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.

View in Ameca-meca, Mexico; dirt road at center lined with adobe buildings; hillside covered with trees rising in backgroundCurrently not on view
Description (Brief)
View in Ameca-meca, Mexico; dirt road at center lined with adobe buildings; hillside covered with trees rising in background
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1870s
maker
Kilburn Brothers
ID Number
2012.3033.0169
nonaccession number
2012.3033
catalog number
2012.3033.0169
Popocatapetl, from Ameca-meca, Mexico (17,884 feet high); birds eye view overlooking small town with snow capped mountain peak in backgroundCurrently not on view
Description (Brief)
Popocatapetl, from Ameca-meca, Mexico (17,884 feet high); birds eye view overlooking small town with snow capped mountain peak in background
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1870s
maker
Kilburn Brothers
ID Number
2012.3033.0163
nonaccession number
2012.3033
catalog number
2012.3033.0163
Photograph: A bracero family sits in their home in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero family sits in their home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.01
Photograph: A boy and a man with a donkey walk past a water pipe in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A boy and a man with a donkey walk past a water pipe in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.18
Photograph: Women work and care for children in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Women work and care for children in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.11
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: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.16
Photograph: Women talk and work while toddlers stand nearby in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Women talk and work while toddlers stand nearby in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.10
Photograph: One woman kneels as another stands in the doorway to a house in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: One woman kneels as another stands in the doorway to a house in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.07
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.07
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.15
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.15
Photograph: A bracero's family sit and stand in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico, as pigs eat.
Description
Photograph: A bracero's family sit and stand in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico, as pigs eat.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.06
Photograph: A bracero's family sit and stand in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero's family sit and stand in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.04
Photograph: Women work and care for children in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Women work and care for children in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.12
Photograph: A woman works at home surrounded by a radio, icons, furniture, and a painting of the Virgen de Guadalupe [Virgin Mary] in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A woman works at home surrounded by a radio, icons, furniture, and a painting of the Virgen de Guadalupe [Virgin Mary] in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.08
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.08
Photograph: A woman works at a table as children stand nearby in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: A woman works at a table as children stand nearby in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.02
Photograph: A woman works at home surrounded by a radio, icons, furniture, and a painting of the Virgen de Guadalupe [Virgin Mary] in San Mateo, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: A woman works at home surrounded by a radio, icons, furniture, and a painting of the Virgen de Guadalupe [Virgin Mary] in San Mateo, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.09
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.09
Photograph: A bracero's family stands in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero's family stands in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.13.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.13.01
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.14
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.14
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.13
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.13
Photograph: A woman stands in front of children in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A woman stands in front of children in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.03
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.03
Photograph: A bracero's family sit and stand in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico, as pigs eat.
Description
Photograph: A bracero's family sit and stand in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico, as pigs eat.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.05
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.05

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