Business records
Title
Business records
Description
The business and administrative records (including photographs) of The Paul Ecke Ranch, Inc., from its origin in the early 1900s to its sale to the Dutch-based Agribio Group in 2012. The bulk of the records and photographs document the operations, sales, strategic planning, correspondence and marketing efforts of the business from 1923 (when the business moved from Los Angeles to Encinitas, CA) to 2012, and cover business operations across the United States, as well as in Europe, Asia and South America.
Collection Items
Paul Ecke Jr. and Ranch trailer
Paul Ecke Jr. and the Ranch trailer used to haul 4-H animals to the Del Mar Fair. The display sign was created by the Society of American Florists to promote the flower industry.
Dr. Marc Cathy, Dinah Shore and Paul Ecke Jr. on the Dinah Shore Show
Paul Ecke Jr. promoting poinsettias on the Dinah Shore Show. The Ranch had to bloom poinsettias out of season to be featured on holiday shows as most Christmas shows were filmed in the preceding summer or fall.
Paul Ecke III and Amelita Ramos
Paul Ecke III and Amelita Ramos, former first lady of the Philippines during her visit to the Paul Ecke Ranch, Inc..
Gerald Ford, Paul Ecke Jr. at SAF event
President Gerald Ford, Paul Ecke Jr. at a Society of American Florists event.
Paul Ecke III at Ecke Ranch employee recognition event
Paul Ecke III with Ecke Ranch employees at an employee recognition event.
Julie Hampton, Jay Leno and Paul Ecke III
Julie Hampton (Paul Ecke III's wife), Jay Leno and Paul Ecke III.
Franz Freuwirth at Paul Ecke Ranch greenhouse
Franz Freuwirth, Poinsettia breeder for the Paul Ecke Ranch, standing in the greenhouse where he did much of the breeding.
Paul Ecke Jr. in the Paul Ecke Greenhouses in Encinitas, CA
Paul Ecke Jr. in the Paul Ecke Greenhouses in Encinitas, CA
Shipping bare root poinsettias by rail in the early 1960's.
Photographed at the Encinitas Train Station, in downtown Encinitas. The station was subsequently moved to Leucadia. Second from left: Charlie McCarver. Behind Charlie: Ernie Ruth.
Transportation Truck at Ecke Ranch
Lower right: Paul Ecke Sr.. The truck would head to the Encinitas Train Station to ship boxes of bare root poinsettias. Customers would plant them and they would grow into large plants. Cut poinsettias would then be harvested from them.
35mm slides in the Ecke collection
Visual index of 35mm slides in the Ecke collection. Slides cover a variety of subjects, dates, locations and people. Prominent in the collection are pictures of varieties of poinsettias, flowering plants and other marketing material.
Poinsettias for set design
Poinsettias provided by the Paul Ecke Ranch, Inc. in the backdrop of holiday telecasts during Christmastime.
