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: Salinas Valley

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: A bracero lines up Cookie lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero lines up Cookie lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.25

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Viewed from atop a truck full of Cookie lettuce boxes, braceros work in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Viewed from atop a truck full of Cookie lettuce boxes, braceros work in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.31
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.31

Braceros Walking Between Fields

Photograph: Braceros walk between two fields in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros walk between two fields in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.43.21
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.43.21

Braceros Working with Short-Handled Hoes

Photograph: Braceros stoop down with short-handled hoes to cultivate a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros stoop down with short-handled hoes to cultivate a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.52.15
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.15

Braceros at Meal Time

Photograph: Braceros have lunch beside railroad tracks in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch beside railroad tracks in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.18

Braceros in Pepper Field

Photograph: Braceros work in a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros work in a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.26.33
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.26.33

Braceros Working with Short-Handled Hoes

Photograph: Braceros stoop down with short-handled hoes to cultivate a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros stoop down with short-handled hoes to cultivate a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.52.24
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.24

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Braceros place heads of lettuce into Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros place heads of lettuce into Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.16

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Braceros perform fieldwork beyond rows of of Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros perform fieldwork beyond rows of 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
2004.0138.34.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.22

Braceros Picking Lettuce

Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in Cookie lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in Cookie lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.43
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.43

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Braceros work in a lettuce field with rows of Toro lettuce boxes in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros work in a lettuce field with rows of Toro lettuce boxes in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.31
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.31

Braceros Loading Lettuce

Photograph: Braceros load Cookie lettuce boxes onto a truck while others work nearby in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros load Cookie lettuce boxes onto a truck while others work nearby in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.27
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.27

Braceros Picking Strawberries

Photograph: Braceros pick strawberries and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick strawberries 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
2004.0138.52.05
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.05

Braceros Waiting for Doctor

Photograph: Braceros sit in a waiting room at the clinical practice of Dr. Stanley Savoy in the Salinas Valley, California.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.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.47.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.47.10

Braceros Working with Short-Handled Hoes

Photograph: Braceros stoop down with short-handled hoes to cultivate a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros stoop down with short-handled hoes to cultivate a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.52.19
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.19

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
2004.0138.55.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.55.10

Braceros Loading Lettuce

Photograph: Braceros load boxes of Farm Fresh lettuce onto a truck while others work in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros load boxes of Farm Fresh lettuce onto a truck while others work in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.10

Bracero Cleaning Head of Lettuce

Photograph: A bracero removes bad leaves from a head of lettuce while standing in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero removes bad leaves from a head of lettuce while standing in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.40
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.40

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Braceros work in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros work in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.01

View of Onion Field

Photograph: An onion field stands in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An onion field stands in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.36.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.36.04

Braceros at Meal Time

Photograph: Braceros have lunch beside railorad tracks in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch beside railorad tracks in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.27
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.27

Braceros at Meal Time

Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.26.20
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.26.20

Braceros Boarding Truck

Photograph: Braceros enter a truck at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros enter a truck at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.35
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.35

Bracero Cleaning Head of Lettuce

Photograph: A bracero removes bad leaves from a head of lettuce while standing in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero removes bad leaves from a head of lettuce while standing in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.37
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.37

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.