By Kendra Belton, FCHoF Student Fellow
Blog Installment Three— East Coast Citrus, West Coast Citrus: Citrus Crate Labels in Florida and California, A Study in Comparisons
Like the flora on their citrus
crate labels, both Florida and California labels show different animals. Some
of the labels highlight fauna that live primarily in one state, while others
are found in many states. Occasionally, the labels even show state animals. A
comparison of Florida labels from the Museum of Florida History’s Citrus Crate
Label Collection and California labels from The Citrus Label Gallery
demonstrates that these animals usually fall into four categories. The citrus
crate labels display birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles. However, none of the
mammals in the sample were native to Florida. Additionally, there were no
reptiles in California’s collection. For Florida, the sample included
flamingos, Gulf Kingfish, and alligators, while California labels used condors,
golden trout, and elk.
Neither flamingos nor condors are
state birds. Florida’s state bird is a Northern Mockingbird, but it was not in
the Florida collection (Lad n.d., Florida Citrus Crate Label Collection). Even
though flamingos are not the official bird, people still think about Florida
when they see one (“What State Is Known for Flamingos?” 2025). As for
California, condors are not the official state bird, either; that distinction
goes to the California quail (“State Symbols”). Still, there is a species of
condor named the California condor. It mostly lives in California, which helps
people connect it to the state (“California Condor”).
Even though neither bird is
officially linked to the state, some fish are. For example, the golden trout
was not California’s state fish until 1947, but it is on many of the labels in
the California collection (The Citrus Label Gallery). Golden trout are native
to the Sierra Nevada mountain range, so many people associate the fish, and,
therefore, the fruit, with California (Dulcine 2024). Additionally, it is a
stereotype that men like to fish, but stereotypes have to come from some form
of truth. Perhaps the image of a fish on a label would be appealing to a
jobber. As for Florida, the Gulf Kingfish is not the state fish—that would be
the largemouth bass (Lad). Because of the name “Gulf,” buyers might associate
the fish and citrus with Florida or Texas, for both states are close to the
Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, Texas mirrored Florida’s citrus industry, so in a
way, Texas citrus advertising ultimately connects back to Florida (McClelland
& Last 1995).
Another creature people associate
with Florida is the alligator. Alligators do not live in California, just like
California’s elk do not live in Florida. According to one study, Florida has
1.3 million alligators. If a gator were found in California, it would be far
away from its natural environment (“American Alligator Population”). The
alligator is Florida’s state reptile, exemplifying its popularity (Lad n.d.).
On the other hand, elk do not live naturally in Florida (“Elk Population by
State” 2024). California has an elk population of about 12,700. California has
fewer elk than Colorado or Montana, but considerably more than Florida. Even if
people do not immediately think of elk and California, they will not connect
elk with Florida. Additionally, the idea of gators tends to be stereotypically
appealing to men, just as elk are known as an animal men can hunt. Although
alligators are reptiles, not mammals, and elk are mammals, not reptiles, the
collection did not have any native Florida mammals or any reptiles from
California.
Despite the differences in animals
on their citrus crate labels, all of the labels serve the same purpose. They
each connect to wholesalers’ ideas about Florida and California, as well as
potential interests, through popular wildlife. Whether showing a flamingo for
Florida or a condor with “California” in its name, buyers could tell where
their fruit came from or at least relate to the creature in some way. People
would probably also picture gators when thinking about the Sunshine State.
Similarly, jobbers would not connect elk with Florida. Most likely, they would
think of California instead. Florida and California used animals in their
advertising to connect with people’s interests and ideas about state
symbols.
Bibliography:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YnuEs3oAUlnwe6uMgSDLNpKpRFnYq4YQ/view?usp=sharing
Images Cited:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19IXXoGwo7wfoX5_pUd4beO1750tpg4fl/view?usp=sharing
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