Finding aid to the Crate, can, and bottle label collection, Kemble Spec Col 8

Finding aid prepared by Marie Silva.

California Historical Society

678 Mission Street

San Francisco, CA, 94105-4014

(415) 357-1848

reference@calhist.org

2014

Title: Crate, can, and bottle label collection

Date: circa 1920s-1940s

Collection Identifier: Kemble Spec Col 8

Extent: 5 boxes, 3 oversize boxes (5.6 linear feet)

Contributing Institution: California Historical Society

678 Mission Street

San Francisco, CA, 94105-4014

(415) 357-1848

reference@calhist.org

URL: http://www.californiahistoricalsociety.org/

Location of Materials: Collection is stored onsite.

Language of Materials: The bulk of the collection is in English, with some labels in Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Hebrew.

Abstract: Comprises thousands of crate, can, and bottle labels, the bulk of which were designed and created between the 1920s and 1940s by San Francisco and Los Angeles lithography companies. The core of the collection consists of labels and stock label catalogs designed by Lehmann Printing and Lithography Company in San Francisco for a wide variety of food, beverage, and household products grown, manufactured, canned, or packed in California and throughout the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Other major California lithographers represented in the collection include Schmidt Litho. Co. (San Francisco) and Western Litho. Co. (Los Angeles).

Access

CHS is not taking appointments for research at this time. Please check the Library's website updates: https://californiahistoricalsociety.org/collections/north-baker-research-library/

Publication Rights

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of Library and Archives, North Baker Research Library, California Historical Society, 678 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Consent is given on behalf of the California Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner. Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Crate, can, and bottle label collection, Kemble Spec Col 8, California Historical Society.

Separated Materials

Wine and other alcoholic beverage labels have been removed from the collection and integrated into the California wine label and ephemera collection, Kemble Spec Col 7.

Related Collections

California wine label and ephemera collection, Kemble Spec Col 7

Additions to the Collection

Additions to the collection are ongoing.

Processing Information

Processed by Marie Silva, 2014.

System of Arrangement

The collection is arranged into three series: 1) Lehmann Printing and Lithographing Co.; 2) Schmidt Lithography Co.; and 3) Miscellaneous lithographers. Within series, labels are organized alphabetically by product.

Scope and Contents

The collection comprises thousands of crate, can, and bottle labels, the bulk of which were designed and created between the 1920s and 1940s by San Francisco and Los Angeles lithography companies. The core of the collection consists of labels and stock label catalogs designed by Lehmann Printing and Lithography Company in San Francisco for a wide variety of food, beverage, and household products grown, manufactured, canned, or packed in California and throughout the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Other major California lithographers represented in the collection include Schmidt Litho. Co. (San Francisco), Western Litho. Co. (Los Angeles), Louis Roesch Co. (San Francisco), and Traung Label Co. (San Francisco).

The collection documents the intersecting agriculture, food processing, and marketing industries, particularly in California, with large holdings of labels for beverages, canned foods, and fruits, especially apples, pears, and citrus fruits. Numerous growers, packers, distributors, and brands are represented, including Western Fruit Growers, Inc. (Los Angeles), Di Giorgio Fruit Corp. (San Francisco), Heggblade-Marguleas Co. (San Francisco), Newcastle Growers and Packers (Newcastle, California), Pacific Fruit Exchange, Parrott & Co. (San Francisco), Sylmar Packing Co. (Los Angeles), and Sunkist.

Labels in the collection contain a wealth of advertising imagery, including visual representations of agricultural products, farms and fields, missions, California scenery, and stereotypes of Native American peoples.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's public access catalog:

Lehmann Printing and Lithographing Co.

Schmidt Litho. Co.

Western Litho. Co. (1908-).

Advertising--Beverages.

Advertising--Food.

Agricultural industries.

Beverage industry.

Canned foods industry.

Food industry and trade.

Labels--Catalogs.

Labels--Design.

Labels.

Fruit crate labels.

Lithographs.

California Ephemera Project.

