Harvest Beauty: The Artistic Labels of California Growers
New Exhibit in Sherman Library & Gardens’ Historic Adobe:
From the 1880s to the mid-1950s, California citrus growers used colorful paper labels on wooden boxes to identify and advertise their fruit, reflecting a rich social and commercial art history. With the advent of railroads, these labels became essential for shipping and marketing, evolving from stenciled images to eye-catching designs that promoted the California dream. Over 250 packinghouses used multiple labels to denote fruit quality, and skilled artists, often European immigrants, created these vibrant artworks. Label styles transitioned from naturalistic scenes to commercial art techniques, peaking between 1900-1930. The practice declined in the 1940s and ended by 1956 with the shift to cardboard boxes.
