Agriculture - Overview
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.
"Agriculture - Overview" showing 1163 items.
Page 1 of 117
Figure 4. Coconut seedbed. Figure 5. Germinating coconuts on a pole. [black and white photoprints]
- Summary
- Two black and white photoprints pasted on typed page with "Seed Selection" heading
- Cite as
- Richard Adlard Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1930
- 1940
- [ca. 1930-1940]
- 1930-1940
- photographer
- Adlard, Richard (Ithel Richard) 1915-1997
- Local number
- 02069202.tif (AC Scan)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
International Harvester Mechanical Cotton Picking Machine
- Description
- Built in 1943, Old Red was one of the first commercial spindle cotton picking machines. International Harvester developed the machine at the H. H. Hopson Plantation near Clarksdale, Miss., in the early 1940s and began manufacturing machines. According to date code numbers, Old Red was the 25th of 30 picking machines manufactured in 1943, and was sold to Producers Cotton Oil Company in Fresno, Calif. After further development there, the machine, usually operated at 2 mph, picked 8,000 bales of cotton before being retired in 1959. In 1970 Producers donated Old Red to the National Museum of American History. In 1978, the American Society of Agricultural Engineers awarded Old Red landmark status in agricultural engineering.
- Mechanical cotton harvesters transformed work routines on cotton farms. Using tractors to prepare the land and cultivate, herbicides to clean the fields of weeds, and mechanical harvesters to pick the cotton, the crop changed from one that required large amounts of labor to a capital-intensive operation. Millions of field hands in the South were thus unemployed and migrated to towns and cities across the country.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1943
- user
- Producers Cotton Oil Company
- maker
- International Harvester
- ID Number
- AG*70A01
- catalog number
- 70A01
- accession number
- 288163
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
View from Mexico"--Emil Uhlmann, El Paso (Texas) [picture postcard]
- Notes
- Series III, Box 27, Local Color (People)---Mexico
- Summary
- Black and white photograph showing a burro (donkey) with a sack of dry goods on his back. Next to the donkey a man is bent over, his back to the camera, holding a bucket and draining something out of the sack. He wears a hat that covers his face
- Cite as
- Victor A. Blenkle Postcard Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 19||
- publisher
- Uhlmann, Emil, El Paso (Texas)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
[Page of a photograph album : six black-and-white photoprints]
- Notes
- In Box 32, Folder 6
- Summary
- Copy photograph of album page containing photographs of farming in Hollandale, Mississippi; photographer unidentified
- Cite as
- Southern Agriculture Oral History Project Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1930
- 1950
- Ca. 1950-1960
- 1930-1950
- creator
- Moody, Edgar
- Local number
- AC0773-0000018.tif (AC Scan)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
De vuelta al poblado [picture postcards]
- Notes
- Series III, Box 27, Local Color (People)--Mexico
- Summary
- Color illustration: man wearing a serape and straw sombrero. He is holding two animals (horses or donkeys?) that pull a cart with grain up a road. Caption translation: "Return to the town/village." Two copies
- Cite as
- Victor A. Blenkle Postcard Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1930
- 1940
- collector
- Blenkle, Victor A. Dr (physician) 1900- 1978
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
Greetings from Texas: The Lone Star state [postcard book]
- Notes
- Series 1, Box 13--U.S.A.--Texas
- Summary
- Postcard book depicts various scenes from Texas mythology: the Alamo, "Judge Roy Bean, the law west of Pecos, holding court...trying a horse thief...", cattle and cotton farms during harvest season. The booklet includes a postcard-length history of Texas, from Republic to state to Confederacy to Union membership. The images include Texas industries such as oil, cotton, cattle, etc
- Cite as
- Victor A. Blenkle Postcard Collection, ca. 1880s-1970s, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. [Collection 200.]