Series 1: Lehmann Printing and Lithographing Co. 1920s-1940s

Box 1, Folders 1-2, OV-Box 1, Folders 1-3

Apples undated

Box 1, Folders 3-4, OV-Box 1, Folder 4

Apricots undated

Box 1, Folder 5

Artichokes undated

Box 1, Folders 6-7, OV-Box 1, Folder 4

Asparagus undated

Box 1, Folder 8

Baby food undated

Box 1, Folders 9-10

Beans undated

Box 1, Folders 11-12, OV-Box 1, Folder 5

Beets undated

Box 1, Folders 13-14, OV-Box 1, Folder 5

Berries undated

Box 1, Folder 15, OV-Box 1, Folder 6

Beverages--Coffee and tea undated

Box 1, Folder 16

Beverages--Ginger ale undated

Box 1, Folders 17-19, OV-Box 1, Folder 7

Beverages--Juice undated

Box 1, Folder 20, OV-Box 1, Folder 7

Beverages--Milk undated

Box 1, Folders 21-22, OV-Box 1, Folder 8

Beverages--Soda undated

Box 1, Folder 23

Beverages--Water undated

OV-Box 1, Folder 8

Beverages--Wine and beer undated

Related Materials

For standard sized wine, beer, and alcoholic beverage labels, see the California wine label and ephemera collection, Kemble Spec Col 7.

Box 1, Folder 24

Beverages--Miscellaneous brands undated

Box 1, Folder 25, OV-Box 1, Folder 9

Breads, cakes, cookies, and biscuits

Scope and Contents

Includes fortune cookie labels.

Box 1, Folder 26

Broccoli undated

Box 1, Folder 27

Businesses undated

Folder 1, Folder 28

Cabbage undated

Scope and Contents

Includes caricature of African American child.

Box 1, Folder 29

Candy undated

Box 1, Folders 30-31

Carrots undated

Box 1, Folder 32

Cauliflower undated

Box 1, Folder 33

Celery undated

OV-Box 1, Folder 10

Cereals and flours undated

Box 1, Folder 34

Cheese undated

Box 1, Folder 35, OV-Box 1, Folder 11

Cherries undated

Box 1, Folder 36

Chinese language labels undated

Box 1, Folder 37, OV-Box 1, Folder 11

Chocolate and cocoa undated

Box 1, Folder 38

Chop suey undated

Box 1, Folder 39, OV-Box 1, Folder 11

Cigarettes undated

OV-Box 1, Folder 12

Citrus fruits--General--California undated

Box 1, Folder 40, OV-Box 1, Folder 13

Citrus fruits--General--Texas undated

Box 1, Folder 41, OV-Box 1, Folder 14

Citrus fruits--Grapefruit undated

Box 1, Folder 42, OV-Box 1, Folder 15

Citrus fruits--Lemons undated

Box 1, Folder 43, OV-Box 1, Folder 16

Citrus fruits--Oranges

Box 1, Folder 44

Citrus fruits--Tangerines undated

Box 1, Folder 45

Cocoanut undated

Box 1, Folder 46

Condiments--General undated

Scope and Contents

Includes relish, salad dressing, cranberry sauce, and sandwich spread labels.

Box 1, Folder 47

Condiments--Apple sauce undated

Box 1, Folder 48, OV-Box 1, Folder 17

Condiments--Jams and jellies undated

Box 2, Folder 1, OV-Box 1, Folder 18

Condiments--Ketchup undated

Box 2, Folder 2

Condiments--Mayonnaise and mustard undated

Box 2, Folder 3

Condiments--Sauces undated

Scope and Contents

Includes hot sauce, mushroom sauce, and spaghetti sauce labels.

Box 2, Folder 4

Condiments--Soy sauce undated

Box 2, Folder 5, OV-Box 1, Folder 19

Condiments--Tomato sauce, paste, and puree undated

Box 2, Folder 6

Condiments--Vinegar undated

Box 2, Folder 7, OV-Box 1, Folder 20

Cooking oils and fats undated

Box 2, Folder 8, OV-Box 1, Folder 20

Corn undated

Box 2, Folder 9

Cucumbers undated

Box 2, Folder 10

Eggs undated

Box 2, Folder 11, OV-Box 1, Folder 20

Figs

Box 2, Folders 12-13, OV-Box 1, Folder 21

Fish undated

Box 2, Folder 14

Fruit cocktail undated

Box 2, Folders 15-16

Grapes undated

Box 2, Folders 17-18, OV-Box 1, Folder 22

Green beans undated

Box 2, Folder 19

Hebrew language labels undated

Box 2, Folder 20

Hominy undated

Box 2, Folder 21, OV-Box 1, Folder 23

Honey undated

Box 2, Folder 22

Hotel Belmar, Mazatlan, Mexico undated

Box 2, Folder 23, OV-Box 1, Folder 24

Household goods undated

Scope and Contents

Includes broom, napkin, shoe polish, ammonia, bleach, lye, and cleaning product labels.

