Agriculture

From butter churns to diesel tractors, the Museum's agricultural artifacts trace the story of Americans who work the land. Agricultural tools and machinery in the collections range from a John Deere plow of the 1830s to 20th-century cultivators and harvesters. The Museum's holdings also include overalls, aprons, and sunbonnets; farm photographs; milk cans and food jars; handmade horse collars; and some 200 oral histories of farm men and women in the South. Prints in the collections show hundreds of scenes of rural life. The politics of agriculture are part of the story, too, told in materials related to farm workers' unions and a group of artifacts donated by the family of the labor leader Cesar Chavez.

John Deere Plow
John Deere Plow, 1830s
Photograph: An agent from the Texas growers association selects braceros for distribution among his association members in Hidalgo, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An agent from the Texas growers association selects braceros for distribution among his association members in Hidalgo, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.14.14
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.14
Photograph: A bracero places heads of lettuce in a Toro lettuce box in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero places heads of lettuce in a Toro lettuce box in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.15
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.15
Photograph: A vendor offers a liquid to the braceros who stand around him at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: A vendor offers a liquid to the braceros who stand around him at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.24.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.24.34
Photograph: A bracero family sits in their home in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero family sits in their home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.01
Photograph: Standing on a truck, a bracero leans against a stack of Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Standing on a truck, a bracero leans against a stack of Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.25
Photograph: Standing on a truck, a bracero leans against a stack of Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Standing on a truck, a bracero leans against a stack of Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.22
Photograph: Braceros unpack their food and personal belongings as an inspector searches for contraband at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros unpack their food and personal belongings as an inspector searches for contraband at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.02.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.02.34
Photograph: An official reviews a bracero's documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official reviews a bracero's documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.13.07
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.13.07
Photograph: A bus stands near braceros' living quarters at a camp in the Western United States.
Description
Photograph: A bus stands near braceros' living quarters at a camp in the Western United States.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.30.19
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.30.19
Photograph: Braceros have dinner in a dining hall at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have dinner in a dining hall at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.28.19
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.28.19
Photograph: A bracero does his laundry in a bathroom at a camp in California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero does his laundry in a bathroom at a camp in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.41.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.41.18
Photograph: Braceros enjoy an impromptu concert near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Braceros enjoy an impromptu concert near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.16.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.16.02
Photograph: Showering facilities stand at a bracero camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Showering facilities stand at a bracero camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.42.05
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.42.05
Photograph: Braceros walk on a road between a pepper field and a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros walk on a road between a pepper field and a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.35
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.35
Photograph: Officials review braceros' documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Officials review braceros' documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.17.29
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.17.29
Photograph: A bracero works in a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero works in a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.26.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.26.25
Photograph: A bracero stands in front of a living quarter at a camp in the Western United States.
Description
Photograph: A bracero stands in front of a living quarter at a camp in the Western United States.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.30.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.30.12
Photograph: A bracero lies in his bed in a living quarter at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero lies in his bed in a living quarter at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.21.21
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.21.21
Photograph: A bracero with a short-handled hoe at his side stoops down in a pepper field in California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero with a short-handled hoe at his side stoops down in a pepper field in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.49.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.49.23
Photograph: A bracero speaks to a nurse while a Dr. Stanley Savoy reviews a document at a clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero speaks to a nurse while a Dr. Stanley Savoy reviews a document at a clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.25.08
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.25.08
Photograph: Braceros have dinner in a dining hall at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have dinner in a dining hall at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.47.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.47.16
Photograph: Three braceros sit and play cards in a living quarter at a camp in California, while a fourth bracero looks on from the doorway.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Three braceros sit and play cards in a living quarter at a camp in California, while a fourth bracero looks on from the doorway.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.28.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.28.01
Photograph: Three braceros sit and play cards in a living quarter at a camp in California, while a fourth bracero looks on from the doorway.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Three braceros sit and play cards in a living quarter at a camp in California, while a fourth bracero looks on from the doorway.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.28.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.28.02
Photograph: Braceros sit and stand at the edge of a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit and stand at the edge of a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.45.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.45.02

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