A Slice of California History

Living in Southern California has its perks; the most obvious one being the invariably warm climate. It does not take much effort to stumble upon California in popular culture, as certain words flash in our minds such as Hollywood, the film industry, or Los Angeles.

“Silver Moon” Lemon Crate Label Print, c. 1945

San Fernando Heights Lemon Association; San Fernando, California, United States

Lithograph; 8 7/8 x 12 ½ in.

38383.6

Gift of Mr. Gordon T. McClelland

Riverside surprisingly was the first location in the country to make California nationally famous after citrus agriculture became an unexpected success almost overnight. Navel orange cuttings originating from a tree housed at a monastery in Bahia, Brazil were sent by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to women’s suffrage activist Eliza Tibbets who resided in Riverside at the time. The navel variety proved itself to be successful in its respective environmental conditions, yielding large, seedless fruit. The navel orange acquired its name due to its appearance—its apex resembles a human bellybutton. By the 1890’s, citrus agriculture had grossed approximately $23 million for Riverside’s local economy, making it the wealthiest city in America by that time.

The golden age of this industry spawned the “Southern California citrus belt,” reaching from Escondido to Pasadena, and also explains how Orange County got its name in the process. One wouldn’t think that a fruit crate label would have any significance in the development of California as it stands today, but it most certainly did.

The main marketing objective was to sell California as an integral part of the American Dream—a land of opportunity and prosperity. The growth of the rail systems simultaneously paired with the onset of cheap lithography facilitated the reach of the formerly local citrus economy to evolve into mass merchandizing, which reached the entire nation rapidly. The idyllic and romanticized vibrant imagery tied with incredibly bold yet simple typography proved to be effective, as this was the first time in history that California was marketed as a locale. There were key elements to the layouts of these labels, which were simplicity, clean, defined lines, and bold colors. This particular citrus crate label above portrays a night scene, which was a rare choice of subject matter, deviating from the popular sunshiny imagery utilized in the designs, even though it relates directly to the title of the brand, Silver Moon.

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