General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

paper

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

40.5 cm

Width

5.8 cm

Height

N/A

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Fisheries

Category

Merchandising

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Unknown

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

British Columbia

Period

Unknown

Canada

Fisheries for Pacific salmon go back thousands of years. Indigenous fishers around the Pacific Rim seasonally harvested salmon from populations of the seven different salmon species (five of which are native to North America). Many northwestern First Nations relied on salmon, consuming, preserving, and trading them across their territories. Fish were typically captured in estuaries and rivers—and at obstacles such as waterfalls—as fish massed in spawning runs up freshwater rivers, in which salmon complete their life cycle. European and Canadian settlers transformed salmon into an industrial commodity, distributed the world. This transformation was also predicated on the restrictive regulation of Indigenous salmon fisheries, what Douglas Harris calls the “legal capture” by settlers of Indigenous fisheries (Harris 2002). Salmon-can labels document the industrial history of salmon fishing in British Columbia, historically one of the most important fisheries in western North America. Beginning in the 1870s, canning transformed Pacific salmon from a regionally consumed and traded food into one exchanged and eaten globally. Salmon-can labels materialize this history, providing evidence of changes in production, corporate organization, marketing, printing and graphic-design trends, and consumer preferences. Given the demise of salmon canneries in BC, labels track the emergence and decline of a once-significant industry. BC, which once had hundreds of salmon canneries, now only has two canneries. Catches of wild salmon have declined in BC while the production farm-raised salmon (predominantly Atlantic salmon grown in ocean net-pens) has increased. Aquaculture has now replaced salmon canning as BC’s primary salmon-based industry.

Function

Labels are used to identify and market cans and cases of Pacific salmon preserved by canning. Labels usually indicate the species of salmon, the brand, the company, and the place of manufacture, and often the label printer as well. Labels are used to communicate with consumers, describing the contents to them as well as convincing them that the food inside is delicious and safe to consume. Labels sometimes graphically show the product inside, but more typically present imagery that attempts to influence purchasing decisions by creating brand associations that seek to attract and keep consumer interest.

Technical

As the authors of Trademarks and Salmon Art write, “salmon can labels are graphic documents influenced by the development of the fishing and print industries and by advances in design and marketing psychology.” (Lorenz and McKay 2002) From a printing-technology standpoint, these labels—which span the period from 1890 to 1930—do not represent a technological revolution, but the standard use of off-set lithographic printing that could quickly and cheaply produce full-colour labels. The labels in this acquisition retain elements of 19th century label design, including more ornate, decorative designs and the use of colours other than red, which became ubiquitous in the 20th century (Lorenz and McKay 2002).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Print reads from left to right "SELECTED CUTS/ PACKED IN PROCELAIN JARS/ fresh and clean from cold salt waters, thus/ insuring perfect freedom from any deleterious/ effects of tin.", "SALMON", "O'KELL'S PATENT PACK/ AWARDED/ GOLD MEDAL". Written in two circular medals "1897/ AWARDED / FOR/ THE MOST/ HYGIENIC METHOD/ OF/ PACKING/ SALMON", and "ROYAL B.C. EXHIBITION". Print below reads "B.C. CANNING CO. Ltd./ PACKERS/ VICTORIA, B.C. & LONDON, ENG.". Print near judge "VERDICT/ SURPASSES ALL/ FOR/ HEALTH AND CLEANINESS/ JUDGE BRAND". Print right hand side of label "DIRECTIONS/ Serve cold or hot. If required/ hot, place can in boiling/ water for thirty/ minutes.", "PACKED IN/ BRITISH COLUMBIA". Small print, lower right corner "MUTUAL S.E.".

Missing

Appears complete

Finish

Paper label with yellow background and silver, red, black and gold colours.

Decoration

Depicts a silver salmon and a judge in a red gown and white wig.