Vintage Fruit Labels

Apple Box Art DVD

Apple Box Art, a historical documentary is now
available on DVD. This documentary primarily
focuses on Washington State fruit labels and
includes interviews with collectors of the vintage
fruit labels, local people who worked in packing
sheds prior to 1960 when these labels were used,
actual photos of historical labels, and more.

Apple box labels identified and promoted Washington State
apples on the ends of wood fruit crates from the early
1900s until the 1960s when they were replaced by cardboard
cartons.

From the valley and orchards, the art on the ends of apple
boxes has left an enduring history of the early days when
Wenatchee was the Apple Capital of the World.

Graphic illustrators, inspired by the scenic beauty of the
Pacific Northwest, painted an idyllic, sometimes whimsical,
picture of a lush land filled with quaint villages, flowing
rivers, healthy children and valleys brimming over
with orchards of perfect apples.

This timeless DVD has been produced by Malcolm Keithly,
a documentary producer in Wenatchee Valley.

M & M Productions
210 Olds Station Road
Suite A
Wenatchee, WA 98801
mandmproductions.tv

Lithography for Fruit Labels part 3

These printer craftsmen were really amazing.  For a five-color label, they used five individual stones for each of the colors.  Each stone had to be differently stippled with the same image. When they first blended different color hues  this was done by separation by hand and eye.  The craftsman would refer to the original drawing and note how much red was on an apple, and choose where the different colored highlights (blue, green, etc.) needed to fall.

Many years later this blending of hues was mechanized with camera filters.  The amount of each color was determined by the filters.  The craftsman's individual subtle differences in the texture colors were no longer present with this new mechanical process.

All the lithography stones in San Francisco were brought in from Bavaria. (The limestone quarries in Bavaria were mostly destroyed during World War I.) The limestones were unbelievable heavy!  It's said that the smallest stones used weighed atleast 50 pounds. These heavy stones were also very fragile. Larger stones used for very large prints (much larger than the fruit labels) often weighed up to 300 pounds.  It could require up to six men to lift these into the bed of the press. It was important that they were perfectly aligned with the paper to retain registration integrity. The final output quality and texture was exquisite.

One of the print houses, Schmidt Litho, these limestones were stored beneath the sidewalks in basements.  These stones survived the San Francisco earthquake.  The stones became so valuable they were continually ground down again and agiain to be used for new printing designs.

Lithography for Fruit Labels part 2

Grease will not mix with water or acid.....that's the magic of stone lithography which came about in 1798.  Printers discovered that even basic fruit designs became complicated when using lithography.  These craftsmen thrived on making more intricate designed labels, and a large selection of colors created from ground inks.

The engraving on a litho stone is so delicate that you can barely feel the design with your fingers.  The inks used were like thick creams, and when rolled across the litho stone, they only adhered to the stippled areas.

The craftsmen would draw a design on the litho stone with a greased pencil.  Then acid was used to etched the stone...a thin layer of stone was etched away...thus the design drawn with the greased pencil still remained. In the printing process the ink would only adhere to the image drawn with the greased pencil.  The stone was repeatedly washed with water, as the ink resisted the water absorbed into the etched area of the stone. The constant flushing of water on the stone kept up the resistance of the ink to the etched area.

Part three talks about how they made five-color labels.

Lithography for Fruit labels

In 1798, a Czech inventor and artist Alois Senefelder invented the process of lithography which was later used to print the original fruit labels.  As a result of his experiments with calcium carbonate and greasy ink, he eventually devised a method of producing multiple copies of his artwork and writings.

In the 1880s, San Francisco was a center of commerical lithography and label art. German immigrant, Max Schmidt was first successful in printing using a process called zincography.  This process replaced woodblock engraving.  About that time the focus of lithography changed and started to grow in the field of product labeling instead of Gold Certificates in the Gold Rush.

