Crate Label, Corinthian Brand, California Emperor Grapes, Sailboat, NOS, Vintage 1930s

Louis Roesch Co. had been printing fine California labels since 1879, and few of their surviving strip labels build an entire scene as efficiently as this one — an entire seascape in four inches of paper.

• Brand: Corinthian Brand / Lawrence E. McGee, Grower and Packer, Exeter, California
• Produce: Grapes (Emperor)
• Origin: Exeter, California, USA
• Lithographer: Louis Roesch Co., San Francisco, California (est. 1879)
• Materials: Paper, lithograph
• Dimensions: 13.0" wide × 4.0" tall
• Era: Vintage, circa 1930s–1940s
• Condition: New Old Stock (NOS) — unused, excellent mint condition, age-appropriate yellowing. Please review photos closely before purchasing, as all sales are final.

A sailboat under full sail cuts across the composition, a large blue anchor beside it — four distinct tones of blue (aqua, navy, teal, powder) building the seascape, with warm orange mast and lettering holding against them. The name Corinthian is a nod to the Greek maritime tradition — a skilled, independent sailor who races purely for the love of it — sourced from the collection of Lorie Cairns, one of the pioneering dealers in vintage label collecting.

A strip label made for narrow frames — striking solo as a nautical statement piece, or paired with other strip labels in a coastal arrangement.

Louis Roesch Co. was founded in San Francisco by its namesake, a German immigrant that arrived in the US in 1872 and has been printing fine California labels since 1879.  After his death in 1916, his son, Louis Roesch, Jr succeeded him until his death in 1959. The company was well known for their detailed multi-colored labels for crates, bottles and canned foods as well as wine labels. They closed their doors in 2003.  This is one of their most graphically striking surviving examples.

A wonderful gift for a sailor, a coastal decor enthusiast, or a vintage label collector.