Photography

Leica 35mm Camera

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.

Place: Texas

President George H. W. Bush, Roger Ailes, and Craig Fuller

President George H. W. Bush, Roger Ailes, and Craig Fuller preparing for the President's acceptance speech, Republican National Convention, Houston, Texas, August 20, 1992.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
President George H. W. Bush, Roger Ailes, and Craig Fuller preparing for the President's acceptance speech, Republican National Convention, Houston, Texas, August 20, 1992.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1992-08-20
depicted (sitter)
Bush, George, H. W.
maker
Walker, Diana
ID Number
2003.0250.108
catalog number
2003.0250.108
accession number
2003.0250

Reviewing Bracero's Documents

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

Bracero Service Facilities

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

Braceros Boarding Trucks

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

Ruins of Texas Mission

two men at left in slacks, white shirts, vests and hats; stone building with steeple at center topped with a cross; carving over main entryway is crumbly but once very intricate and ornateCurrently not on view
Description (Brief)
two men at left in slacks, white shirts, vests and hats; stone building with steeple at center topped with a cross; carving over main entryway is crumbly but once very intricate and ornate
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850s-1860s
ID Number
2012.3033.0045
nonaccession number
2012.3033
catalog number
2012.3033.0045

Migratory worker and family

While traveling through Texas capturing images for his photo essay, Mydans focused not only on the prosperous cowboys on the range, but also on the displaced population that was still struggling to find jobs amidst a national economic crisis.Migrant workers like this man, whom My
Description
While traveling through Texas capturing images for his photo essay, Mydans focused not only on the prosperous cowboys on the range, but also on the displaced population that was still struggling to find jobs amidst a national economic crisis.
Migrant workers like this man, whom Mydans found living with his family by the side of the road near Raymondville, Texas, were called "brush-hogs." It was estimated that this type of permanent migrant worker, without a home, voting privileges, or union representation, numbered more than 3 million during the 1930s. These laborers traveled from place to place, harvesting crops that needed to be picked as soon as they ripened, hoping to earn enough money to get by.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1937
photographer
Mydans, Carl
ID Number
2005.0228.038
accession number
2005.0228
catalog number
2005.0228.038

Association Agent Reviewing Braceros

Photograph: At the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, an agent from the Texas growers association selects braceros for distribution among his association members.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: At the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas, an agent from the Texas growers association selects braceros for distribution among his association members.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.14.27
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.27

Truck Full of Braceros

Photograph: Braceros sit in a truck and wait to leave the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit in a truck and wait to leave the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.12.35
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.12.35

Braceros Boarding Truck

Photograph: Braceros board a truck at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Description
Photograph: Braceros board a truck at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.12.33
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.12.33

San Fernando Cathedral

Stereo view by H. A. Doerr of a cathedral facade with donkeys in the lower right corner. Handwritten in pencil on verso: "San Fernando Cathedral / San Antonio" Stamped on verso: "H. A. Doerr, / Photographer. / San Antonio, Tex." and "NIC.
Description (Brief)
Stereo view by H. A. Doerr of a cathedral facade with donkeys in the lower right corner. Handwritten in pencil on verso: "San Fernando Cathedral / San Antonio" Stamped on verso: "H. A. Doerr, / Photographer. / San Antonio, Tex." and "NIC. TENGG, / Books / Stationery / & Newspapers. / San Antonio, Texas." (partially worn away)
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Doerr, Henry A.
ID Number
2012.3033.0023
nonaccession number
2012.3033
catalog number
2012.3033.0023

Selena singing and holding mic

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date printed
2020
date made
1994-04
depicted (sitter)
Selena
maker
Rendon, Al
ID Number
2020.0085.0009
accession number
2020.0085
catalog number
2020.0085.0009

Christmas tree

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1944-12
ID Number
2015.0074.0056
catalog number
2015.0074.0056
accession number
2015.0074

Transportation Truck for Braceros

Photograph: An empty truck used for transporting braceros stands at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An empty truck used for transporting braceros stands at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.12.28
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.12.28

Selena in spangled purple jacket

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date printed
2020
date made
1993
depicted (sitter)
Selena
maker
Rendon, Al
ID Number
2020.0085.0015
accession number
2020.0085
catalog number
2020.0085.0015