Box 2, Folders 24-25

Lettuce undated

Box 2, Folder 26

Malt and hops undated

Box 2, Folder 27

Meat

Box 2, Folder 28

Medicines and home remedies undated

Box 2, Folders 29-30

Melons undated

Box 2, Folder 31, OV-Box 1, Folder 24

Mince meat undated

Box 2, Folder 32

Mixed vegetables undated

Box 2, Folder 33

Mushrooms undated

Box 2, Folder 34

Nectarines undated

Box 2, Folder 35

Nuts undated

Box 2, Folder 36

Office supplies undated

Box 2, Folders 37-38, OV-Box 1, Folder 24

Olives undated

Box 2, Folder 39

Onions undated

Box 2, Folder 40

Paints and chemicals undated

Box 3, Folder 1, OV-Box 1, Folder 25

Pasta undated

Scope and Contents

Includes spaghetti, macaroni, chow mein, and udon labels.

Box 3, Folders 2-4, OV-Box 1, Folder 25

Peaches undated

Box 3, Folder 5

Peanut butter undated

Box 3, Folders 6-8, OV-Box 1, Folder 25

Pears undated

Box 3, Folders 9-10, OV-Box 1, Folder 25

Peas undated

Box 3, Folder 11

Peppers/Pimientos undated

Box 3, Folder 12, OV-Box 1, Folder 25

Pet food and other animal care products undated

Box 2, Folders 13-14, OV-Box 1, Folder 26

Pickles undated

Box 3, Folders 15-16, OV-Box 1, Folder 26

Pineapples undated

Box 3, Folder 17, OV-Box 1, Folder 27

Plums undated

Box 3, Folder 18

Poi undated

Box 3, Folder 19

Pomegranates undated

OV-Box 1, Folder 28

Popcorn, potato chips, and pretzels undated

Box 3, Folders 20-21

Potatoes undated

Box 3, Folder 22

Prickly pears undated

Box 3, Folder 23, OV-Box 1, Folder 29

Prunes

Box 3, Folder 24, OV-Box 1, Folder 29

Pumpkins undated

Box 3, Folder 25

Radishes undated

Box 3, Folder 26, OV-Box 1, Folder 30

Raisins

Box 3, Folder 27, OV-Box 1, Folder 30

Rhubarb undated

Box 3, Folder 28

Rice undated

Box 3, Folder 29

Sauerkraut undated

Box 3, Folder 30

Soup undated

Box 3, Folder 31, OV-Box 1, Folder 31

Spices undated

Box 3, Folders 32-33

Spinach undated

Box 3, Folder 34, OV-Box 1, Folder 32

Syrups undated

Scope and Contents

Includes maple syrup, molasses, grenadine, and malt syrup labels.

Box 3, Folder 35

Tamales and enchiladas undated

Box 4, Folder 1

Toiletries undated

Box 4, Folders 2-3, OV-Box 2, Folder 1

Tomatoes undated

Box 4, Folders 4-5, OV-Box 2, Folder 2

Miscellaneous growers, packers, and distributors undated

Box 4, Folders 6-7, OV-Box 2, Folder 3

Miscellaneous fruit growers, packers, and distributors undated

Box 4, Folders 8-9

Miscellaneous vegetable growers, packers, and distributors undated

Box 4, Folders 10-14, OV-Box 2, Folder 4

Miscellaneous brands undated

Box 4, Folders 15-18, OV-Box 2, Folder 5

Stock labels--General 1942, undated

Box 4, Folder 19

Stock labels--Beverages undated

OV-Box 3

Stock label catalog--Box-end labels undated

OV-Box 3

Stock label catalog--Canned foods undated

Box 4, Folder 20

Stock label catalog--Macaroni undated

OV-Box 4

Stock label catalog--Ginger ale, Lime Rickey, and all beverages undated

Box 4, Folder 21

Stock label catalog--Olives undated

Box 4, Folder 22

Stock label catalog--Paint undated

OV-Box 3

Stock label catalog-- True to nature fruit and vegetable vignettes 1938

Scope and Contents

Bound volume containing stock labels for fruits, vegetables, and other foods organized by product. Includes photographs of the Lehmann plant.

