Crate Label, Loch Lomond Oranges, Original Lithograph, 1930's NOS, Vintage

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

This is an original California citrus crate label — a 1930s lithograph printed by Schmidt Litho Co. of Fresno for the Strathmore Packing House, Strathmore, Tulare County, 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 serene and unusually beautiful. A still lake fills the center of the composition — calm water, soft reflections, a landscape of quiet depth. Pink flowering branches frame the scene, and a single bright orange anchors the lower corner. The whole label is enclosed in a distinctive pink and black checked border that gives it a graphic confidence unusual for its era. The name Loch Lomond — evoking the famous Scottish loch — placed on a California citrus label is itself a small piece of Americana: growers reaching for romance, beauty, and a sense of timeless place.

This label is becoming genuinely hard to find in any condition, let alone this one. Frame it as landscape art, as a piece of California citrus history, or simply as something beautiful for a wall that deserves something interesting. At 11.0 by 10.0 inches it holds its own in any room — the pink and black border makes it distinctive in a gallery arrangement. Two available.

A wonderful gift for a California history enthusiast, a lover of lakeside imagery, a vintage label collector, or anyone drawn to the quiet beauty of mid-century American agricultural design.

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: Loch Lomond Brand / Strathmore Packing House, Strathmore, Tulare County, California
• Lithographer: Schmidt Litho Co., Fresno, California
• Type: Citrus crate label
• Made in: USA
• Dated: circa 1930s
• Dimensions: 11.0" wide | 10.0" tall
• Condition: New Old Stock (NOS) — unused, excellent mint condition. Age-appropriate yellowing consistent with period. Please review all photos carefully — we cannot accept returns.
• Framing: Fits a standard 11x14 or 12x12 frame — ready to display