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: Braceros perform stoop labor in a pepper field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros perform stoop labor in a pepper field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.33.13
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.33.13
Photograph: A man on a truck uses a machine to assemble Toro lettuce boxes, which braceros pick up to fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A man on a truck uses a machine to assemble Toro lettuce boxes, which braceros pick up to fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.03
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.03
Photograph: Braceros returning home wait to board a bus in Stockton, California, as officials distribute documents.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros returning home wait to board a bus in Stockton, California, as officials distribute documents.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.19.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.19.04
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
2004.0138.28.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.28.34
Photograph: Braceros check for mail at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros check for mail at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.27.33
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.27.33
Photograph: After passing their physical examinations, braceros dictate information to clerk typists during processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: After passing their physical examinations, braceros dictate information to clerk typists during processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.03.09
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.03.09
Photograph: Braceros prepare tortillas at a camp near McAllen, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros prepare tortillas at a camp near McAllen, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.05.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.05.11
Photograph: A bracero cleans old leaves off a head of lettuce in a field in California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero cleans old leaves off a head of lettuce in a field in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.56.20
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.56.20
Photograph: Braceros stand around a vendor's car at a camp in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand around a vendor's car at a camp in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.46.15
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.46.15
Photograph: Braceros wait in line to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in line to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.06.41
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.06.41
Photograph: Two officials review documents in an office, Mexico City, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Two officials review documents in an office, Mexico City, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.29
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.29
Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.05
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.05
Photograph: Braceros play dominoes on a bed in a living quarter at a camp in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros play dominoes on a bed in a living quarter at a camp in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.23.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.23.23
Photograph: A bracero stoops down to pick pepper in a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero stoops down to pick pepper in a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.56.13
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.56.13
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico, as a man tends to his donkey.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico, as a man tends to his donkey.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.17
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.17
Photograph: A bracero leans against a barbed wire fence as he waits to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero leans against a barbed wire fence as he waits to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.06.31
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.06.31
Photograph: A bracero lies in bed and looks out a window in a living quarter at a camp in California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero lies in bed and looks out a window in a living quarter at a camp in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.23.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.23.06
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.45.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.45.11
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
2004.0138.27.31
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.27.31
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
2004.0138.25.20
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.25.20
Photograph: Braceros lie at the edge of a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros lie at the edge of a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.50.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.50.04
Photograph: Bunk beds stand inside a living quarter at a bracero camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Bunk beds stand inside a living quarter at a bracero camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.46.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.46.16
Photograph: Braceros wait in front of an official building, Mexico City, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in front of an official building, Mexico City, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.15.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.15.16
Photograph: Braceros prepare food in a kitchen at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros prepare food in a kitchen at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.35.40
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.35.40

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