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 official checks a bracero's hands for calluses while others wait in line to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: An official checks a bracero's hands for calluses while others wait in line to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.13.20
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.13.20
Photograph: A bracero packs onions into a box in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero packs onions into a box in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.31.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.31.23
Photograph: Braceros get their meals while others sit and have lunch at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros get their meals while others sit and have lunch at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.16.24
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.16.24
Photograph: Two braceros sit on a bed and play cards while third bracero writes a letter in a living quarter at a camp in the Western United States.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Two braceros sit on a bed and play cards while third bracero writes a letter in a living quarter at a camp in the Western United States.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.38.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.38.22
Photograph: Viewed from a plane flying overhead, a river runs past nearby fields in California.
Description
Photograph: Viewed from a plane flying overhead, a river runs past nearby fields in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.19.27
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.19.27
Photograph: Braceros have dinner in a dining hall at a camp in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros have dinner in a dining hall at a camp in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.53.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.53.01
Photograph: A bracero with a short-handled hoe tucked into his belt pulls a pepper plant in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero with a short-handled hoe tucked into his belt pulls a pepper plant in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.26.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.26.23
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.23
Photograph: A boy and a man with a donkey walk past a water pipe in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A boy and a man with a donkey walk past a water pipe in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.18
Photograph: A bracero cleans old leaves off a head of lettuce while smoking a cigarette in a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero cleans old leaves off a head of lettuce while smoking a cigarette in a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.55.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.55.06
Photograph: A bracero works with a short-handled hoe in a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero works with a short-handled hoe in a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.31.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.31.10
Photograph: Beyond railroad tracks, braceros wait in a large group for processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Beyond railroad tracks, braceros wait in a large group for processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.01.44
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.01.44
Photograph: A bracero sits on his bed in a tent at a camp near Stockton, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero sits on his bed in a tent at a camp near Stockton, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.23.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.23.25
Photograph: Beyond a stack of strawberry boxes, braceros work in a strawberry field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Beyond a stack of strawberry boxes, braceros work in a strawberry field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.52.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.12
Photograph: A bracero sits on his bed in a tent camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero sits on his bed in a tent camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.22.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.22.10
Photograph: Braceros stand and kneel in front of a tent at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand and kneel in front of a tent at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.42.36
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.42.36
Photograph: Empty beds sit inside a living quarter at a bracero camp in California.
Description
Photograph: Empty beds sit inside a living quarter at a bracero camp in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.22.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.22.34
Photograph: An official collects documents from braceros, Mexico City, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official collects documents from braceros, Mexico City, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.21
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.21
Photograph: Braceros unpack their personal belongings as an inspector searches for contraband at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros unpack their 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
2004.0138.12.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.12.11
Photograph: Viewed through a doorway, braceros sit and stand in a living quarter at a camp in California.
Description
Photograph: Viewed through a doorway, braceros sit and stand in a living quarter at a camp in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.41.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.41.10
Photograph: Braceros stand and sit in front of a living quarter in Stockton, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand and sit in front of a living quarter in Stockton, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.19.21
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.19.21
Photograph: Braceros wait in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.07.30
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.07.30
Photograph: Braceros fill boxes with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros fill boxes with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.43.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.43.18
Photograph: An official interviews a bracero at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: An official interviews a bracero at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.03.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.03.11

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