Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Visual Materials
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Visual Materials
Image of an orange grove with mountains and a house in the background; a cable car rides along rails in the foreground; two oranges with leaves and flowers at bottom right of image.
ephCL Sb_3
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Visual Materials
The Citrus label collection contains more than 1,500 lithographed labels related to the California citrus industry in the United States from 1880 to 1960, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1890 to 1940. The vast majority of the collection consists of lithographed labels produced for Californian growers, packers, and distributors to identify brand names and packing locations on wooden shipping crates of oranges, lemons and grapefruits. Many of the labels were printed by Los Angeles and San Francisco lithographers. The collection includes a range of lithography techniques from crayon drawing and hand stippling to the use of Ben Day screen patterns and half-tone lithography. The collection also includes more than 100 examples with "bronzing," a printing technique where varnish is printed on the label, followed by a dusting of fine bronze powder. A significant number of labels are stamped on verso with a received date by the Fruit Growers Supply Company, and some include signatures of approval or notations about printing corrections. The collection provides a broad view of the development of citrus fruit advertising over time, and also touches upon topics of commerce, manufacturing, travel and tourism, and promotion of the western United States. In the earliest examples, themes include naturalistic designs of flowers, animals, women, historical subjects, and scenic landscapes. Brand names, simple designs, block letters, and geometric patterns dominate in later examples. Many of the labels depict orange groves, scenic views, or flowers, though the collection also includes a wide variety of imagery beyond these themes including Native Americans, transportation, children, and portraits of famous or fictional people.
ephCL_*18
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Visual Materials
Image of a bundle of pink rhododendron flowers with oranges and lemons on branches with leaves."27"--text, bottom left.
ephJLC_CIT_000910
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Visual Materials
Image of an automobile driving on a flower-lined road past an orange grove with mountains in background; oranges with leaves and blossoms.
ephJLC_CIT_000972
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Visual Materials
Image of three oranges with leaves on a branch in the foreground, to the right of a framed landscape of mountains, orange groves, a Colonial Spanish architectural style church or mission, and palms.
ephJLC_CIT_000924
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Visual Materials
Image of orange groves and mountains with orange tree and palms in foreground.
ephJLC_CIT_000942