Photography

The millions of photographs in the Museum's collections compose a vast mosaic of the nation's history. Photographs accompany most artifact collections. Thousands of images document engineering projects, for example, and more record the steel, petroleum, and railroad industries.

Some 150,000 images capture the history, art, and science of photography. Nineteenth-century photography, from its initial development by W. H. F. Talbot and Louis Daguerre, is especially well represented and includes cased images, paper photographs, and apparatus. Glass stereographs and news-service negatives by the Underwood & Underwood firm document life in America between the 1890s and the 1930s. The history of amateur photography and photojournalism are preserved here, along with the work of 20th-century masters such as Richard Avedon and Edward Weston. Thousands of cameras and other equipment represent the technical and business side of the field.

Photograph: An agent from the Texas growers association selects braceros for distribution among his association members in Hidalgo, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An agent from the Texas growers association selects braceros for distribution among his association members in Hidalgo, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.14.14
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.14
Photograph: Braceros unpack their food and personal belongings as an inspector searches for contraband at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros unpack their food and personal belongings as an inspector searches for contraband at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.02.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.02.34
Photograph: Braceros wait in a line near Hidalgo, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in a line near Hidalgo, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.05.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.05.04
Photograph: Braceros unpack their personal belongings as an inspector searches for contraband at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros unpack their personal belongings as an inspector searches for contraband at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.12.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.12.11
Photograph: An agent from the Texas growers association selects braceros for distribution among his association members in Hidalgo, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An agent from the Texas growers association selects braceros for distribution among his association members in Hidalgo, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.14.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.18
Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists during processing at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists during processing at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.14.28
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.28
Photograph: An agent for the Texas growers association examines a bracero's musculature at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, as a uniformed official looks on.
Description
Photograph: An agent for the Texas growers association examines a bracero's musculature at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, as a uniformed official looks on.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.02.33
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.02.33
Photograph: Braceros' belongings litter the ground at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros' belongings litter the ground at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.12.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.12.25
Photograph: Trucks used to transport braceros to their collection points stand empty at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Trucks used to transport braceros to their collection points stand empty at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.12.26
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.12.26
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
2004.0138.02.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.02.11
Photograph: Braceros wait in line for chest X-rays at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in line for chest X-rays at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.02.09
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.02.09
Photograph: Braceros board a truck at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros board a truck at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.12.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.12.34
Photograph: Braceros sit on a trailer truck while being driven on a road near Hidalgo, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit on a trailer truck while being driven on a road near Hidalgo, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.12.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.12.06
Photograph: A technician prepares to take braceros' identification photographs as one man waits in front of the camera at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Description
Photograph: A technician prepares to take braceros' identification photographs as one man waits in front of the camera at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.02.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.02.16
Photograph: Braceros receive their identification photographs at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, while others wait in line.
Description
Photograph: Braceros receive their identification photographs at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, while others wait in line.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.02.03
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.02.03
Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists during processing at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists during processing at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.14.31
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.31
Photograph: Braceros unpack their food and personal belongings during inspections for contraband at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Description
Photograph: Braceros unpack their food and personal belongings during inspections for contraband at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.02.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.02.23
Photograph: Two braceros stand for identification photographs at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, while others wait in line.
Description
Photograph: Two braceros stand for identification photographs at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, while others wait in line.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.02.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.02.12
Photograph: Braceros wait in line to be processed at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in line to be processed at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.14.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.11
Photograph: A U.S. Border Patrol 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: A U.S. Border Patrol 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
2004.0138.14.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.23
Photograph: An agent from the Texas growers association selects braceros for distribution among his association members in Hidalgo, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An agent from the Texas growers association selects braceros for distribution among his association members in Hidalgo, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.14.19
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.19
Photograph: An agent for the Texas growers association examines a bracero's musculature at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An agent for the Texas growers association examines a bracero's musculature at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.02.27
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.02.27
Photograph: Braceros unpack their personal belongings as an inspector searches for contraband at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros unpack their personal belongings as an inspector searches for contraband at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.12.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.12.10
Photograph: Braceros' belongings litter the ground at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Description
Photograph: Braceros' belongings litter the ground at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.12.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.12.18

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