FLVC logo

Tom Mack Citrus and Vegetable Label Collection, 1900-1970

 

Summary

Extent:
2.3 Linear Feet
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The materials in this collection reflect the history of citrus and vegetable crate labels through the early to mid-twentieth century. Most of the citrus labels were produced through the 1940s, with vegetable labels continuing through the early 1970s.

This collection is notable in that it contains labels from the four major players in the U.S. citrus market: California, Florida, Arizona, and Texas. This allows one to compare the approaches each state took in the creation of their labels (size, layout, etc.) as well as shared themes and themes unique to each state.

Also notable is the handful of labels from Australia, which are the only known overseas citrus crate labels in our collections.

Most labels are authentic, although there are a few reproductions present within the collection. As an educator, Professor Mack's surmised intent was to demonstrate the historical design of the labels rather than collecting them for profit or hobby.

Biographical / historical:

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, America's agricultural landscape underwent a massive transformation. The expansion of railroads and the invention of the refrigerated boxcar (reefer) suddenly allowed fresh produce to travel thousands of miles from sun-drenched fields to chilly northern cities.

To ship these delicate goods, growers packed them into sturdy wooden crates. However, once those crates arrived at wholesale markets, they all looked identical. To stand out in crowded wholesale terminals, agricultural cooperatives and independent packers began pasting vibrant, lithographed paper labels onto the ends of their wooden crates. This gave rise to a golden era of graphic art that lasted from the late 1880s until the 1950s, when cheap, pre-printed cardboard boxes rendered the wooden crates and paper labels obsolete.

While all labels served as early forms of brand identity, the imagery varied dramatically by state, reflecting each region's unique geography, culture, and marketing strategy.

California was the undisputed pioneer of the crate label. Driven by the massive success of the Southern California Fruit Exchange (later renamed Sunkist in 1908), California labels set the industry standard for artistic quality.

Because the state was trying to attract tourists and settlers alongside selling fruit, its labels heavily romanticized the West. Artists depicted idyllic, sun-kissed groves nestled directly against snow-capped mountains, Spanish missions, beautiful women, and historical themes like the Gold Rush. The message was clear: purchasing California citrus was a bite of the healthy, prosperous, Mediterranean lifestyle.

Florida entered the game shortly after California, heavily influenced by the Florida Citrus Exchange (founded in 1909). Rather than focusing on majestic landscapes, Florida labels leaned into the state's lush, exotic, and sub-tropical climate.

Common motifs included flamingos, herons, alligators, palm trees, and pristine beaches. Florida growers also loved using historical themes centered on early explorers like Juan Ponce de León and the search for the Fountain of Youth, positioning their oranges and grapefruits as natural elixirs of life and vitality.

The Texas citrus and vegetable industry blossomed much later, finding its footing in the 1920s and 1930s in the fertile Rio Grande Valley. Because Texas entered a mature market dominated by California and Florida, state growers leaned aggressively into their most recognizable asset: Texas identity.

Texas labels are famous for cowboy imagery, longhorn cattle, oil derricks, Alamo imagery, and bold, patriotic colors. Brands like "Texas Moon" or "Tex-Maid" relied on regional pride and a rugged, western aesthetic to carve out shelf space, proving that everything—including the marketing—was bigger and bolder in Texas.

rizona's commercial citrus production emerged alongside massive irrigation projects in the Salt River Valley and Yuma Mesa during the early 1900s. Because its growing regions bordered California, Arizona labels often mirrored California's high-quality lithographic style but with distinct desert iconography.

Arizona labels leaned heavily into its striking desert geology, featuring Saguaro cacti, sweeping desert mesas, blazing sunsets, and romanticized depictions of Native American cultures. These labels framed Arizona as a miraculous agricultural oasis, emphasizing that their grapefruit and oranges were grown under intense desert sun, which heightened sweetness.

By the mid-1950s, the art form abruptly vanished. Flat-packed corrugated cardboard boxes with simple, cheap ink stamps took over because they were lighter to ship and far less labor-intensive than assembling wooden crates.

Acquisition information:
This collection was created by Professor Tom Mack as part of his efforts to document the history of the citrus industry. It was transferred to the archives via the library upon his retirement.
Arrangement:

Citrus labels are arranged by alphabetical series that reflect their state of origin. Within the series, labels are also arraqnged alphabetical. Vegetable labels reflect multiple states of origin and are arranged alphabetically by brand name.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Researchers must contact McKay Archives in advance for access to unprocessed born digital materials in this collection. Collection restrictions, copyright limitations, or technical complications may hinder the archives' ability to provide access to unprocessed born digital materials.

Terms of access:

This collection is owned by Florida Southern College and is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Location of this collection:
Florida Southern College
111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr.
Lakeland
FL
33801
USA