Fruit labels became the mainstay and profit of fifteen major San Francisco printers who had cropped up.  Litho salesmen were selling orange growers in California paper labels for their produce.  By 1900 they were selling apple and pear growers in Washington the same paper labels for their produce.

This lithography for fruit labels was a slow and highly crafted profession.  The printing process required using limestones/a heavy stone, careful alignment, specially treated paper, and meticulous attention to all details. 

Read more about the magic of lithography tomorrow.

Apple Box Attractions, Part 5

An extensive collection of apple labels
for public viewing is on display at the
Lake Chelan Historical Society.
Located at 204 E Woodin Ave,
PO Box 1948, Chelan, WA 98816.
Membership is available.
Lake Chelan Historical Society operates
the Lake Chelan Historical Society Museum
emphasizing local history, genealogy,
Indian tribes of the area, early photographs,
scrapbooks, cemetery records, memorabilia
of early pioneers, history of the apple industry
and a display of apple shipping crate labels.
An oral history project is in progress.

Wenatchee Valley Museum has a current
exhibit of the Wenatchee Apple Industry-
recreating a 1920's apple packing shed and
displays apple production equipment. A focal
point of the exhibit is an operational vintage
apple packing line with apple wiper, sorting table,
and an extraordinary catapult-sizing machine. An
engaging wall display showcases hundreds
of vintage apple box labels from regional
packers. 
The museum is located at 127 S. Wenatchee Ave.,
Wenatchee, WA.

The Wenatchee Washington Apple Commission
office maintains a small display of the
oldest labels from its collection of more
than 900.  Its Wenatchee office is at

2900 Euclid Ave.

And, Waverak sells and or trades labels
from her collection from her home in
East Wenatchee.

Part 5

Malcom Keithley

Apple Box Attractions, Part 4

One of the earliest known

labels, the rare Swan Brand,

was printed in the early

part of the century by

stone lithography. 

Bavarian limestones,

weighing up to 300 pounds

each, were etched with

the design (a separate

stone was required for

each color) and printed

individually with secret

inks formulated by Dutch

lithographers. 

Most of the Washington

State labels were printed

in Seattle by Ridgeway

Lithographers.

In the case of one label,

the same illustration

-a pampered Persian Cat –

was used with different

background colors to

denote grades of apples.

The blue background told

the Los Angeles and

Eastern fruit buyers that

the apples were Extra Fancy

grade.  Red backgrounds and

borders denoted Fancy Grade. 

Green meant the apples were

“C” grade.

All manner of popular

portrait subjects of the

time were recreated

for labels by illustrators

of the era. 

A portrait gallery of

Northwest Indians

was created for brands

with names such as

Redman, Wenoka, Siwash,

Wenatchee Chief, Red Girl

and Skookum.  Even a

youthful Chief Joseph

lent his regal endorsement

to Wenatchee-grown apples. 

And while young and

beautiful girls were

always popular subjects,

an aging and ever-beautiful

Princess Angeline was

given tribute on boxes

of Extra Fancy grade

apples.  As World War 1

came to a close, apple

boxes gave patriotic tribute

to their country with

the Uncle Sam label.

Part 4

Apple Box Attractions, Part 3

“I talked to an old man who’d designed the label

for his orchard and sent it off to lithographers

in Seattle to be printed. But I didn’t have the heart
to ask him why it was so ugly when most of them

were beautiful,” she says candidly.  In those days,

the price of labels was often based on how many

colors were in the design, she adds, “probably he

just couldn’t afford a label with lots of color.”

During the Great Depression, when farmers were

only getting 26 cents a box for their apples, some

farmers couldn’t afford to pay 3 or 4 cents for a

label, Waverak says.  Yet farmers couldn’t ship

their apples without a label. “I met one old farmer

who said he was so poor he had to borrow labels

from his neighbor so he could ship his apples during

the Depression.”

Today rare labels may be prices as high as $300. 

