Mammies and Latinas: The Sexual-Racial Stereotypes of Florida and California’s Citrus Crate Labels in the Early to Middle Twentieth Century

    By Kendra Belton, FCHoF Student Fellow

Blog Installment Six — East Coast Citrus, West Coast Citrus: Citrus Crate Labels in Florida and California, A Study in Comparisons

Please note: Certain citrus crate labels displayed in this post contain offensive language and/or visual representations of people, whether based on race, ethnicity, gender, or any other aspect of identity. These labels do not reflect the views of the McKay Archives, Florida Southern College, or the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. 

            Just as advertisers use holidays to sell products, advertising often depends on stereotypes. For example, many commercials use athletes and actors to promote brands. People usually see these promoters as strong and beautiful—ideal models. The products they advertise make people think they can look and act like that ideal, themselves. Stereotypes like this, especially those based on race and gender, can shape how people perceive certain groups. If many people believe a group has a certain trait, they expect to see that trait in ads. At the same time, seeing a trait consistently in the media they consume can make people believe it even more. For example, in Disney’s Peter Pan, Indigenous people are shown in a way that gives children a false idea about how Indigenous people act. Additionally, advertising often relies on stereotypes about the viewing audience, as exemplified earlier with the assumptions about the interests of jobbers.

            Citrus crate labels also used stereotypes in their advertising. In Florida and California, there are clear examples of sexual and racial stereotypes on these labels from the early to mid-1900s. Companies in both states used common stereotypes like the sexualized Indigenous woman, the Indigenous “Savage,” the Southern Belle, the sexy blonde, the Aztec, and the Prophet. Many labels of women were sexualized, as the packinghouses believed that it would be attractive to the jobbers. Other labels were meant to be funny, like the stereotypical and caricatured labels depicting Black men. One label uses poor grammar (“Dis Am Grown in Dixie”), and another includes “Lazy Bones,” which some classify as a racial slur. Where the labels came from mattered, too. Florida’s labels often showed the Black “mammy” stereotype, while California’s labels used the exoticized Latina stereotype.

            The “mammy” or “aunty” stereotype was a common idea about African American women that started during slavery in the United States. The idea became popular through minstrel shows, where white actors wore blackface and acted out stereotypes like the mammy. The mammy image was pervasive in advertisements and on product labels, including the old Aunt Jemima pancake and syrup brand. It was also used in citrus advertising. People saw mammies as “overweight, self-sacrificing[,] and dependent.” So, a mammy’s “robust, grinning likeness” made buyers think that the product was good and trustworthy, since white people perceived a mammy as a “trusted figure” (“Popular and Pervasive Stereotypes”). Mammies were also thought to be “sexless, eager to please, and happy with their place in the white world” (White 2024). Because of these stereotypes, white buyers of Florida citrus believed that the products were reliable. While this would have been good for business, the stereotyping relied on pervasive ideas about Black women.

California’s view of Latinas also showed up in citrus advertising. The crate labels often showed Latinas as “exotic,” which has two main definitions that fit here. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (2025), “exotic” means something foreign or from a faraway place. It can also mean someone attractive or glamorous because they seem unusual. So, whether a Latina on a label appears in traditional clothing or sexualized attire, she is made to look exotic. This stereotype shows Latinas as “showing more cleavage or wearing tight clothing, ill-tempered or feisty, and curvy” (Berrios and Herman 2022). Even the images of Latinas in traditional clothes often still show these body stereotypes. These exaggerated images relied on “exoticization and sexualization” to support white ideas about Latina culture in early to mid-1900s California (Rodriguez in Gill 2023).

            No matter if the woman on the crate label is overly sexual or not, dependable or exotic, she is based on a stereotype. These images were rooted in common beliefs in the first half of the 1900s, and the citrus industry deliberately used them. Companies knew that many white Americans, particularly the wholesalers, would trust or be drawn to familiar images and ideas. In Florida, the “mammy” and “aunty” brands made the fruit seem trustworthy, just like the mammy stereotype. In California, Latina women on labels were intriguing and exotic, attracting buyers in other ways. Based on pervasive cultural ideas, these images sold fruit because advertising always tries to appeal to what people believe.

