Beautiful, funny and sometimes racy, fruit and vegetable labels were created to catch the eye of American consumers in the furnish department. Beginning in the late 1800's farmers and merchants used artwork of colorful fruits and exotic vegetables to entice customers. Before becoming ready as framed art, some cooks framed their favorite labels and hung them in kitchens and restaurants. Today labels are collected for their charm and are exhibited at museums around the Untied States.
Some early can labels even had gold foil and used costly embossed papers. Larger labels, known as crate labels were glued to the ends of furnish crates as they were shipped out of the fields to market. Artist created sun drenched landscapes and used intriguing colors to make their furnish stand out. Drawing on the romance of the Old West, some brands had names like Bronco, Western Queen and Majestic. Gods and royalty are represented in stone lithographs against dramatic landscapes. On one label, Triton the sea god sits on a cliff overlooking the ocean in Washington state. In others, glowing oranges are set against romantic sunsets and intriguing red strawberries tumble over a serene California farmland. Giant artichokes floating over choppy seas and tomato ranches grace other labels.
To see more examples of unique crate label art, kitchen tips and humor visit http://www.MomsRetro.com
Today, crate label artwork is still found in modern kitchens -except it is kept on the wall. This early form of advertising art is exquisite for the kitchen and adds a retro touch of home to offices. And it just might help us to remember to eat our apple a day.
Vintage Fruit & Vegetable Crate and Can Labels Now Appreciated As Artwork