Government, Politics, and Reform

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.

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
2004.0138.17.15
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.17.15
Photograph: An official examines a bracero's hands for calluses while others wait in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official examines a bracero's hands for calluses while others wait in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.17.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.17.22
Photograph: An official fingerprints braceros for their identification documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official fingerprints braceros for their identification documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.13.09
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.13.09
Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists while others wait in line for processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists while others wait in line for processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.17.35
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.17.35
Photograph: Braceros gather around a cart near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros gather around a cart near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.09.42
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.09.42
Photograph: Braceros present documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros present documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.09.13
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.09.13
Photograph: An official lets braceros form a line during processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official lets braceros form a line during processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.06.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.06.34
Photograph: Walking in line, braceros enter a room at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, while two cross themselves in front of an image of the Virgen de Guadalupe [Virgin Mary].Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Walking in line, braceros enter a room at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, while two cross themselves in front of an image of the Virgen de Guadalupe [Virgin Mary].
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.16.26
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.16.26
Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists while others wait in line for processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists while others wait in line for processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.17.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.17.34
Photograph: At the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, braceros line up to board buses to the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: At the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, braceros line up to board buses to the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.03.38
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.03.38
Photograph: At the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, braceros receive packed lunches as they board a line of buses to the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Description
Photograph: At the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, braceros receive packed lunches as they board a line of buses to the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.01.42
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.01.42
Photograph: Braceros wait in line with their belongings at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in line with their belongings at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.07.24
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.07.24
Photograph: Framed by the side of a bus at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, braceros board buses to the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Framed by the side of a bus at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, braceros board buses to the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.01.43
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.01.43
Photograph: Braceros wait in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.06.27
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.06.27
Photograph: Braceros have lunch in a dining hall at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch in a dining hall at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.03.37
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.03.37
Photograph: Braceros stand in line and wait to be processed while others walk in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand in line and wait to be processed while others walk in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.07.05
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.07.05
Photograph: Braceros wait in line to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in line to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.06.43
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.06.43
Photograph: An official checks a bracero's hands for calluses while others wait in line to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official checks a bracero's hands for calluses while others wait in line to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.13.21
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.13.21
Photograph: Braceros form a line to present documents to an official at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros form a line to present documents to an official at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.04.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.04.10
Photograph: Walking in line, braceros enter a room while one crosses himself in front of an image of the Virgen de Guadalupe [Virgin Mary] at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Walking in line, braceros enter a room while one crosses himself in front of an image of the Virgen de Guadalupe [Virgin Mary] at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.16.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.16.25
Photograph: Braceros sit and stand along the railroad tracks behind a barbed wire fence near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit and stand along the railroad tracks behind a barbed wire fence near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.10.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.10.06
Photograph: Braceros talk as they wait to be processed in a building at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros talk as they wait to be processed in a building at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.09.29
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.09.29
Photograph: Viewed from a military barrack, braceros wait at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Viewed from a military barrack, braceros wait at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.04.38
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.04.38
Photograph: Braceros wait to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.06.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.06.25

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