Crate Label, Rosebud Brand, P&L Farms, 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 produce crate label — a 1940s lithograph produced for P&L Farms, Inc. of Strathmore, California. It has never been used. Never attached to a crate. It is New Old Stock in very good condition, found in the original unused factory stock.

The label is vibrant. A single large yellow rosebud — open enough to show its color, closed enough to hold its shape — sits against a vivid cobalt blue background. Below the name, a row of painted fruit: peach, orange, apple, cherries, plum, pear — a small still life in itself. The contrast between the saturated blue and the warm yellow of the rose is genuinely arresting, the kind of color relationship that decorators chase.

Strip labels like this one are perfect for grouping — line them up in matching narrow frames on a kitchen wall, a pantry shelf, or a staircase landing. The yellow and blue palette is endlessly versatile: it sings against white walls, works with natural wood, and holds its own in a colorful gallery arrangement. A single label in a narrow 5x14 frame is a complete composition. Note: there is a very small fold in the upper right corner — please review photos. Two available.

A wonderful gift for a rose lover, a vintage botanical decor collector, or anyone who wants original mid-century California color on their walls.

A note on crate label collecting: Original lithographic crate labels from this era are increasingly scarce. NOS examples like this one — never used, never attached to a crate — 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: Rosebud Brand / P&L Farms, Inc., Strathmore, California
• Type: Produce crate label (strip)
• Made in: USA
• Dated: circa 1940s
• Dimensions: 13.0" wide | 4.0" tall
• Condition: New Old Stock (NOS) — unused, very good condition. Small fold in upper right corner — please review photos. Age-appropriate yellowing on the reverse only. We cannot accept returns.
• Framing: Ideal for a narrow or panoramic frame — ready to display. Groups beautifully with other strip labels.