. The earliest packing company label did not mention Corona!
Early 1900s
Early 1900s
Art featured romantic views of California landscapes, idealized farmers, and classical symbols like our crowns and royalty.Art featured romantic views of California landscapes, idealized farmers, and classical symbols like crowns and royalty.
Art Deco Era
Art Deco Era
Labels began to show more realistic artwork. Lithographic technology could reproduce cleaner prints and without the need for stippling. This worked with the Art Deco style that was popular then: Bold lines, symmetry, and bright colors.
WWII and After
WWII and After
During World War II, the production of new citrus crate labels largely came to a halt due to material shortages and shifting national priorities for artists. However, following the war, as patriotic pride swept the country, some citrus labels began to feature patriotic themes. These designs reflected the spirit of the time and connected agricultural products to national pride and unity.
See our collection of digitized labels at the Corona Labels Gallery.
You can see more of these labels in person at the Corona Public Library Heritage Room or in online archives like Calisphere and the Online Archive of California (OAC).
Unfortunately, as supermarkets expanded in the mid-20th century, wooden fruit crates were gradually replaced by cardboard boxes with pre-printed designs. With this change, the creative and artistic crate labels that once decorated produce shipments began to fade away, marking the end of a colorful chapter in advertising and agricultural history.
Ephemera
Ephemera
Ephemera refers to items that were originally meant to be used for a short time and not intended to be preserved or kept long-term.Ephemera are things like flyers, tickets, or packaging that were only meant to be used once and then tossed away. But sometimes, people save them because they bring back memories or help us see what life was like in the past. Old citrus labels, for example, show how fruit was sold long ago—and sometimes tell bigger stories about the people and places behind them. They also nice to look at!
It can be hard to imagine the past, and it’s surprising to see how much Corona has changed over the years. People have saved all kinds of treasures from Corona’s citrus history, like Sunkist Quick-Frozen Lemonade cans, magazine ads, novelty merchandise, and more. Here are a few of those items.
The crate labels were only just one piece of the industry! The marketing behind Sunkist was groundbreaking. Capitalizing on the growing public interest in health and wellness (greatly in part due to the great influenza pandemic of 1918), Sunkist crafted vibrant, memorable campaigns that portrayed lemonade and orange juice not just as tasty beverages, but as essential parts of a healthy lifestyle. Advertisements featured glowing imagery of wholesome families all energized by the refreshing boost of citrus. Sunkist products seemed both nutritious and invigorating.
Campaigns ran in full-page spreads in major magazines, showcasing the natural goodness of California citrus products. Sunkist combined product innovation with aspirational advertising in full-color print. There were countless novelties from license plate toppers, to mail-order recipe books. There were even contests for artists to submit the next best magazine ad or catchiest slogan.
Sunkist didn’t just sell lemonade, it sold a lifestyle centered around vitality, sunshine, and modern convenience.
Perhaps the most iconic lemon-based product in Sunkist's lineup was its Quick-Frozen Concentrate for Lemonade, which became a staple in American households during the mid-20th century.
Quick-Frozen Concentrate is a frozen, concentrated lemon juice mixture that needs to be diluted with water to make lemonade. The ingredients are: sugar (Cal-Grove used sugar syrup), lemon juice, and lemon juice concentrate. It was frozen to preserve freshness and flavor and was found in the freezer section of your local grocery store. It could stay frozen for a year! A typical 6 oz. can would make about 24 oz. of lemonade.
It was introduced during the golden age of convenience foods and it revolutionized how families consumed lemonade. Sunkist offered consumers a fast, easy, and reliable way to enjoy fresh-tasting citrus year-round.
Another local brand was Cal-Grove Quick-Frozen Concentrate Lemonade, also canned by the Exchange Lemon Products Company.
How To Handle Vintage Labels
How To Handle Vintage Labels
Handle vintage paper items with clean, dry hands. Avoid using gloves, as they can reduce dexterity and increase the risk of accidental damage. Do not use hand sanitizers or lotions. Keep items away from direct sunlight, moisture, and extreme temperatures, which can cause fading and deterioration. Store them flat in acid-free folders or sleeves, and avoid using tape, paperclips, or adhesives. When displaying or transporting, support fragile papers fully to prevent tears or creases. Here are Tips from the National Archives.
For safe storage, consider using comic book storage supplies, which are designed with archival quality in mind. BCW Treasury Bags are 10 ½ x 13 ½" are ideal for vintage citrus labels and the matching BCW Treasury Backing Boards are an absolute must. You can easily find these for sale on Amazon and eBay. This offers both protection and support for years to come. These materials are acid-free and help prevent bending, exposure to dust, and environmental damage, making them a practical choice for collectors and archivists preserving valuable ephemera. Be sure to insert the backing board facing the correct way, typically the shiny side goes against the label.
Want to display your prized original labels? You should! But take the proper precautions… The cheapest picture frames available online may not be your best option. We highly recommend using UV-protection Conservation glass or similar museum glass. Paper left exposed to seemingly soft LED lighting will eventually cause irreparable fading to the vintage ink. We encourage you to read more on the Proper Framing of Historical Documents, etc.
Why Does It Matter Today?
Why Does It Matter Today?
Citrus crate labels are now seen as valuable pieces of California history and American advertising art. They tell us:
What people found beautiful or trustworthy in different decades
How marketing and visual art evolved over time
How Corona and other citrus-growing towns saw themselves—and wanted the world to see them
Fruit Labels are Art!
Museums and libraries save them not just for their local importance, but because they represent a time when art met agriculture in a powerful way. Many people now collect these labels. Perhaps, this is the reason you visited our wonderful website today!
The artists behind citrus crate labels played a crucial role in shaping the visual culture of early 20th-century America. Their work not only promoted agricultural products but also reflected the artistic trends and commercial strategies of the time. By studying these labels, we gain insight into the intersection of art, commerce, and culture during a pivotal period in American history.
Fun Fact
Some crate label designs were done by anonymous commercial artists, but others were made by well-known illustrators of the time. In a way, these artworks were like the Instagram posts or TikTok ads of the early 20th century—meant to grab attention fast and stick in your memory.
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