OUR PRIDE Brand NorthWestern Apples Fruit Label c. 1920

 

This unique framed fruit label measures 17 3/4 inches wide by 16 1/4.  The unframed label measures 10 3/4 inches wide by 8 3/4 inches tall. The Our Pride Northwestern Apples label (also known as “Our Pride Brand” apples, “Our Pride Extra Fancy Northwestern Apples,” or variants like “Our Pride Oregon Apples”/”Washington Apples”) is a vintage apple crate label primarily from the Pacific Northwest, used for marketing premium apples shipped to eastern markets.

1. History

The label dates primarily to the **1920s–1930s**, with some examples from as early as the 1910s and into the 1940s, during the heyday of colorful, lithographed crate labels for fresh fruit rail shipments across the U.S. This era followed the expansion of Northwestern apple production after the early 1900s railroad boom, which connected remote orchard regions to national markets. Apples from Washington (e.g., Yakima Valley, Wenatchee) and Oregon (e.g., Hood River) became dominant due to ideal volcanic soil, irrigation from rivers like the Columbia, and cool climates producing crisp, flavorful varieties (often Delicious types).

The brand was distributed by Sgobel & Day, a prominent New York City-based fruit exporter and distributor in the 1920s–1930s. They handled Northwestern apples (and other produce) for eastern wholesale markets, branding them under “Our Pride” to emphasize quality for urban consumers. Growers were often in Washington or Oregon, with apples packed locally but labeled for Sgobel & Day’s distribution. This fits the independent distributor model before larger cooperatives dominated. By the 1950s, wooden crates and end labels gave way to cardboard, ending such branding.

2. Design, Cultural, and Historical Significance

The label is iconic for its prominent parrot (macaw) motif in many variants: a colorful parrot perched, eyeing a luscious red apple, often against a dark blue or contrasting background. Typical features include:

– Vibrant parrot illustration symbolizing “pride” (exotic, boastful appeal) or perhaps playful exoticism.
– Clusters of red/green apples.
– Bold branding text like “Our Pride,” “Northwestern Apples,” “Extra Fancy,” “Produce of U.S.A.,” grade indicators, and “Sgobel & Day, New York” (or regional notes like “Grown in Washington” or “Oregon”).
– Size approx. 10.25 x 8.75– inches, in bright lithography (reds, greens, yellows, blues).

The design was a marketing tool: Crate ends faced outward in rail cars, auctions, and stores, so the eye-catching parrot and fruit evoked premium quality and freshness from distant Northwestern orchards. Culturally, it reflects early 20th-century trends in branded produce advertising—boasting regional superiority (“Our Pride”) amid national shipping growth, appealing to eastern buyers with exotic imagery (parrots tied to tropical allure, contrasting everyday apples). It highlights the rise of Northwestern apples as America’s premier supply post-1900s. Today, it’s a collectible gem in vintage fruit crate label/ephemera communities, prized for bold graphic art, historical insight into apple distribution, and nostalgic charm—often framed as mid-century American advertising art.

3. Business Affiliations

– Primary distributor/exporter: Sgobel & Day (New York City; major handler of Northwestern fruit in the 1920s–1930s, exporting apples to eastern markets).
– Growers/packers: Regional sources in Washington (Yakima Valley, Wenatchee areas) and Oregon (Hood River); specific orchards varied, as Sgobel & Day sourced broadly.
– Printers: Likely major lithographers of the era (e.g., those common for West Coast fruit labels, though not always specified; some via Eastern printers for distribution).
– Contextual: Independent branding separate from large cooperatives (e.g., no direct Wenatchee Fruit Growers ties noted). Sgobel & Day appears in historical collections as a key player in produce distribution.

The brand is purely historical—no current active business or revival under “Our Pride” for apples.

4. Websites, Sources, and Visuals

Reliable sources for viewing, researching, or acquiring originals/reproductions include:

– CrateLabelMuseum.com (CLM): Archives “OUR PRIDE (A)” under apple labels (1920s Sgobel & Day, New York/Washington examples).
– **Archives West / Fruit Crate Labels Collections**: Broader Northwestern apple label holdings (e.g., Washington-focused archives referencing similar brands).

Typical appearance: A striking parrot dominates, perched and gazing at an apple, with fruit clusters and clean text in a classic palette (often dark background for contrast).

(Example of the Our Pride label featuring the colorful macaw parrot on perch eyeing a red apple, Sgobel & Day branding, from collector sources like www.vintiqs.com/)

(Another 1920s–1930s variant showing the parrot motif with Northwestern apples and “Extra Fancy” text.)

(Representative image of a full end-panel design with vibrant parrot, apple clusters, and distributor details.)

These highlight the label’s playful, eye-catching style. The Our Pride brand remains a standout among collectors of Pacific Northwest apple ephemera, evoking the era’s proud marketing of regional fruit excellence.