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
Resource Type: Photographs

Braceros at Meal Time

Photograph: Braceros are served food while others sit and have dinner in a dining hall at a camp in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros are served food while others sit and have dinner in a dining hall at a camp in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.47.19
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.47.19

Braceros Waiting in Line

Photograph: Braceros wait in line in front of a building's windows at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in line in front of a building's windows at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.07.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.07.22

Checking Bracero's Hands

Photograph: An official checks a bracero's hands for calluses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: An official checks a bracero's hands for calluses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.13.15
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.13.15

Bracero Smoking a Cigarette

Photograph: A bracero relaxes on his bed and smokes a cigarette at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero relaxes on his bed and smokes a cigarette at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.32.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.32.34

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
2004.0138.03.44
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.03.44

Bracero Camp

Photograph: Clothes dry on a chain link fence at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Clothes dry on a chain link fence at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.27.20
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.27.20

Bracero Entertainment

Photograph: Braceros enjoy an impromptu concert near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros enjoy an impromptu concert near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.16.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.16.01

Braceros Examining Paychecks

Photograph: Braceros examine their paychecks outside of a building in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros examine their paychecks outside of a building in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.44.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.44.12

Bracero in Field

Photograph: A bracero with a short-handled hoe over his shoulder stands in a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero with a short-handled hoe over his shoulder stands in a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.56.07
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.56.07

Bracero Tallying Strawberries

Photograph: A bracero counts boxes of strawberries and punches tally cards on the edge of a field near Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero counts boxes of strawberries and punches tally cards on the edge of a field near Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.31.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.31.06

Braceros at Meal Time

Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.17
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.17

Bracero Camp

Photograph: A hillside slopes town to the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A hillside slopes town to the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.38.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.38.34

Bracero Washing Clothes

Photograph: A bracero does laundry outside a living quarter at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero does laundry outside a living quarter at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.44.03
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.44.03

Braceros Loading Lettuce

Photograph: Braceros load Toro lettuce boxes onto a truck in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros load Toro lettuce boxes onto a truck in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.16

Braceros on Train

Photograph: Braceros - in silhouette - sit in a train looking outside in crepuscular light near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros - in silhouette - sit in a train looking outside in crepuscular light near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.11.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.11.12

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Braceros work in a field with two rows of Toro lettuce boxes in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros work in a field with two rows of Toro lettuce boxes in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.34

Braceros in Town

Photograph: Braceros enter a taxi in the town of Watsonville, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros enter a taxi in the town of Watsonville, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.29.30
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.29.30

Bracero Writing a Letter

Photograph: A bracero sits on a bed and writes a letter in a living quarter at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero sits on a bed and writes a letter in a living quarter at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.41.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.41.34

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
2004.0138.34.35
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.35

Braceros in Mexico City

Photograph: In Mexico City, Mexico, braceros wait in front of an official building to apply for farm work in the United States.
Description
Photograph: In Mexico City, Mexico, braceros wait in front of an official building to apply for farm work in the United States.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.15.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.15.10

Braceros in Pepper Field

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

Braceros in Lettuce Field

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

Braceros Waiting to Board Bus

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

Braceros at Meal Time

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

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