Fruit Crate Labels from the Boston Public Library

Daisy Brand: Covina Orange Growers Assn., Covina, Calif.

Produce Crate Labels — The Boston Public Library has added some more great fruit crate labels from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s to their Flickr account.

There’s a lot of social and cultural history in these labels, and they’re also a study in marketing psychology. What kind of images do you think would sell fruit? Maybe those that evoke tradition, power and majesty, like this image of Queen Victoria with oranges, from the Victoria Avenue Citrus Association in Riverside, California. Or maybe the romance of the Scottish Highlands, like Tartan Brand lemons from the Corona Foothill Lemon Company, Corona. And then there are the patriotic images, like Golden Eagle oranges, the exotic ones, like Miracle Brand oranges, and cartoon labels, including an Up n’ Atom Brand carrots label featuring a Bugs Bunny lookalike.

Victoria Brand: Grown and packed on Arlington Heights by Victoria Avenue Citrus Association, Riverside, Riverside Co. Cal.Tartan Brand: Grown & packed by Corona Foothill Lemon Company, Corona, Riverside Co., CaliforniaGolden Eagle, an exclusive Chapman pack: Grown in U. S. A., grown and packed by Charles C. Chapman, Fullerton, Orange County, CaliforniaMiracle Brand: Bradford Bros. Inc., Placentia California, Orange CountyUp n' Atom Brand: California carrots, produce of U.S.A., M. L. Kalich & Co., main office, Watsonville, Calif.

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Memorial Day

Lady Liberty Antique Postcard

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RIP Lena Horne, 1917-2010

I hope she’s up there with Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and my mother, and they’re having a great time together belting out the Great American Songbook!

Lena Horne: A Life in YouTube — Kate Dailey put together an eclectic collection of Lena Horne videos from “Stormy Weather” to “It’s Not Easy Being Green” (a Sesame Street duet with Kermit the Frog) for Newsweek’s Human Condition blog

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Happy Mother’s Day

Mother Vintage Post Card

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