Antique 1930s Summit Brand Mountain Bartlett Pears Crate Label — Colfax Fruit Growers Assn., Blue Anchor, Placer & Nevada Counties

Step back in time with this extraordinary Antique 1930s Summit Mountain Bartlett Pears Crate Label, a true gem shipped by the Colfax Fruit Growers Association of Colfax, California! This rare piece of Americana measures 11" x 7" and is unused as printed, showcasing the rich history of California's fruit industry.

This Mountain Bartlett Pears version is a collector's dream - uncommonly found and bursting with historical significance. Imagine the journey these luscious pears took from the sun-kissed orchards of the Sierra foothills to bustling markets across the state! Such a cool (pun intended) label, which used Mountain snow before refrigeration to keep their produce fresh in railcars for transport to market, making them very desirable and sought after.

Colfax's story is as juicy as the fruit it's famous for. Born as "Illinoistown" during the Gold Rush, it quickly blossomed into a fruit-growing paradise. In 1850, visionary pioneer Enos Mendenhall planted one of the first foothill orchards, setting the stage for a fruity revolution in the nutrient-rich Sierra soil.

Fast forward to the early 1900s, and you've got local growers joining forces to create the Colfax Fruit Growers Association. These savvy farmers were on a mission to deliver top-notch produce to Sacramento and San Francisco, using the nearby Southern Pacific rail line as their fruit superhighway!

But wait, there's more! Before modern refrigeration, these ingenious growers used Mother Nature's own cooling system - Sierra Nevada snowpack - to keep their Mountain Bartlett pears fresh. Talk about thinking outside the icebox! This clever technique cemented the Association's reputation for delivering the crème de la crème of fruits.

The heart of this fruity empire? The Historic Fruit Exchange Building on Railroad Street. This architectural marvel, still standing proud today, was once the bustling hub where thousands of crates of Summit Mountain Bartlett Pears were packed, inspected, and shipped. By the Roaring Twenties, Colfax had become a fruit industry powerhouse, thanks to these delectable pears!

Now, these crate labels are more than just pretty pictures - they're windows into a bygone era. The scarcity of these labels, especially the Mountain Bartlett Pears version, makes them highly sought after by collectors and museums alike. The impeccable lithography process used in their creation is a testament to the unparalleled craftsmanship of the time, adding an extra layer of allure to these miniature masterpieces.

Imagine this piece of history gracing your walls, bringing a touch of vintage charm and sophistication to your home. It's not just decor; it's a conversation starter, a slice of Americana that tells the story of hardworking farmers, innovative techniques, and the golden age of California's fruit industry.

Don't miss this chance to own a piece of the past - a rare 1930s Summit Mountain Bartlett Pears crate label that's as fresh and exciting today as the day it was printed. It's more than just a label; it's a time machine that transports you to the golden age of California's fruit industry. Grab this slice of history before it's gone!

📋 What Is Printed On This Label

Every line of type on the sheet, transcribed from the label itself rather than paraphrased:

• NET WEIGHT
• 46 LBS.
• SUMMIT
• BRAND
• MOUNTAIN
• BARTLETT
• PEARS
• CALIFORNIA FRUIT EXCHANGE
• BLUE ANCHOR
• COLFAX FRUIT GROWERS ASSN.
• SUMMIT BRAND
• PLACER & NEVADA COUNTIES
• COLFAX-CALIF.
• TRADE MARK REG. U.S. PAT. OFF.
• SCHWABACHER-FREY

Printer: the lithographer is named on the sheet — SCHWABACHER-FREY, set in microtype in the margin.

SUMMIT is the brand; MOUNTAIN BARTLETT PEARS is the product. The sheet sets them separately — SUMMIT / BRAND as the mark, then MOUNTAIN / BARTLETT in magenta over PEARS in cream. NET WEIGHT 46 LBS. is printed at the upper right and TRADE MARK REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. along the bottom centre.

Blue Anchor / California Fruit Exchange. The round anchor emblem printed on this sheet is the mark of the California Fruit Exchange, the Sacramento-based co-operative that marketed California's deciduous fruit — pears, grapes, plums and stone fruit — under the Blue Anchor brand. It is a different organisation from the California Fruit Growers Exchange, whose mark is Sunkist and whose business was citrus. The two are constantly confused; this label belongs to the deciduous side and carries no Sunkist mark.

The printer signed it. SCHWABACHER-FREY is lettered in microtype along the bottom-left inner edge of the green field. A two-character token follows it which cannot be resolved; if that ever reads as digits it is a plate or form number and not a year.

The district line is inside the seal. The right-hand round seal carries COLFAX FRUIT GROWERS ASSN. and COLFAX-CALIF. around an inner disc reading PLACER & NEVADA COUNTIES, and repeats SUMMIT BRAND / PEARS in its own right.

The picture. A snow-covered twin-peaked mountain against deep blue sky, dark conifer forest below, a green meadow foreground, and at the far left a hillside of white-blossomed orchard rows in bloom.