Lucius Washington and two mules plow the fields before the Dallas skyline

In 1938 photographer Carl Mydans set off on his travels around the United States once more, making stops in Alabama, Maryland, Virginia, and Texas.
Description
In 1938 photographer Carl Mydans set off on his travels around the United States once more, making stops in Alabama, Maryland, Virginia, and Texas. He captured images of farmers and cowboys, as well as passersby on sidewalks and women in department stores shopping for the latest fashions. This time, he was on assignment for LIFE magazine, instead of the Resettlement Administration.
In this photograph, Mydans accentuates the sharp contrast between the rural and urban lifestyles during the late 1930s in Dallas, Texas. In the background, high-rise buildings, billboard advertisements, and factories remind the viewer of progressive industrialization and how mechanized labor was replacing manual labor. Workers and farmers, such as Lucius Washington, faced hard times during this decade.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1939
photographer
Mydans, Carl
ID Number
2005.0228.047
accession number
2005.0228
catalog number
2005.0228.047

Braceros Getting Processed

Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists during processing at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Description
Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists during processing at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.14.30
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.30

Alamo

mounted stereograph by F. Hardesty of San Antonio, Texas; front facade of Alamo; two men standing out front at left of photographCurrently not on view
Description (Brief)
mounted stereograph by F. Hardesty of San Antonio, Texas; front facade of Alamo; two men standing out front at left of photograph
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850s-1860s
maker
Hardesty, Frank
ID Number
2012.3033.0037
nonaccession number
2012.3033
catalog number
2012.3033.0037

Bracero Unloading Cotton

Photograph: A bracero empties a bag of cotton onto a truck near McAllen, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero empties a bag of cotton onto a truck near McAllen, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.18.41
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.18.41

Ty Ziegel and Renée Kline discuss wedding plans

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date printed
2021
date made
2006-06-23
maker
Berman, Nina
ID Number
2021.0057.0040
catalog number
2021.0057.0040
accession number
2021.0057

A whiteface steer charging the camera

Early in 1937, Mydans traveled to Texas to compile his first photo essay for LIFE magazine, covering everything from the state's last great cattle drive to its tough oil towns. This image, however, would not be published until 1939.
Description
Early in 1937, Mydans traveled to Texas to compile his first photo essay for LIFE magazine, covering everything from the state's last great cattle drive to its tough oil towns. This image, however, would not be published until 1939. According to the magazine caption, this short-horned steer is being cut from the herd by two young cow ponies in an effort to develop their hooves and expert footing (Feb. 13, 1939).
Mydans later recalled his frightened reaction after developing the picture; he said a photographer often concentrates so intently on what he is seeing that he is not aware of danger.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1937
photographer
Mydans, Carl
ID Number
2005.0228.025
accession number
2005.0228
catalog number
2005.0228.025

Main Street in the oil boom town of Freer

When Carl Mydans first started working for LIFE magazine, he was asked to go to Texas and document everything from the state's last great cattle drive to its tough oil towns.
Description
When Carl Mydans first started working for LIFE magazine, he was asked to go to Texas and document everything from the state's last great cattle drive to its tough oil towns. Some of his images of the oil boom town of Freer were later published in the magazine (Jan 17, 1938).
The town of Freer received its name in 1925, when the government granted permission for a post office to be built there. The first settlers had arrived a decade earlier, after a Houston real-estate promoter named C. W. Hahl advertised his land for sale in newspapers throughout the Southwest. At first, only six families established themselves there. But by the mid-thirties, the population of Freer had reached about five to eight thousand inhabitants.
The first oil boom occurred in 1928, but the Great Depression and the discovery of oil in East Texas in 1930 put an end to it. During the spring of 1932, a second, even bigger, boom occured. By 1933 Freer had become the second-largest oilfield in the United States and had attracted a flood of settlers from Oklahoma, Kansas, and other midwestern states. Despite a monthly payroll estimated at $500,000, Freer's main streets were not paved until 1938. It was common for the town to be covered in dust during months of drought, when it rained it was impossible for trucks carrying bread and milk from Alice and San Diego to travel through the mud and reach the town. During this period, the town also lacked potable water, a sewage system, and a bank.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1937
photographer
Mydans, Carl
ID Number
2005.0228.030
accession number
2005.0228
catalog number
2005.0228.030

Inspection of Braceros' Belongings

Photograph: Braceros unpack their personal belongings as an inspector searches for contraband at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Description
Photograph: Braceros unpack their personal belongings as an inspector searches for contraband at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.02.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.02.25

Television in Motel

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1962
maker
Erwitt, Elliott
ID Number
PG.007607
catalog number
7607
accession number
252364

Association Agent Reviewing Braceros

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

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