Special Collections and University Archives recently digitized UCR Library's collection of original citrus labels and made the images available worldwide via Calisphere.

The collection features citrus labels from southern California brands primarily based in Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange counties.

“People just like citrus labels, so this was something we’d been thinking of doing for quite a while just because of the visual nature of the citrus labels,” explained Eric Milenkiewicz, Digital Initiatives Program Manager. “Citrus is huge in this area and citrus labels are a big piece of the citrus industry’s history, so it made sense to digitize the labels. UC Riverside started as the Citrus Experiment Station, so this is part of our history, too.”

The full finding aid for the collection, with item level descriptions for both original and reproduction labels, is available through the Online Archive of California (OAC).

Online access makes this nostalgic collection available to a wider audience, particularly those outside of southern California. However, those who are able to visit Special Collections and University Archives in person are encouraged to explore our citrus labels collection firsthand. Please email specialcollections@ucr.edu for more details.