Florida Southern College Fruit and Vegetable
Crate Label Collection
The Citrus Crate Label Collection at Florida Southern College contains digitized labels from the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame, primarily private collector James Ellis. These colorful labels are both artistic and useful as a tool in the citrus industry. Lithography for citrus crate labels began in the late 1880s in California and migrated to Florida soon after. The unique artwork, drawn by popular artists of the time but not identified, was used for advertising for a particular grower or shipper. The labels were glued to the end of the wooden shipping crate prior to going to market. The peak years for crate labels were between 1920 and 1950 after which time the use of cardboard shipping cartons became prevalent. The label's color also denotes the grade of fruit and registration with the Florida Citrus Commission.
Sarah D. and L. Kirk McKay, Jr. Archives Center
In 2009, Florida Southern gratefully brought the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame into the Sarah D. and L. Kirk McKay, Jr. Archives Center on its campus and assisted in creation of this Web site.