{"product_id":"polar-bird-brand-crate-label-penguin-royal-valley-fruit-growers-assn-reedley-california-1950s","title":"Crate Label: Polar Bird Brand, Penguin, Royal Valley Fruit Growers, Reedley California, 1950s","description":"\u003cp\u003eA lone penguin stands on an ice floe beneath dripping icicles and a bold sunset-gradient wordmark on this striking lug label — a vivid, authentic New Old Stock graphic standout, even among mid-century crate art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrand:\u003c\/strong\u003e Polar Bird\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProduce:\u003c\/strong\u003e General fruit (not specified on label)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLithographer:\u003c\/strong\u003e A. Carlisle \u0026amp; Co\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePacking House \/ Grower:\u003c\/strong\u003e Royal Valley Fruit Growers Ass'n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterials:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lithographed paper, printed by A. Carlisle \u0026amp; Co.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 13 x 4 in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Reedley, California, USA\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEra:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1950s\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Excellent, New Old Stock — never applied to a crate. Please review photos closely before purchasing, as all sales are final.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWarehouse stock, never used: the sunset gradient lettering and icicle border are crisp and unfaded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoyal Valley Fruit Growers Association was formed in 1951 in Reedley, California, and packed and marketed grapes, plums, peaches, and nectarines from the region — notably running a cooling plant that used ice rather than mechanical refrigeration, a detail that likely inspired the Arctic imagery here. The cooperative used several brand names across its output, including this one, Red Wagon, and Royal Mountain, each aimed at a different segment of the fresh fruit trade. The incongruous pairing of a polar penguin with California stone fruit was a deliberate visual hook, meant to catch a buyer's eye on a crowded auction floor rather than describe the contents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis label was printed by A. Carlisle \u0026amp; Co., a commercial lithography firm whose roots trace back to 1858 in San Francisco, with the Carlisle name formally established in 1917. The company later relocated its operations to Reno, Nevada, where it continued printing into the 2000s before being acquired in 2025 — closing out more than 165 years of continuous operation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA bold, graphic centerpiece for any Central Valley or mid-century advertising art collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePairs well with our other Royal Valley Fruit Growers and Reedley-area crate labels.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Royal Valley Fruit Growers Ass'n","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43272432124113,"sku":"U2998","price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0624\/1733\/8577\/files\/IMG_8556_c657287d-00ae-489d-8d80-6d970a342973.jpg?v=1787861338","url":"https:\/\/www.antigotrunk.com\/products\/polar-bird-brand-crate-label-penguin-royal-valley-fruit-growers-assn-reedley-california-1950s","provider":"Antigo Trunk","version":"1.0","type":"link"}