Agriculture

John Deere Model D Tractor

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
Place: California

Braceros at Movie Theater

Photograph: Braceros stand at the entrance to a movie theater in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand at the entrance to a movie theater in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.29.42
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.29.42

Braceros Receiving Documents

Photograph: An official distributes documents among braceros outside of the San Joaquin County Farm Production Association building in Stockton, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official distributes documents among braceros outside of the San Joaquin County Farm Production Association building in Stockton, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.39.24
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.39.24

Braceros Receiving Paychecks

Photograph: An official distributes paychecks to braceros outside an office in California.
Description
Photograph: An official distributes paychecks to braceros outside an office in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.44.17
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.44.17

Braceros at Association Office

Photograph: Two officials speak with each other while braceros wait in an office in Stockton, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Two officials speak with each other while braceros wait in an office in Stockton, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.24.14
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.24.14

Braceros at Camp

Photograph: Braceros walk outside their living quarters at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros walk outside their living quarters at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.27.30
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.27.30

Braceros Walking in Field

Photograph: Braceros walk over a field in crepuscular light in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros walk over a field in crepuscular light in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.54.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.54.04

Braceros in Field

Photograph: Braceros sit at the edge of a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit at the edge of a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.45.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.45.04

Bracero at Doctor's Office

Photograph: Dr. Stanley Savoy examines a bracero's back to check for respiratory illness in his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Dr. Stanley Savoy examines a bracero's back to check for respiratory illness in his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.51.17
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.51.17

Braceros Washing Up

Photograph: Braceros wash up in a bathroom at a camp in California.a Californian camp.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wash up in a bathroom at a camp in California.
a Californian camp.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.38.07
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.38.07

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Braceros load lettuce while men assemble lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros load lettuce while men assemble lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.43.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.43.10

Bracero in Field

Photograph: A bracero sits at the edge of a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero sits at the edge of a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.50.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.50.01

Vendor at Bracero Camp

Photograph: Braceros gather around a vendor and his car at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros gather around a vendor and his car at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.24.30
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.24.30

Braceros Waiting for Doctor

Photograph: Braceros sit in a waiting room at the clinical practice of Dr. Stanley Savoy in the Salinas Valley, California, while a nurse takes a bracero's temperature.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit in a waiting room at the clinical practice of Dr. Stanley Savoy in the Salinas Valley, California, while a nurse takes a bracero's temperature.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.47.08
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.47.08

Braceros Picking Lettuce

Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.27
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.27

Braceros at Meal Time

Photograph: Braceros are served food in a dining hall at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros are served food in a dining hall at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.47.24
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.47.24

Braceros Playing Cards

Photograph: Braceros sit on a bed and play cards while others sit and stand nearby in a living quarter at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit on a bed and play cards while others sit and stand nearby in a living quarter at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.44.28
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.44.28

Braceros Playing Checkers

Photograph: Two braceros sit outside and play checkers at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Two braceros sit outside and play checkers at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.46.07
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.46.07

Braceros in Living Quarter

Photograph: Braceros sit on their beds in a wooden living quarter at a camp in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit on their beds in a wooden living quarter at a camp in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.22.21
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.22.21

Braceros in Living Quarter

Photograph: Braceros sit and lie on their beds while one writes a letter and another reads a book in a living quarter at a camp in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit and lie on their beds while one writes a letter and another reads a book in a living quarter at a camp in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.51.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.51.06

Wine Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side contained Tipo red wine produced by the Italian Swiss Colony of San Francisco, California during the early 20th century.
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side contained Tipo red wine produced by the Italian Swiss Colony of San Francisco, California during the early 20th century. There is an illustration of the wine’s distinctive bottle, wide at the bottom, and wrapped in a twine jacked similar to Italian Chianti bottles. Originally called Tipo Chianti, the Italian-Swiss colony eventually adopted Tipo as their wine’s brand name.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Italian Swiss Colony
ID Number
1979.0441.309
catalog number
1979.0441.309
accession number
1979.0441

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: A man on a truck uses a machine to assemble Cookie lettuce boxes, which braceros pick up to fill with lettuce in a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A man on a truck uses a machine to assemble Cookie lettuce boxes, which braceros pick up to fill with lettuce in a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.56.28
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.56.28

Bracero Standing in Field

Photograph: A bracero stands in a field in California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero stands in a field in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.56.14
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.56.14

Budding Knife

This knife was used by Nathan Fay (1914-2001), the California grape grower credited with planting the first Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the Stag's Leap District of Napa Valley.
Description
This knife was used by Nathan Fay (1914-2001), the California grape grower credited with planting the first Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the Stag's Leap District of Napa Valley. Since Fay's first planting in 1961, the variety has become well established and the district is internationally known for its fine Cabernet Sauvignon vintages. When he donated this budding knife to the Smithsonian in 1997, Fay estimated he had used it to bud some 4,000 to 5,000 plants. He added that, in his prime, he was able to bud about 400 vines in a day, and, in his lifetime, he had probably budded some 12,000 plants.
The first step in budding new vines is to plant rootstock resistant to phylloxera, the devastating insect that attacks the roots of Vitis vinifera, the Eurasian species of grapes from which the world's best table wines are made. Although grapes native to North America are phylloxera-resistant, their fruit does not equal the kind of complex, classical wine produced by the V. vinifera species. Consequently, American viticulturalists have learned to plant "resistant" rootstock, typically hybrids of species native to the New World. It is on this rootstock that they graft the buds from V. vinifera wood.
maker
Henkels Dansk
ID Number
1997.0304.03
accession number
1997.0304
catalog number
1997.0304.03

Braceros Working with Short-Handled Hoes

Photograph: Braceros perform stoop labor while working with short-handled hoes in a pepper field in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros perform stoop labor while working with short-handled hoes in a pepper field in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.49.05
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.49.05

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