- Date
- 1900
- 1920
- 1846-1950
- 1900-1920
- publisher
- E. C. Kroop Co. Publ. Milwuakee
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
[Page of a photograph album : copy photograph]
- Notes
- In Box 32, Folder 5
- Summary
- Copy photograph of album page containing seven black-and-white photographs. The original photographs show a riding horse, mules, and farming in Hollandale, Mississippi. One photograph is dated 1939. Photographer unidentified
- Cite as
- Southern Agriculture Oral History Project Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1930
- 1950
- [ca. 1930-1950]
- 1930-1950
- 1950-1960
- creator
- Moody, Edgar
- Local number
- AC0773-0000016.tif (AC Scan)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Southern Agriculture Oral History Project Records, 1985-1992
- Notes
- Project developed by NMAH curator Pete Daniel and Lu Ann Jones, to document the effect of vast social and technological changes on Southern farm people since 1950
- Summary
- Collection consists of the project records, photographs and oral history materials comprising the Southern Agriculture Oral History Project. The project was developed by NMAH employees Lu Ann Jones and Pete Daniel with support from SI photographers and other personnel. For several years beginning in 1986, Jones traveled the Southern U.S. conducting oral history interviews with farm workers. The interviewees include people who worked on or owned farms of varying sizes, from very small to corporate sized. They were farmers of rice, tobacco, cotton and livestock. The interviewees were ethnically diverse. A series of interviews was conducted with Mexican workers. Over 150 interviews were conducted, and some of the interviews are transcribed or have distillations or edited versions of the interview. Other items Jones collected include life history forms, correspondence, articles, interviewer's notes, business cards, photographs. Photograph files contain photographs taken by a Smithsonian photographer or copies of photographs supplied by the subject. Interviewees are listed below and are arranged alphabeticallly by state and thereunder, alphabetically by subject
- Cite as
- Southern Agriculture Oral History Project Records, 1985-1992, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1986
- 1986-1991
- 1985-1992
- 20th Century
- 1950-2000
- project director
- Daniel, Pete
- interviewee
- Accardo, Paul
- Aguirre, Gloria Olmos
- Allen, David
- Anderson, Adra
- Anderson, Walter
- Andrews, John William
- Ardoin, Leslie
- Bailey, Charles
- Bailey, Howard Taft
- Baird, George E., Jr
- Baronet, Joe
- Bell, Walter M
- Bennett, Novella
- Bennett, W.J
- Benson, Dick
- Benton, Aubrey
- Benton, Ina Belle
- Blackstock, Tom
- Blackstock, Velva
- Blanchard, J.F
- Booth, N.J
- Booth, Mrs. N.J
- Bossleman, Norman
- Bosselman, Willie
- Bowman, Wilbert A
- Bradford, Nara N
- Bradford, Norwood)
- Brantley, L.D
- Breaux, Jessie Al., Sr
- Brinkley, Johnnie
- Brinkley, Lucile
- Broussard, Sam
- Brown, Gordon
- Brown, Mamie
- Bunting, Benny
- Bunting, Joe
- Burkett, Ben
- Burkett, Bennie F
- Bush, Miller
- Byers, Ruby
- Byers, Sanford
- Carline, Herman C
- Caesar, Clarence
- Carnahan, Cotton
- Carter, Ethel H
- Castleberry, Guy W
- Caughron, Kermit
- Caughron, Rex
- Caughron, Roy
- Cazer, Garland
- Ceras, Delfino
- Claffery, Clegg, Sr
- Clapp, Clyde
- Clark, Fletcher Talmadge
- Clayton, WIlliam P
- Cockerham, Lester
- Cockerham, Marie
- Cole, Buster
- Coleman, Harold
- Coleman, Mrs. Harold
- Colvin, R.C
- Comeaux, Lewis
- Connell, Alton
- Cromertie, John L
- Crosby, Ruth
- Crosby, Victor
- Cummins, W.R
- Cummins, Mary Lee
- Cunningham, Tom
- Daniel, Florentine
- Davis, Fredda
- Davis, Otto
- Davis, Pauline
- Davies, W. J. K
- Delasbour, Anna
- Derbigney, Durrell
- Dillard, John T
- Dorminy, Henry Clayton
- Dove, Dorothy
- Ducrest, Jesse
- Dulaney, T.W
- Elam, Edward
- Feilke, Mabel
- Felknor, Jessie F
- Finchum, Amos
- Finchum, Eva
- Fleming, Arthur B
- Fletcher, Mrs. Merle Ford
- Flores, Roque Olmos
- Foster, Jim
- Foster, Vergie
- Friesen, Viola Liechty
- Gardner, C.E
- Garrich, Carl
- Gay, Andrew
- George, Leler
- Gosney, Jessie
- Gosney, Kenneth
- Gray, Leonard
- Gray, Wardell
- Green, Alone