Overall Project Conclusion

Citrus crate labels in Florida and California may both find their origins on the West Coast, but their advent on the East Coast brought with it a new variation of themes. From flora and fauna to modes of transportation, holidays, and stereotypes, citrus crate labels certainly covered a wide breadth of advertising tools to ensure that each brand found its own interested jobber. The art on the labels is eye-catching, as are many of the subjects they depict. Sometimes the content of the label directs the viewer and wholesaler’s attention back to the producing state; other times, the label alludes to world events or the buyer’s internal beliefs. Regardless of what the citrus crate label displays and where it originates, the purpose is the same: to sell citrus fruits and their products, and to accomplish that task with colorful imagery.

Bibliography: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YnuEs3oAUlnwe6uMgSDLNpKpRFnYq4YQ/view?usp=sharing

Images Cited: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19IXXoGwo7wfoX5_pUd4beO1750tpg4fl/view?usp=sharing 

Holidays on Citrus Crate Labels: Are They Even Correct?

   By Kendra Belton, FCHoF Student Fellow

Blog Installment Five— East Coast Citrus, West Coast Citrus: Citrus Crate Labels in Florida and California, A Study in Comparisons

     Think about the eye-catching commercials on television during the winter holidays. Most of them are themed around Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day, from car commercials to restaurant ads. In the summer, many commercials relate to the Fourth of July. Similarly, California and Florida used holidays on their citrus crate labels to sell their products. It would certainly make sense to purchase holiday-related citrus crates during that holiday season. While Christmas was the most common theme, some labels featured images related to Valentine’s Day, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving.

            Neither California nor Florida had many Valentine’s Day labels. California’s “Valentine Brand” is clearly a Valentine’s Day label. It was part of the Blue Goose Brand, but making copies of it today is too expensive. Still, “Valentine Brand” is the only California Valentine’s Day label found in a large survey. As for Florida, none of the labels in the study related to the romantic holiday. However, there was a citrus label that had the concept in its name: “Romance Brand.” The label shows two Cupids with their bows and arrows, flitting around the brand’s title. Because Cupid is the god of love and desire, most Americans see Cupid as an important Valentine’s Day symbol. So, the “Romance Brand” citrus crate label from Florida serves as an example of its small connection to the holiday.

            When it comes to the Fourth of July, “Skyrocket Brand” (California) or “Sparky” (Florida) might refer to American Independence Day. Both citrus crate labels show fireworks, which many Americans use to celebrate the holiday. In fact, Americans have used fireworks to celebrate the holiday since they declared independence in 1776 (Zeidan 2020). So, it is reasonable to assume that these fireworks-themed labels might relate to the Fourth of July. However, no labels explicitly mentioned the holiday.

            Thanksgiving is another national holiday when Americans pause to reflect on thanks and patriotism. California’s Thanksgiving Brand citrus crate label shows art explicitly related to Thanksgiving, with its black Pilgrim’s hat and a banner with the name of the holiday across the top of the label. Though Pilgrim men did not actually wear buckles on their hats, the image remains connected with the holiday (Mark 2020). So, it is a straightforward label; there is not much more to look into. Still, it was almost the only California label relating to Thanksgiving. Florida, too, had very few labels about the holiday, if any. Florida also has a “Pilgrim Brand” label, but that is also straightforward, despite its inaccuracies. That is why Florida’s “Good Will” label is more complicated.

            At first, a European and a Native American sharing gifts might suggest a depiction of the First Thanksgiving. However, the European is more likely a Spanish explorer, not a Pilgrim. This is clear because of the clothes he is wearing. Additionally, there are palm trees in the background, which do not grow in Massachusetts, the location of the first Thanksgiving. The image is further ironic because the Native American is handing the Spaniard oranges as a “Good Will” offering. However, Native Americans would not have had oranges, as Spaniards were the ones who brought oranges to the Americas (“A Brief History”). It would make more sense if the Spaniard offered oranges to the Native American instead.

