Government, Politics, and Reform

March on Washington Handbill

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln are all represented in the Museum's collections—by a surveying compass, a lap desk, and a top hat, among other artifacts. But the roughly 100,000 objects in this collection reach beyond the possessions of statesmen to touch the broader political life of the nation—in election campaigns, the women's suffrage movement, labor activity, civil rights, and many other areas. Campaign objects make up much of the collection, including posters, novelties, ballots, voting machines, and many others. A second group includes general political history artifacts, such as first ladies' clothing and accessories, diplomatic materials, ceremonial objects, national symbols, and paintings and sculptures of political figures. The third main area focuses on artifacts related to political reform movements, from labor unions to antiwar groups.

Reviewing Bracero's Documents

Photograph: An official reviews a bracero's documents while others wait in line to be processed at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official reviews a bracero's documents while others wait in line to be processed at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.14.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.25

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

Bracero Camp and Lettuce Field

Photograph: A lettuce field stands before a bracero camp in Gonzales, California.
Description
Photograph: A lettuce field stands before a bracero camp in Gonzales, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.36.08
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.36.08

Braceros Attending Mass

Photograph: Braceros kneel to be blessed at a camp service in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros kneel to be blessed at a camp service in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.54.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.54.02

Physical Examination of Braceros

Photograph: An official examines a bracero's musculature as others, waiting in line, look on in a building at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official examines a bracero's musculature as others, waiting in line, look on in a building at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.09.30
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.09.30

Bracero Getting an X-ray

Photograph: A bracero receives a chest X-ray during a physical examination at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero receives a chest X-ray during a physical examination at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.02.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.02.06

Bracero Writing a Letter

Photograph: Braceros relax on a bed while one of them writes a letter at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros relax on a bed while one of them writes a letter at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.32.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.32.18

President Clinton leaves the stage after a speech at the APL terminal

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
2000-11-19
depicted (sitter)
Clinton, Bill
maker
Kennerly, David Hume
ID Number
2003.0005.140
accession number
2003.0005
catalog number
2003.0005.140

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
2004.0138.44.05
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.44.05

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 on Train

Photograph: Braceros - in silhouette - sit in a train looking outside in crepuscular light near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Braceros - in silhouette - sit in a train looking outside in crepuscular light near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.11.09
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.11.09

Association Official

Photograph: Jack Bias, Executive Manager of the Grower, Shipper, Vegetable Assn., sits in his office in Salinas, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Jack Bias, Executive Manager of the Grower, Shipper, Vegetable Assn., sits in his office in Salinas, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.41
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.41

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

"Ban the Box" Button

This button’s slogan refers to boxed drinks made from composites of paper, aluminum, and plastic.
Description
This button’s slogan refers to boxed drinks made from composites of paper, aluminum, and plastic. Opponents of these disposable, single-serving containers objected to the difficulty of recycling multi-material packaging.
The button is among the more than 1,500 pin-backed environmental buttons that Gerald H. Meral donated to the National Museum of American History. Meral spent his career addressing natural resource concerns for the California state government and California-based non-governmental organizations. He began assembling his button collection in 1970.
ID Number
2003.0014.0256
accession number
2003.0014
catalog number
2003.0014.0256

View of Onion Field

Photograph: An onion field stands in the Western United States.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An onion field stands in the Western United States.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.35.44
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.35.44

Bracero Getting a Shave

Photograph: One bracero shaves another while a third bracero watches them from the doorway of a living quarter at a camp in California.
Description
Photograph: One bracero shaves another while a third bracero watches them from the doorway of a living quarter at a camp in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.21.27
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.21.27

Braceros at Camp

Photograph: Braceros sit on the steps in front of the entrance to a living quarter at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit on the steps in front of the entrance to a living quarter at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.28.08
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.28.08

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 Waiting at Processing Center

Photograph: Braceros wait to be processed as a train arrives at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait to be processed as a train arrives at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.04.05
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.04.05

Braceros Waiting in Line

Photograph: Braceros wait in lines at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in lines at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.09.26
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.09.26

Braceros at Meal Time

Photograph: Braceros get their meals while others sit and have lunch at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Braceros get their meals while others sit and have lunch at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.16.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.16.23

Bracero Camp

Photograph: Clothes dry on a fence behind living quarters at the Gondo Labor Camp near Watsonville, California.
Description
Photograph: Clothes dry on a fence behind living quarters at the Gondo Labor Camp near Watsonville, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.53.26
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.53.26

Selling Food to Braceros

Photograph: In Mexico City, Mexico, a woman sells food to braceros while others wait in front of an official building to apply for farm work in the United States.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: In Mexico City, Mexico, a woman sells food to braceros while others wait in front of an official building to apply for farm work in the United States.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.15.08
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.15.08

Physical Examination of Braceros

Photograph: An official examines a bracero's teeth and mouth with a flashlight while others stand next to him with their backs to the wall at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official examines a bracero's teeth and mouth with a flashlight while others stand next to him with their backs to the wall at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.17.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.17.18

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