Crate Label, The Blue and the Gray, Original Lithograph, Vintage, NOS

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

This is an original Florida citrus crate label — a circa 1930 lithograph printed by Brandau Craig Dickerson Co. of Nashville, Tennessee for the Milne-O'Berry Packing Co. of St. Petersburg, Florida. It has never been used. Never attached to a crate. It is New Old Stock in very good vintage condition.

The label is historically extraordinary. Two army generals shake hands — a scene drawn directly from the imagery of the American Civil War's end, the Blue and the Gray meeting in reconciliation. The label's full text reads: "The Blue and the Gray Brand, Reg. U.S. Pat. Off., Oranges and Grapefruit, Milne-O'Berry Packing Co., Incorporated, St. Petersburg, Fla." A Florida citrus company chose the end of the Civil War as their brand. That decision — to frame Florida produce as a symbol of national reunion — is itself a small, remarkable piece of American history. The design was federally patented.

Brandau Craig Dickerson Co. was founded in Nashville in 1912 by A.G. Brandau, W.E. Craig, and C.S. Dickerson. Their beautiful 90-year-old brick building still stands and was purchased in 2014 for $3.97 million. This label is an increasingly rare find in any condition. A note on condition: there is some rippling on the upper left side — please review all photos carefully. One available.

At 8.75 by 8.75 inches it is a nearly square label — an unusual format that makes it stand out in any gallery arrangement. Frame it as American history, as Civil War memorabilia, as Southern Americana, or simply as a remarkable artifact of a moment when a packing company in Florida decided to name their brand after national healing. A standard 10x10 frame suits it perfectly.

A wonderful gift for a Civil War historian, an American history collector, a Southern Americana enthusiast, a vintage label collector, or anyone who finds meaning in the unexpected intersections of commerce and history.

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: The Blue and the Gray Brand / Milne-O'Berry Packing Co., St. Petersburg, Florida — federally patented design
• Lithographer: Brandau Craig Dickerson Co., Nashville, Tennessee (est. 1912)
• Type: Citrus crate label
• Made in: USA
• Dated: circa 1930
• Dimensions: 8.75" wide | 8.75" tall
• Condition: New Old Stock (NOS) — unused, very good vintage condition. Some rippling on upper left side — please review all photos carefully. Age-appropriate yellowing consistent with period. We cannot accept returns.
• Framing: Fits a standard 10x10 frame — ready to display