OV-Box 4

Stock label catalog--Catalogue No. 8 (small labels for wines, brandies, syrups, pickles, toiletries, etc.) 1941

Box 4, Folder 23

Label values undated

Box 4, Folder 24

Letterheads for growers, packers, and distributors undated

Box 4, Folder 25

Sketches and proofs undated

Series 2: Schmidt Lithography Co.

Box 4, Folder 26, OV-Box 2, Folder 6

Apples undated

Box 4, Folder 27

Apricots undated

Box 4, Folder 28

Avocados undated

Box 4, Folder 29

Berries undated

Box 4, Folder 30

Beverages--Juice undated

Box 4, Folder 31

Beverages--Milk undated

Box 4, Folder 32

Cantaloupes undated

Box 4, Folder 33

Cherries undated

Box 4, Folder 34, OV-Box 2, Folder 7

Citrus fruits--General undated

Box 4, Folder 35, OV-Box 2, Folder 8

Citrus fruits--Grapefruit undated

OV-Box 2, Folder 8

Citrus fruits--Lemons undated

Box 4, Folder 36

Figs undated

Box 4, Folder 37

Fish undated

Box 4, Folder 38

Fruit cocktail undated

Box 4, Folder 39

Grapes undated

Box 5, Folder 1

Mission label (unidentified product) undated

Box 5, Folder 2

Nogales, Arizona, label undated

Box 5, Folder 3

Pacific Northwest Native American label (unidentified label)

Box 5, Folder 4

Peaches undated

Box 4, Folder 5

Peanut butter undated

Box 4, Folders 6-7

Pears undated

Box 5, Folder 8

Persimmons undated

Box 5, Folder 9

Pet food undated

Box 5, Folder 10

Pineapple undated

Box 5, Folder 11

Plums undated

Box 5, Folder 12

Prunes undated

Box 5, Folder 13

Pumpkins undated

Box 5, Folder 14

Tomatoes undated

Box 5, Folder 15, OV-Box 2, Folder 9

Vegetables undated

Box 5, Folder 16, OV-Box 2, Folder 10

Miscellaneous fruit growers, packers, and distributors

Box 5, Folder 17

Miscellaneous brands undated

Series 3: Miscellaneous lithographers

Box 5, Folder 18, OV-Box 2, Folders 11-12

Apples undated

Box 5, Folder 19

Apricots undated

Box 5, Folder 20

Avocados undated

Box 5, Folder 21

Berries undated

Box 5, Folder 22

Beverages undated

Box 5, Folder 23

Cherries undated

Box 5, Folder 24, OV-Box 2, Folders 13-14

Citrus fruits--General undated

OV-Box 2, Folder 15

Citrus fruits--Western Litho. Co. undated

Box 5, Folder 25

Condiments undated

Box 5, Folders 25-26

Del Monte brand labels undated

Box 5, Folder 27

Fish undated

Box 5, Folder 28

Fruit cocktail undated

Box 5, Folder 29, OV-Box 2, Folder 16

Grapes undated

Box 5, Folder 30

Household goods undated

Box 5, Folder 31

Kiwi fruit undated

Box 5, Folder 32, OV-Box 2, Folder 16

Melons undated

Box 5, Folder 33

Nectarines undated

Box 5, Folder 34

Pasta undated

Box 5, Folder 35

Peaches undated

Box 5, Folders 36-40, OV-Box 2, Folder 16

Pears undated

Box 5, Folder 41

Persimmons undated

Box 5, Folder 42

Pet food undated

Box 5, Folder 43

Plums undated

Box 5, Folder 44

Pumpkin undated

Box 5, Folder 45

Tomatoes undated

Box 1, Folder 46

Topepo (tomato/pepper hybrid) undated

Box 5, Folder 47, OV-Box 2, Folder 17

Vegetables undated

Box 5, Folder 48, OV-Box 2, Folder 17

Miscellaneous fruit growers, packers, and distributors undated

Box 5, Folder 49

Miscellaneous vegetables growers, packers, and distributors undated

Box 5, Folder 50

Miscellaneous brands undated

Box 5, Folder 51

Stock labels