Crate Label, Emblem Emperor Grapes, California Poppy, Original Lithograph 1940's, NOS, Vintage

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

This is an original California grape crate label — a 1940s lithograph printed by Schmidt Litho Co. of Fresno, California for Rocky Hill Inc. of Exeter. 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 extraordinary. California poppies — the state flower, in full blazing orange — leap off a dark ground, held in by a bold cobalt blue border. The Emblem brand name anchors the top in strong period lettering. It is the kind of label where you understand immediately that the designer knew exactly what they were doing: the orange against dark with a blue frame is a composition of complete confidence. Schmidt Litho Co. was producing fine California labels from Fresno from the early part of the century, and this is one of their best.

Strip labels like this one are built for walls. The California poppy is iconic — instantly recognizable, effortlessly Californian — and this label renders it with a vividness that modern botanical prints rarely match. Frame it alone in a narrow 5x14 frame, or group it with other strip labels for a collected display. The dark background and bright orange make it work in almost any interior setting. Two available.

A wonderful gift for a California native, a poppy lover, a vintage botanical decor collector, or anyone who wants a piece of the state's natural and commercial history on their wall.

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: Emblem Brand / Rocky Hill Inc., Exeter, California
• Lithographer: Schmidt Litho Co., Fresno, California
• Type: Grape crate label (strip)
• Made in: USA
• Dated: circa 1940s
• 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.