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: Braceros stand at the entrance to a movie theater in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand at the entrance to a movie theater in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.29.42
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.29.42
Photograph: An official distributes documents among braceros outside of the San Joaquin County Farm Production Association building in Stockton, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official distributes documents among braceros outside of the San Joaquin County Farm Production Association building in Stockton, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.39.24
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.39.24
Photograph: An official distributes paychecks to braceros outside an office in California.
Description
Photograph: An official distributes paychecks to braceros outside an office in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.44.17
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.44.17
Photograph: Two officials speak with each other while braceros wait in an office in Stockton, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Two officials speak with each other while braceros wait in an office in Stockton, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.24.14
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.24.14
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.
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.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.14.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.22
Photograph: Braceros walk outside their living quarters at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros walk outside their living quarters at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.27.30
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.27.30
Photograph: Braceros wait in a crowd at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in a crowd at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.09.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.09.10
Photograph: Braceros wait behind a barbed wire fence along a railroad track at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait behind a barbed wire fence along a railroad track at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.10.03
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.10.03
Photograph: A nurse vaccinates a bracero while others wait in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A nurse vaccinates a bracero while others wait in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.17.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.17.25
Photograph: Braceros walk over a field in crepuscular light in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros walk over a field in crepuscular light in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.54.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.54.04
Photograph: Braceros sit at the edge of a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit at the edge of a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.45.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.45.04
Press print; from verso: "Young people helping to clear an area for cultivation, near Dodoma."Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Press print; from verso: "Young people helping to clear an area for cultivation, near Dodoma."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1980
maker
United Nations
ID Number
2013.0327.0243
catalog number
2013.0327.0243
accession number
2013.0327
Photograph: Dr. Stanley Savoy examines a bracero's back to check for respiratory illness in his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Dr. Stanley Savoy examines a bracero's back to check for respiratory illness in his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.51.17
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.51.17
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1960s
photographer
Uzzle, Burk
ID Number
PG.72.12.040
accession number
2003.0044
catalog number
72.12.40
Photograph: Braceros talk to officials during processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros talk to officials during processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.03.02
catalog number
2004.0138.03.02
accession number
2004.0138
Photograph: Parked cars sit in front of bracero insurance and service facilities near Hidalgo, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Parked cars sit in front of bracero insurance and service facilities near Hidalgo, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.11.17
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.11.17
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1969
maker
Plowden, David
ID Number
1986.0711.0696
accession number
1986.0711
catalog number
1986.0711.0696
Photograph: Braceros wait in line to board buses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in line to board buses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.09.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.09.23
Photograph: Braceros wait in line to board buses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in line to board buses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.09.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.09.22
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: Braceros board trucks at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Description
Photograph: Braceros board trucks at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.12.29
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.12.29
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
2004.0138.10.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.10.02
Photograph: Near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, braceros walk along railroad tracks and pass the grave of a fallen compatriot.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, braceros walk along railroad tracks and pass the grave of a fallen compatriot.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.10.32
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.10.32
Photograph: Braceros wash up in a bathroom at a camp in California.a Californian camp.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wash up in a bathroom at a camp in California.
a Californian camp.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.38.07
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.38.07

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