While neither label is technically an accurate depiction of Thanksgiving, the California label explicitly relates to the Thanksgiving holiday. The Florida “Good Will” label, however, might be mistaken for a Thanksgiving label. Although there were few labels for earlier holidays, both states had many Christmas labels.

            California and Florida both have a wide variety of Christmas-themed citrus crate labels. For example, California has a brand called “Yule Tide Brand.” The label shows a smiling Santa Claus with a sack slung over his left shoulder. One of Florida’s labels shows the Three Wise Men on their way to Bethlehem. They are carrying oranges instead of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and the brand name is “Merry Xmas Brand.” Both labels are beautiful and convincing holiday advertisements. However, there are some important terms to be aware of.

            The first term to explore is “Yule Tide.” That is the brand; it is more commonly called “yuletide.” People often compare Yuletide with “Christmastide” and “Christmas Day.” Yuletide can refer to Christmas as a season, but not always. It has Norse roots, describing a pagan celebration of the winter solstice (“What’s the Difference” 2023). So, while Christmas Day falls during the season of Yuletide, the two terms are not synonymous. Because there is a Santa Claus on the “Yule Tide Brand” label, though, the label is probably referring to the Christmas season, or Christmastide, rather than the pagan holiday season.

The Christian Church notes that the Christmas season is not the period before Christmas. A season is, rather, the “period that includes and follows an anniversary, festival, etc.” (qtd in “What’s the Difference” 2023). Based on that definition, the Christmas season would start on Christmas Day, followed by the Twelve Days of Christmas. Santa Claus would show up on the first day before disappearing. The day after the Twelve Days of Christmas ends is Epiphany, when the Three Wise Men enter the story. 

It is not accurate for the Florida label to declare “Merry Xmas” when the label shows the Three Wise Men. Biblical interpretations generally agree that the Wise Men visited after Jesus’ birth, not during it. That is why many Christians celebrate Epiphany. Epiphany is a holiday that “marks the end of the Christmas season and the manifestation [or appearance] of Jesus Christ to the world” through the visit of the gentile Wise Men (Klein 2024). So, the description on the Florida label would make more sense if it were “Happy Epiphany” or “Happy Three Kings Day.”

Although many labels are unclear or historically inaccurate, they still connect to important American holidays. The labels demonstrate the importance of holidays in American culture, and the citrus industry used that to sell oranges.

Bibliography: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YnuEs3oAUlnwe6uMgSDLNpKpRFnYq4YQ/view?usp=sharing

Images Cited: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19IXXoGwo7wfoX5_pUd4beO1750tpg4fl/view?usp=sharing

 

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and More) in Florida and California

  By Kendra Belton, FCHoF Student Fellow

Blog Installment Four— East Coast Citrus, West Coast Citrus: Citrus Crate Labels in Florida and California, A Study in Comparisons

 

            Yet another way citrus crate labels caught people’s attention had nothing to do with connecting them back to the producing state. The labels also explored different modes of transportation. Sometimes the labels showed new transportation technology. In other instances, they featured everyday transportation or vehicles that were becoming more common. Traditionally, working men are often interested in cars, war, and modern technology in general. So, some labels even showed war-related transportation. For example, these labels featured planes, trains, automobiles, warships, and dirigibles.

            One label from California in 1910 is called “Monoplane.” It highlights an invention at the forefront of technology. The monoplane is an aircraft with only one pair of wings, compared to the biplane. The biplane has two wings, “one above the other” (“Monoplane” 2018, “Biplane” 2018). While the biplane came first, monoplanes were lighter and faster. The first successful monoplane flight was in 1906. After that, the monoplane became more common, especially during World War II. And it was mostly men who fought in World War II. So, some of the jobbers may even have had direct associations with monoplanes. That is why Florida’s “Endurance Brand” monoplane, dated sometime between 1930 and 1950, makes sense. By then, most planes were monoplanes, not biplanes.

            Another label from the 1930s to 1950s is the Florida “Air-Flow Brand” label. It depicts a train. Trains were essential to the citrus industry, and the jobbers were purchasing citrus that trains had brought to them. Although the “Golden Age” of railroads was from the 1880s to the 1920s, trains continued to transport goods (“Trains” 2016). Trains helped carry much of Florida’s citrus across the country. So, the train on the label might be honoring that history.

