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
Topic: Migrant Workers

Bracero Working with Short-Handled Hoe

Photograph: A bracero sharpens a short-handled hoe with a knife at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero sharpens a short-handled hoe with a knife at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.52.14
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.14

Braceros Waiting with Belongings

Photograph: Braceros sit beside suitcases and other belongings in Stockton, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit beside suitcases and other belongings in Stockton, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.39.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.39.34

Braceros Working with Short-Handled Hoes

Photograph: Braceros, using short-handled hoes, cultivate the soil in a field in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros, using short-handled hoes, cultivate the soil in a field in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.31.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.31.11

Braceros Exiting Truck

Photograph: Braceros unload from a truck at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros unload from a truck at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.27.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.27.25

Braceros in Field

Photograph: Braceros sit and stand near trucks at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit and stand near trucks at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.33
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.33

Braceros Attending Mass

Photograph: Braceros kneel on the ground between living quarters during an outdoor camp service in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros kneel on the ground between living quarters during an outdoor camp service in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.46.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.46.06

Braceros at Meal Time

Photograph: A bracero carries a plate of food and gets a drink in a dining hall at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero carries a plate of food and gets a drink in a dining hall at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.47.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.47.25

Braceros Working with Short-Handled Hoes

Photograph: Braceros perform stoop labor and hoe rows with short-handled hoes in a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros perform stoop labor and hoe rows with short-handled hoes in a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.31.13
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.31.13

Braceros Boarding Truck

Photograph: Braceros enter a truck at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros enter a truck at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.36
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.36

Braceros Picking Lettuce

Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.04

Bracero Camp

Photograph: A row of tents stands beside a wooden barn at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A row of tents stands beside a wooden barn at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.22.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.22.06

Braceros Waiting to Board Buses

Photograph: Braceros wait in line to board buses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in line to board buses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.04.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.04.25

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
2004.0138.55.08
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.55.08

Bracero Family in Mexico

Photograph: Women work and care for children in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Women work and care for children in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.11

Braceros at Steam Bath

Photograph: Braceros wait in front of the Pajaro Steam Bath in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in front of the Pajaro Steam Bath in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.27.07
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.27.07

Blackboard at Bracero Processing Center

Photograph: A sign inside a building at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, lists how many braceros were processed that day and how many are expected in Hidalgo, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A sign inside a building at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, lists how many braceros were processed that day and how many are expected in Hidalgo, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.16.41
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.16.41

Bracero Talking to Official

Photograph: A bracero talks to an official during processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero talks to an official during processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.03.03
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.03.03

Bracero Shaving

Photograph: One bracero shaves while another stands in the doorway of a bathroom at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: One bracero shaves while another stands in the doorway of a bathroom at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.35.33
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.35.33

Braceros Waiting at Processing Center

Photograph: Braceros wait to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, while others wait to enter the center outside along the railroad tracks.
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, while others wait to enter the center outside along the railroad tracks.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.04.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.04.04

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Braceros line up Cookie lettuce boxes next to a truck in a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros line up Cookie lettuce boxes next to a truck in a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.56.24
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.56.24

Braceros Waiting to Board Bus

Photograph: Braceros returning home line up to board a bus in Stockton, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros returning home line up to board a bus in Stockton, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.19.17
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.19.17

Bracero Living Quarter

Photograph: Beds sit in a bracero living quarter at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Beds sit in a bracero living quarter at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.25.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.25.22

Bracero Lying in Bed

Photograph: A bracero lies on a bed in a living quarter at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero lies on a bed in a living quarter at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.35.35
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.35.35

Braceros at Meal Time

Photograph: Braceros sit and have lunch at the edge of a pepper field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit and have lunch at the edge of a pepper field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.56.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.56.04

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