Crate Label, Upland Pride, Red Rose, Orange Assoc., CA, NOS, Vintage, 1940

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

This is an original California citrus crate label — a circa 1940 lithograph printed by Western Litho Company of Los Angeles for the Euclid Avenue Orange Association, Upland, California. It has never been used. Never folded. Never attached to a crate. It is New Old Stock in excellent mint condition.

The label is striking. A single red rose — full bloom, with a bud beside it — stands against a deep navy blue background, bright green leaves completing the composition. The contrast is bold and immediate: the red against the dark ground has the quality of a jewel, the kind of image that reads as art before it reads as anything else. Western Litho Company of Los Angeles operated from 1899 to 1955 and printed some of the most beautifully composed citrus labels in California. Upland Pride is among their best.

Frame it as floral decor, as vintage botanical art, or as a dramatic piece of mid-century California design for any wall that can handle a deep, rich composition. At approximately 10.75 by 10.0 inches it suits a standard 11x14 or 12x12 frame and works beautifully in a dining room, a bedroom, a sitting room — anywhere that welcomes the depth of dark ground and vivid bloom. A natural companion to the Southland Beauties rose label (U347) also available in our shop. One available.

A wonderful gift for a rose lover, a vintage floral decor collector, a California citrus history enthusiast, or anyone drawn to the quiet drama of a single perfect rose on a dark field.

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: Upland Pride Brand / Euclid Avenue Orange Association, Upland, California
• Lithographer: Western Litho Company, Los Angeles, California (1899–1955)
• Type: Citrus crate label
• Made in: USA
• Dated: circa 1940
• Dimensions: 10.75" wide | 10.0" tall
• Condition: New Old Stock (NOS) — unused, excellent mint condition. Age-appropriate yellowing on the reverse only. Please review all photos carefully — we cannot accept returns.
• Framing: Fits a standard 11x14 or 12x12 frame — ready to display