Common labels are still plentiful in antique shops

for as little as $1, Waverak says.  The same label,

mounted and framed, may fetch $50 or more in an

art gallery. (These prices were current in 1982 at

the time of her interview.  It’s doubtful today that

you could purchase a Washington vintage apple
box label for $1.00)

Part 3

Apple Box Attractions, Part 2

The art on the ends of apple boxes sold the

red and gold harvests from the early 1900s

until they were phased out when the

hand-assembled wooden apple boxes were

replaced by the more practical and economical

cardboard carton.  By the mid-1960s, the

paper labels had been all but forgotten.

Marie Waverak of East Wenatchee has been

collecting, selling and trading the labels for

several years.  “I saw how beautiful there were,

and then I found out there was money to be

made in collecting them,” she says.

The combination was a delicious a prospect as

a crisp red apple fresh from the tree.

The labels Waverak collects and those available

in antique stores, never made it to the end of an

apple box.  They were leftovers, stored by thrifty

farmers raised in an era of “waste not, want not.”

“Suppose a farmer had a shipment of 7,000 boxes

but only 2,000 labels. He’d have to have a new set

of labels made.”  Waverak says.  And, she adds,

he saved the leftover labels just in case they

could be used the next season.

As a collector, she’s searched old barns and

storehouses for the forgotten labels.  But Waverak

also searches through nursing homes and

convalescent centers for old growers who could

tell her more about the labels she had found.

Part 2

Vintage Apple Labels

Colorful paper labels have been used to identify different products since the early 1880s.  European artists introduced this concept to Americans, and this profession became known as lithography, our first commercial art. The objective was to catch the customer's eye and attention.  As the fruit market grew larger each season, there was immense competition at the local markets.  The orchard owners here in the northwest used this new concept of lithography to bring attention to their fruit.  These unique fruit crate labels will soon be offered thru our retail stores embellishing hand poured soy candles, clothing, tiles, coasters and more.

The labels have become more and more valuable since the 1950's because the development and use of pre-printed cardboard boxes caused wooden crates with paper labels to be a thing of the past.  Unused stocks of labels remained undiscovered for years in old barns across the country.  Labels were slowly being gathered by historians, collectors, and art lovers.  These same labels will be offered on a large selection of gifts.

I’ll post a link to our stores just as soon as they open.

The Ultimate Apple Box Label Exhibition

YAKIMA VALLEY MUSEUM —
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays
and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays
at 2105 Tieton Drive, Yakima
Admission is $5 for adults,
$3 for students and seniors
free for children under 5.
Call 248-0747 or
visit www.yakimavalleymuseum.org.

* "The Ultimate Apple Box Label Exhibition"
traces the origins and development of the
apple box label and looks at label collecting.
Based on the Yakima Valley Museum publication,
"The Ultimate Fruit Label Book."
Runs through Dec. 31.

Apple Box Attractions, Part 1

Apple box labels – the colorful lithographs that once identified and promoted Washington apples – have been rediscovered in old packing sheds, attic trunks and warehouses.  They are sought after as collectibles

unique to our state and are treasured as nostalgic

reminders of a bygone era.

Graphic illustrators, inspired by the scenic beauty of Washington, painted an idyllic, sometimes whimsical,

picture of a lush land filled with quaint alpine villages, flowing rivers, healthy children and valleys brimming over with orchards of perfect apples.  Their illustrations

printed as labels firmly affixed to the ends of wooden packing crates, identified and promoted the state’s apple crop as it was shipped to markets throughout the country.

While some private collections contain over 1,000 different labels, it is almost impossible to determine just how many were created.  Some labels were used for only one season and almost every orchard, large or small, had at least one label.

Malcom Keithley

Candles with Antique Fruit Labels

www.Washingtonmadegifts.com will soon be unveiling their antique fruit label  gift collection.  Fragrant hand poured soy candles embellished with fruit labels will be available in a wide variety of scents...Pear Creme, Apple Creme, Hot Apple Pie, and more.

