Postcard
ClassificationsPrinted Materials-postcards
Datec. 1930
Made AtLos Angeles, California, United States, North America
MediumPaper and ink
Dimensions5 1/2 × 3 1/2 in. (14 × 8.9 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mr. Mark Hall Patton
Object number79.87.1
DescriptionThis postcard was made by the Western Publishing & Novelty Co. in Los Angeles, California c.1930. On its front, it depicts a crate of Sunkist oranges with the phrase "The Box I Promised You from California". The side of the crate shows a label for Luxury Brand oranges, a real brand which was grown, packed, and distributed by the Redlands Cooperative Fruit Association. According to one California historian, this postcard was manufactured at the request of the RCFA and given away as a souvenir for visitors to their packing house in San Bernardino County, California.The back of the postcard features a short poem:
Here is the box I promised you
filled with gold
Golden fruit; ripe and luscious
from Nature's mold.
Along with other crops such as celery and lima beans, citrus groves began sprouting up all around southern California in the late 19th century, leading to a boom in the citrus industry and earning the state an international reputation as a land of abundance. Following this theme, brands of citrus were given names that evoked wealth, prosperity, and romance. In this case, the brand is literally named Luxury, and the final result made the produce seem more luxurious and desirable to consumers.
On View
On view
1950s
c. 1915
1940s
1930s
1920s
1936-1948
c. 1925
c. 1927
c. 1927
c. 1945
1930-1950
Early 20th Century