            While Florida honored trains, California showed an automobile on its 1920 “Auto Brand” label. By that time, Henry Ford had revolutionized the automobile industry. Now, an automobile was no longer “a luxury and a plaything” but “a necessity… cheap, versatile, and easy to maintain” (Cromer & Foster et. al. 2025). In 1920, most people still drove open model cars. Accessible closed automobiles did not become common until the middle of the decade. That is why the car on the label is open—it shows the kind of car most people, including wholesalers, would have used. Showing a familiar concept on labels is a good way to entice jobbers to buy their product.

            A much less common mode of transportation is the warship. California’s “Searchlight Brand” shows a warship from around 1920 to 1930. This was a period between World War I and World War II, when many countries were reducing their weaponry (“Warships”). That makes the label somewhat surprising. Florida’s “Full Ahead” label, also showing a warship, makes more sense. It is from the 1930s to the 1950s. At that time, America was either getting ready for or recovering from World War II. There would have been many men in the industry who had experience with warships, just like there would have been many with monoplane experience. Again, familiar, even war-related, images draw a buyer’s attention. By this time, the nation had stopped reducing its weaponry after realizing that it did not prevent the war.

            Another type of ship on the labels is one in the sky: the airship, also known as the dirigible. California’s “Airship” crate label dates to 1910. That same year, the America airship attempted a transatlantic flight. The airship on the label is probably semi-rigid. It seems to have a partially rigid frame, as compared to a Zeppelin (a brand name for a rigid airship) or a blimp. Blimps, like the one on Florida’s “Blimp Brand” label, are “pressure airships” that are “powered, steerable, lighter-than-air vehicle[s] whose shape is maintained by the pressure of the gases within [their] envelope” instead of rigid metal frames (Grossman n.d.). The “Blimp Brand” label was made between 1920 and 1950. During those years, the U.S. Navy had a special lighter-than-air program. The program used blimps in anti-submarine and reconnaissance roles (Grossman n.d.).

            Most of the transportation on these labels makes sense for their time. Some labels seem to show the daily needs of the American population. Others hinted at national sensations, like the failed flight of the America. Many of these images were familiar to the jobbers, whether they had directly interacted with the transportation or not. Nevertheless, both Florida and California used transportation images as one of the many eye-catching categories on their citrus crate labels.

Bibliography: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YnuEs3oAUlnwe6uMgSDLNpKpRFnYq4YQ/view?usp=sharing

Images Cited: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19IXXoGwo7wfoX5_pUd4beO1750tpg4fl/view?usp=sharing

 

From Florida’s Flamingos to California’s Condors: The Fauna of Citrus Crate Labels

 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 primarily 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

 

Poppies and Cacti and Palm Trees, Oh My! The Flora of Citrus Crate Labels

  By Kendra Belton, FCHoF Student Fellow

Blog Installment Two—East Coast Citrus, West Coast Citrus: Citrus Crate Labels in Florida and California, A Study in Comparisons

Both Florida and California designed citrus crate labels highlighting a variety of flora, including trees, flowers, shrubs, and other plants. Some plants were only native to Florida or California. Other plants grew in both states, or even across the nation. Often, the plants on the labels evoked an association with the state. For example, people know that palm trees grow in Florida. So, brands like “Royal Palm” would make jobbers think of Florida. Another sure and “familiar part of Florida’s environment” is Spanish Moss (“Spanish Moss”). People might also think about Florida if they saw Spanish Moss on a crate label. Many non-Floridians had never seen those plants before, so labels showing native plants would make wholesalers feel a positive connection with the state.

            California’s citrus crate labels also used floral images. Just like people associate palm trees and Spanish Moss with Florida, many think of cacti and yucca when they picture California. Additionally, people would have thought about the California poppy, California’s official state flower (Munson 2023). The California poppy is gold, rather than the typical red color. All three of these plants—cacti, yucca, and California poppies—appear on California’s citrus crate labels. Using familiar plants in advertising helped to connect buyers with California’s produce.