- Green, Clarence
- Griffin, A.C
- Griffin, Grace
- Hahn, E.L
- Hall, Joe
- Haransky, Charlotte
- Harrington, A.M
- Harris, Edna
- Harris, John, Rev
- Harris, Robert B
- Harper, Woodrow, Sr
- Hawkins, Charlie
- Hemphill, Elvin
- Hemphill, Mattie
- Hill, Frank
- Jefcoat, Laz
- Jensen, Olga B
- Johnson, Herbert
- interviewer
- Jones, Lu Ann
- interviewee
- Kilby, T.H
- Knight, Martin
- Koen, Eulah
- Lamson, Alfred Ellis
- Landry, Steve
- Lane, Clyde D
- Laney, John B
- Langley, Nellie
- Latoilas, Donald
- Lawrimore, Rufus B
- Leary, Mrs. Stillman
- Leary, Stillman
- Legnon, Hilton
- Legnon, Lena Porrier
- Lenius, Jane
- Lewis, Bobby
- Lewis, Dorothy
- Lewis, Ralph
- Proffitt, Harry, Jr
- Littlejohn, Andrew
- Loewer, Arthur
- Long, Welchel
- Lowder, Clayton
- Lowder, Kathy R
- Mangum, O.L
- Martin, Lillian
- McBrayer, Loomis
- McCarty, Ben
- McGee, Dean
- Mercer, Midi
- Minchew, Edna
- Mire, John
- Mohamed, Ethel Wright
- Moody, Edgar
- Morris, Edward
- Murphree, Leo
- Murray, Lurline S
- Nacquin, Leo
- Nix, Joe
- Nix, Agnes
- Parker, Jonah
- Patout, William A
- Patterson, Vanona
- Pender, Bessie
- Petticrew, Donald
- Player, C.B., Jr
- Porter, Virginia
- Purvis, Clyde
- Redmond, Virgie
- Reed, Bunice
- Reed, Howard
- Rice, Frank
- Richardson, Rosetta
- Rivers, Marion
- Roberts, Gerti
- Roberts, James
- Rodriguez, Ignacio
- Rountree, G. Emory
- Rucker, William
- Salas, Maria
- Sarten, Della
- Sims, Lavana
- Scoggins, Lillie
- Scroggins, Alma M
- Seidenschwarz, Rosie
- Seidenstricker, Laverne
- Seidenstricker, L.F
- Serrano, Adolofo
- Serrano, Edith
- Serrano, Lidia
- Shannon, Jack
- Shepherd, Grady
- Sizemore, Martiel
- Skinner, Annie
- Skinner, Jarvis
- Smith, Ethel
- Smith, George
- Soileau, Rouseb
- Spivey, Wayland
- Steen, Albert
- Spicer, J.M
- Starke, Granville
- Stowers, J.W
- Strange, Fred
- Strohl, Carl
- Strohl, Mary
- Sumner, Ruby C
- Temple, Effie
- Thomas, Lottie
- Thompson, Mioma
- Thresto, Chuck
- Tomlinson, Clifton
- Turner, Mrs. O.C
- Van Houten, Rudy
- Van Houten, Rosetta
- Vickers, Lloyd
- Vidrine, Levie A
- Walton, W.W
- Watson, Mary
- White, Wallace
- Wigley, Mabry
- Willey, Gretchen
- Willey, John F
- Young, Walter
- Welborn, S.L
- Wells, Homer, Dr
- Wells, Arnalee
- Winskie, Dent
- Woodard, Henry
- Yohe, Alma M
- Yohe, Perry
- Local number
- 2001.3053 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Paul Duncan Film Collection, 1937-1941
- Summary
- One camera original reel of 8mm motion picture film, black-and-white and color, documenting three types of now obsolete harvesting techniques on the Clark McMillen farm, Atlantic, Pennsylvania, 1937-1941; plus a master video and reference video. Approximately 20 minutes in length, the film shows hay cutting (1937), wheat threshing by machine (1939), and cutting wheat by hand with a scythe, making and tying sheaves, and threshing with a flail (1941). The film is 8mm, black and white and color. Edge codes date from 1926, 1932, and 1934-35
- Cite as
- Paul Duncan Film Collection, 1937-1941, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Gift of James Duncan
- Date
- 1937
- 1937-1941
- 1930-1950
- cinematographer
- Duncan, Paul
- donor
- Duncan, James T
- farmer
- McMillen, Clark
- Local number
- 2003.3005 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
1949 GMC Pickup Truck
- Description
- Ira Wertman, a farmer in Andreas, Pennsylvania, raised fruits and vegetables and peddled them with this truck to retired coal miners near Allentown. He also used the truck to take produce to market and haul supplies from town to the farm. Pickup trucks have been versatile aids to a wide range of agricultural, personal, and business activities. Early pickup trucks were modified automobiles, but postwar models were larger, more powerful, and able to carry heavier loads. Some postwar pickups were used in building suburban communities. Others were used for recreational purposes such as camping, hunting, and fishing. By the 1990s, many people purchased pickups for everyday driving.
- date made
- 1949
- maker
- General Motors Corporation
- ID Number
- 1999.0057.01
- accession number
- 1999.0057
- catalog number
- 1999.0057.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
