Crate Label, Lucerne Thompson Seedless, California Grapes, Vintage 1960's

Before supermarkets. Before plastic wrap. Before everything was the same everywhere — there were crate labels.

This is an original California grape crate label — a lithograph produced between 1963 and 1966 by Schmidt Lithographic Co. of San Francisco, for Tri-Boro Fruit Co. It has never been used. Never folded. Never attached to a crate. It is New Old Stock in excellent condition, found in the original unused factory stock.

The label is outstanding. Four bright carnations — pink, red, and coral — are arranged with confidence across a deep dark background, the squared corners giving the whole composition a deliberate, modern feeling. This is the darker, moodier sibling to the Carnation Brand label — same flower, different atmosphere entirely. Schmidt Lithographic Co., in business from 1906 until its merger with Stecher-Traung in 1964, was one of the great California label printers, and the quality shows.

Strip labels like this one are perfect for grouping. The dark background makes the carnations pop against a light wall — frame two or three together in matching narrow frames for a rich, collected look. Works beautifully in a kitchen, dining room, or anywhere you want jewel-toned floral art in a slim footprint. A single label in a narrow 5x14 frame holds its own with ease. Two available.

A wonderful gift for a carnation lover, a vintage floral decor collector, or anyone drawn to mid-century California lithography at its most dramatic.

A note on crate label collecting: Original lithographic crate labels from this era are increasingly scarce. NOS examples like this one — never used, never folded, in original unused condition — represent the best of what survives. Collectors prize them for their graphic quality and the window they open onto a vanished chapter of American agricultural and commercial history.

• Brand: Lucerne Brand / Tri-Boro Fruit Co., Inc., California
• Lithographer: Schmidt Lithographic Co., San Francisco (1906–1964)
• Type: Grape crate label (strip)
• Made in: USA
• Dated: 1963–1966
• Dimensions: 13.0" wide | 4.0" tall
• Condition: New Old Stock (NOS) — unused, excellent condition. Age-appropriate yellowing on the reverse only. Please review all photos carefully — we cannot accept returns.
• Framing: Ideal for a narrow or panoramic frame — ready to display. Groups beautifully with other strip labels.