Florida Citrus Crate Label Collection
Florigold citrus label King Citrus Brand citrus label, ca. 1936
This online collection features nearly 700 Florida citrus crate labels from the collection of the Museum of Florida History. Many citrus label dealers, collectors, and enthusiasts have donated to the collection over the years, but the largest single source is the Florida Citrus Commission, which regulates the quality standards for the industry.
Oranges came to Florida with Spanish explorers during the 1500s. The trees soon naturalized to the land, and Native people learned to roast the wild sour oranges before eating them. However, it was not until after the Civil War that “orange fever” really took off. Citrus labels were used in Florida from the late 1800s until the early 1960s, but their “Golden Era” dates from 1900 to 1939.
"New Grove," oil painting by Highwayman artist Willie Reagan
Risner Fine Art Collection, Museum of Florida History
In 1900, Florida remained a frontier culture with a total population of only 528,000. State boosters romanticized the family-owned orange grove. Determined immigrants came, establishing citrus groves close to rivers and alongside newly built railroads for transporting their products to market. Beginning in the late 1920s, the Florida Department of Agriculture, led by Commissioner Nathan Mayo, published hundreds of brochures and posters in an effort to increase tourism, agriculture, and immigration in the state. Many early land buyers saw an opportunity to develop orange groves, especially as promotional materials romanticized the lifestyle involved in operating them. However, growing and picking oranges was difficult work.
The Great Freezes of 1894–95 wiped out many groves in North Florida and the industry moved south. Citrus groves flourished in Central Florida, down the sand ridge from Leesburg to Sebring, and across the state between Tampa and the Indian River Lagoon. Major business operations were centered in Tampa and Orlando.
Workers picked, cleaned, and packed the fruit. Then, it was shipped via steamboats and later refrigerated railroad cars to markets in northern cities. After the fruit arrived in cities like New York, Boston, and Cincinnati, buyers attended auctions held in the early morning hours, usually between 3 and 7 a.m. The auctions concluded early, so that buyers could load the newly bought fruit onto wagons or trucks and deliver them to marketplaces the same day.
Belle of Silver River Brand, ca. 1935–40 Florida Festival Brand, ca. 1930s
The auctions went quickly and there was only a brief amount of time to catch the eye of a potential buyer. Colorful lithographic citrus labels were designed to attract attention. Labels often featured depictions of southern belles, flappers, and mid-century styled pinups. Many labels depicted heroic adventurers, cowboys, and pirates. Sports, patriotism, and transportation were also popular themes.
Gasparilla Brand citrus label, ca. 1930s Peace River Chief citrus label, ca. 1937–38
Images of scenes from the Old South, the West, and idyllic tropical Florida were common, although some labels showed negative stereotypes.
Green Turtle Brand citrus label, ca. 1951–52 Idlewild citrus label, early 1900s
Citrus labels were great advertisements for Florida and often showcased the state’s natural beauty, including rivers, wildlife, flowers, and trees. Sometimes growers featured images of their wives, children, and pets. Many brand names speak of the quality of the product to influence buyers. Some labels were designed to appeal to specific immigrant markets in the north, including Jewish enclaves.
Florida (in Hebrew) citrus label Merry Xmas Brand citrus label, ca. 1954
Citrus crate labels played an important role in promoting Florida’s citrus industry and the state more broadly. Boxes of citrus sent as holiday gifts reminded northern neighbors of Florida sunshine. An enduring symbol of Florida, the orange is an advertisement of the state’s eternal summer paradise. Today, these labels are considered works of art and a pictorial history of the time and culture in which they were produced.
