The Sun-Maid Girl
The Sun-Maid Girl
The Sun-Maid Girl
Reach for it
YOUR NAME
HERE
Readers Digest
Monopoly
Seinfeld
Sesame Street
Smithsonian
Institution
Special Edition HarperCollins Paddington features introduction by The Sun-Maid Girl. 2015
The Simpsons Episode #400 features Marge baking her famous raisin sponge cake for the Springfield
Elementary school bake sale. 2007
Readers Digest named The Sun-Maid Girl the best lasting logo for its annual Americas Best issue. 2007
Sun-Maid Monopoly Board Game is introduced. 2006
Seinfeld Episode #63 features box of Sun-Maid Raisins that mysteriously disappears.1993
Snacks on Parade episode runs on Sesame Street. 1987
Sun-Maid Girl bonnet displayed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. marking the 75th
anniversary. 1988
YOUR NAME
HERE
THE
Sun-Maid Girl
Many people want to know if a real person was the original Sun-Maid Girl.
The answer is Yes, and her name was Lorraine Collett (Petersen). In May 1915,
San Francisco was still recovering from its 1906 earthquake and celebrated
its rebirth by welcoming the international community to the Panama
Pacific International Exposition. Lorraine Collett attended this event with a
number of other girls as representatives of the recently formed California
Associated Raisin Company, later Sun-Maid Growers of California.
AT THE EXPOSITION
The Sun-Maid girls handed out raisin samples to visitors of the
Panama Pacific International Exposition while wearing white
blouses with blue piping and originally BLUE sunbonnets.
LORRAINE COLLETT
As Lorraine would later tell, It was only after we returned to
Fresno that I was seen by Sun-Maid executive Leroy Payne
wearing my mothers red bonnet in my backyard that the bonnet
color was changed from blue to red, because red reflected the
color of the sun better.
TOP STORY
This photograph of Lorraine
(far right) appeared in the San
Francisco Bulletin in 1915 and
promoted Sun-Maids
activities at the Exposition.
A NATIONAL TREASURE
In celebration of Sun-Maids 75th
anniversary, the treasured original
sunbonnet, by then faded pink, was
donated to the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington, D.C. on January 26, 1988,
in the presence of U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture Dick Lyng.
THE
Panama Pacific
INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION
A CITY SHOWCASED
It took three years to construct the 630-acre
fairgrounds, which were built on more than
70 cleared city blocks and filled-in mud flats
at the northern part of San Francisco, now
known as the Marina. The buildings, which
were made only to last for the year of the
Exposition, were constructed of wood and
covered with plaster and burlap fiber that
could be molded and sculpted.
RAISIN SEEDER
Sun-Maids raisin seeder in the horticultural palace
was such a popular attraction that a second raisin
seeder was added in the food products palace. As part
of the live demonstration, Muscat raisins with seeds
were placed into the machine, and instantly, seeded
raisins came out to be enjoyed by Exposition visitors.
IN THE NEWS
The Fresno Morning Republican reported on
Exposition events and encouraged local residents
to attend special celebrations including Fresno
County Day in March, 1915. In turn, the Expositions
Fresno County visitors participated in parades and
giveaways of raisins and raisin bread to encourage
Exposition visitors to attend Raisin Day festivities
held in April, 1915 in Fresno.
SUN-MAID SAMPLES
The Exposition attracted visitors
from around the world, many
who were only just sampling
raisins for the first time. In
addition to enjoying raisins,
visitors could view what was
called a stereomotograph, a
device displaying 3 x 3 threedimensional scenes of raisin
growing and production in the
San Joaquin Valley.
INTERVIEW WITH
It all began when Miss Collett, (second from right) was selected to represent
Sun-Maid at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in February, 1915.
RAISINS IN
Popular
Culture
Sun-Maid Raisins not only hold a place in
history, but also a place in the hearts of children
and adults across the globe. Sun-Maids status
MONOPOLY
AMERICAS BEST
THE SIMPSONS
MAD RAISINS
raisins empty, she went to the grocery store where she fought with
Helen Lovejoy over the last box of Sun-Made raisins on the shelf.
SEINFELD
Sun-Maid made its Seinfeld debut in 1993 in an
episode named The Pilot where the red box of
raisins mysterious disappeared.
SESAME STREET
BLUES CLUES
packaging them in red and yellow boxes, and sending them out
INTERVIEW WITH
Q: Tell our readers about Sun-Maid. What is your main line of business?
A: Many people know Sun-Maid from the little red boxes of raisins. What they might not know is that Sun-Maid Growers of
California was founded over 100 years ago in 1912. This century-long history as the worlds largest processor of raisins means
that if you laid out end to end all the raisins Sun-Maid has sold during our 100 years, they would stretch from the Earth to
beyond the Sun! Ive represented the brand since 1915, when I posed for the brands trademark wearing a red bonnet and
holding a tray of grapes.
Q: What information is important to know about raisins and dried fruits?
A: Dried fruits serve as important healthful snacks worldwide, and are nutritionally
equivalent to fresh fruits. Ive known this because Ive seen our growers harvest grapes
and dry them in sun thats all that goes into our raisins: grapes and sunshine!
Because of their nutritional value and enjoyable taste, raisins have been popular as a
healthy food for a millennia. They are known as natures candy and counted among the
most nutritious dried fruits globally.
and better understood, I plan to travel the world and help share this
information and work to promote healthier eating habits around
the world. Sun-Maid is the worlds largest processor of raisins
and dried fruits and distributes products to more than
50 countries worldwide, which means that Ive got
a lot of places to visit!
After 90 years on the little red box, The Sun-Maid Girl got a
digital makeover in 2006 and as part of her coming out party
was featured in newspapers across the country.