            Even though some of the labels were state-specific, not all of them were. Many labels feature intricate designs of other flowers, like goldenrods, carnations, roses, and daisies (The Citrus Label Gallery, Florida Citrus Crate Label Collection). Additionally, both Florida and California used orange blossoms on their labels. Orange blossoms have been Florida’s official state flower since 1909 (Munson 2023). People often associate orange blossoms with Florida more than with California, but they made sense in citrus advertising for both states (The Citrus Label Gallery). Using beautiful flowers is an effective way to create positive feelings in jobbers.

It is fascinating to compare and contrast Florida and California’s citrus crate labels. Nevertheless, both states produced some gorgeous art of various flora species, whether those species were native to the state or not. Sometimes, the inclusion of native species added a special touch to the citrus crate label. Using native plants helped buyers feel a positive connection with parts of the country they might otherwise have been unfamiliar with. It also gave them a small taste of the state beyond the fruit itself.

Bibliography: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YnuEs3oAUlnwe6uMgSDLNpKpRFnYq4YQ/view?usp=sharing

Images Cited: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19IXXoGwo7wfoX5_pUd4beO1750tpg4fl/view?usp=sharing

 

Advertisements and Introduction

 By Kendra Belton, FCHoF Student Fellow

Blog Installment One—East Coast Citrus, West Coast Citrus: Citrus Crate Labels in Florida and California, A Study in Comparisons

Advertisements are convincing. That is what they are meant to do. They want to convince buyers to purchase their products. The most successful advertisements had different effects. The iconic 1942 “Rosie the Riveter” ad, for example, persevered for a long time. It originally boosted female morale during World War II. Even after that, “Rosie” went on to be an important feminist symbol (“Who Was Rosie the Riveter?”). Other advertising campaigns, like Volkswagen’s 1962 “Think Small,” helped shift the focus of advertisements. Instead of only highlighting function, the Volkswagen ads also focused on style (“How Volkswagen”). Some had emotional appeal, including the 1971 “I’d Like To Buy the World a Coke” commercial (“I’d Like To”). On the other hand, commercials also borrowed from popular media. For example, Apple’s 1983 Super Bowl commercial for the Macintosh computer was inspired by George Orwell’s 1984. Still more advertisements shifted the narrative to focus on truth, like the early 2000s Dove “Campaign for Real Beauty” (“No. 1 Dove”). And some ads went for hilarity. These ads include the Aaron Burr commercial as part of the “Got Milk?” campaign and the iconic “No Regerts” tattoo from the “Sorry, I Was Eating a Milky Way!” commercials (“Why ‘Got Milk,’” Arioli 2015). Regardless of how the advertising campaign went about it, many stand out in the history of advertisements. One classic mode of advertising found its place in the citrus industry: crate labels.

Introduction

            Citrus crate labels may be beautiful and well-designed collectible items today, but they were not always so prized. They have always been attractive, but their purpose in the early to mid-twentieth century was much different from mere display. Instead, the labels were once practical advertising, sometimes known as the “billboards” of the citrus industry. With their varying lithography, fonts, brand names, and sizes, labels competed for a buyer’s attention. After all, the citrus inside one crate was not much different from the citrus inside the next crate. While the citrus industry was also present in Arizona and Texas, Florida and California were by far the most notable producers. Florida and California each had their own form of citrus labels, but California’s labels were the original model. Despite both states selling citrus products, Florida and California differed in their advertising and citrus products.

            California’s citrus industry first introduced citrus crate labels near the end of the 1880s. These labels were essential to the increase of national sales, made possible by the completed Transcontinental Railroad (McClelland & Last 1995, 6–7). California’s orange and grapefruit crate labels were ten inches by eleven inches to fit the sides of a typical wooden shipping container. In contrast, Florida’s labels only dated back to 1900, and they were smaller. They began at nine inches by nine inches before eventually decreasing to six inches by six inches and three inches by nine inches. However, these measurements still represented grapefruit and oranges. Longer rectangular labels in California denoted lemon products; Florida did not grow lemons. The nationwide citrus industry ceased producing labels in the 1950s because cardboard shipping boxes with pre-printed designs replaced the wooden shipping crates.