The Ultimate Fruit Label Book

This is a highly recommended book. There are over 1,700 stunning color images of fruit labels  presented here alphabetically. Many decorative motifs, including pin-up girls, Indians, airplanes, snowmen (!), huskies, anthropomorphized fruit, scenic vistas, and elaborate portraitures.

This book  includes fascinating histories of all the major fruit companies and the rise of fruit labels, useful collecting hints, values, and a detailed bibliography. "Mostly full-color, six to a page to keep each a large, satisfying size. Superb reproduction from mint-condition examples." according to Bud Schiffer, 2006

Apple Box Art DVD

                                                                                                                     

M & M Productions of Wenatchee, Washington (the Apple Capital of the World) has announced the summer release of "Apple Box Art," a DVD documentary about the history of Pacific Northwest fruit crate labels.

Historical photos, rare film, label collectors and interviews with people who once worked in the early-day packing sheds and orchards are featured in the production.  Material was collected from museums, historical societies, private collections, dealers and the National Archives.  The historical film especially gives a rare glimpse into the early days of the fruit industry and the struggle and successes of the fruit pioneers.

Digital animation techniques used in the documentary add a richness to the "art on the end of an apple box" that is both surprising and entertaining as it sometimes appears that the historical black and white photographs are actual motion picture film.  The DVD is both informative and entertaining and will be an important resource to anyone interested in the art and history of fruit crate labels.

More information is available at M & M Productions and the DVD can be ordered on-line.  It will also be available at museum gift shops and antique stores throughout North Central Washington.  The documentary will be broadcast on PBS at a time to be announced. 

New fruit label book published

"Extra Fancy, The Label Art of the Pacific Northwest" has just been released.  This is the long-awaited effort by Pat Jacobensen. 

Jacobensen is acknowledged as the expert on fruit crate labels of Washington and Oregon and his book will be a great resource for fruit crate label collectors.

"Extra Fancy" is described as the "most definitive work available on the subject of Crate Label Art in the Northwest and has taken more than twenty years to compile.  It provides thousands of facts about the history of the great Northwestern Territory, how agriculture re-formed the landscape and how the apple became king of fruits."

Jacobsen's efforts resulted in a book of 540 pages, 1,500 illustrations, 100,000 words of text and features labels from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.  He claims it is the real history of the Northwest.

Chapters include:

• The Oregon Territory
• Washington State
• Eras of Label Design
• Label Regions
• Neighboring States
• The Packing Process
• Types of Products
• What Makes A Good Label

"Extra Fancy" can be ordered by sending $63.85 (including shipping and handling) to: Thomas P. Pat Jacobsen, P.O. Box 791,Weimar, CA 95736 .  It can also be ordered at fruitcratelabels.com.

Collections in California

Ongoing

Treasures of Los Angeles

Items from the Library ’s special collections are

on display in this exhibit including pieces from the

Hollywood collection, the menu collection, the photo

collection and labels from fruit and vegetable crates

that celebrate California’s agricultural history.

Annenberg Gallery, Main Building.

Beginning May 6, 2006

A r t i s t ry of the Orange: California's Vintage

Fruit Crate Labels

In the seventy-year period from the 1880’s to the mid

1950’s millions of colorful paper labels were used by

California citrus growers to identify and advertise the

wooden boxes of fruit they shipped throughout the

United States. The Vintage Fruit Crate Label Exhibit

includes over 45 colorful labels from the Los Angeles

Public Library ’s extensive collection. First Floor

Galleries, Main Building.

New York Antique Show

You can find antique fruit labels at the Bouckville-Madison County Outdoor Antique Show in Bouckville, N.Y. These labels date between 1880 and 1930 and are popular because of their bright colors and nostalgic look.

Madison-Bouckville Outdoor Antiques Show
Contact Madison-Bouckville Mgmt. for additional show information.
Madison-Bouckville Outdoor Antiques Show
Hamilton, NY
Phone: 315-824-2462
Website: www.bouckvilleantiqueshows.com