            Californian lithographers worked on labels for both states, consistently producing “refined advertising images” (McClelland & Last 1995, 113). Floridian lithographers, though, marked design distinctions between the two state styles, resulting in what some describe as images of poorer quality, with their “flat color, poster graphic approach” (McClelland & Last 1995, 114). Still, what Florida’s images may have lacked in depth, they made up for in thematic expression; they ventured into territories generally unknown, with “unusual depictions of alligators, pirates, Civil War subjects and scantily clad women,” though California was also a bit familiar with these designs (McClelland and Last 1995, 114).

In addition to design variations, the marking of quality grades took different avenues. For Florida, blue themes and backgrounds denoted Grade A oranges and grapefruit. Sometimes “blue” or “fancy” in the title aided the fruit’s visual classification. As for Grade B, this “choice” Florida fruit carried a red label. Grade C, or mixed-grade, was labeled green or yellow (Gernert 2011). When it came to California’s grade distinctions, the industry held similar boundaries between the quality of the fruits. Separate designs indicated those grades, even within the brands. Sometimes, the labels mirrored Florida’s color-coding, but not always. California’s Grade A citrus boasted a Sunkist Sunburst trademark, and the Grade B citrus bore a Red Ball trademark. The standard fruit, or mixed-grade, labels lacked any quality markings (A. McClelland n.d., G. McClelland n.d.). California also used “fancy” and “choice” labels. However, “fancy” and “choice” described citrus that did not fit under the Sunkist Sunburst trademark (Salkin and Gordon 1976, 8). Mixed-grade citrus fruits often had a poor appearance, even if they did not have a bad taste, earning brand names such as “Mutt” or “Camouflage” (Bell 2011). The quality was on the inside, in the juice.

            In fact, for Florida, the juice was, and continues to be, where most of the state’s citrus quality lies. During the time of citrus crate labels, Florida produced mostly Valencia and Hamlin oranges, which are better suited for juicing than for eating. Their thin peels make effective transportation difficult; if transported nationwide for eating, the outside of the orange would likely become battered by the time it reached customers, decreasing the chances of someone buying the orange for eating. However, Valencia oranges are juicier on the inside than California eating oranges, so they are best for juicing. California also grew Valencia oranges, but Florida’s Valencias proved to be more successful in the juice market. California’s Navel orange, on the other hand, has a firmer, thicker skin, which makes it the perfect orange for transportation (“The Citrus Cold War”). It is also easier for people to peel and, therefore, easier to eat. Both states also produced grapefruit.

            The original California packinghouses, manufacturing labels for oranges and grapefruit, believed that women would purchase the most fruit. So, the lithographers designed labels that they thought had a “feminine appeal.” However, researchers discovered that the labels actually mattered most to wholesalers, also known as jobbers. These men would buy citrus by the crate to sell as different products. As a result, lithography shifted to follow a more “masculine appeal.” For example, images representing women “underwent a major transformation, constantly becoming more seductive” (Salkin and Gordon 1976, 15–16). It appears that the shift occurred sometime between the 1920s and the 1930s, and it is essential to reflect on this idea when examining various citrus labels.

            The citrus crate labels proved informative on many levels, revealing the fruit’s origin, quality, and purpose. Though California and Florida differed in their label designs and fruit purposes, their products still reached nationwide markets for citrus fruits and juices. Now that the original use of citrus labels is obsolete, the labels themselves are an object of observation and discussion among collectors and historians. By understanding the basic differences between the orange and grapefruit crate labels of California and Florida, audiences gain a deeper understanding of the themes of the labels. Those themes include flora, fauna, transportation, holidays, and stereotypes, providing insight into the perspectives and mindsets of the American public, especially the jobbers, up through the 1950s.

Bibliography: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YnuEs3oAUlnwe6uMgSDLNpKpRFnYq4YQ/view?usp=sharing

Images Cited: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19IXXoGwo7wfoX5_pUd4beO1750tpg4fl/view?usp=sharing