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 enter a truck at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros enter a truck at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.34
Photograph: A bracero closes a full Toro lettuce box with a special tool in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero closes a full Toro lettuce box with a special tool in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.11
Photograph: Braceros load boxes of green onions onto a truck in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros load boxes of green onions onto a truck in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.35.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.35.22
Photograph: Two braceros close a filled Cookie lettuce box while others work behind them in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Two braceros close a filled Cookie lettuce box while others work behind them in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.56.33
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.56.33
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.29
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.29
Photograph: A bracero loads Toro lettuce boxes onto a truck in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero loads Toro lettuce boxes onto a truck in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.15
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.15
Photograph: A bracero takes pills while a nurse hands him a glass of water at the clinical practice of Dr. Stanley Savoy in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero takes pills while a nurse hands him a glass of water at the clinical practice of Dr. Stanley Savoy in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.51.13
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.51.13
Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.33
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.33
Photograph: Braceros perform stoop labor in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros perform stoop labor in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.43.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.43.16
Photograph: A bracero closes a full Toro lettuce box with a special tool in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero closes a full Toro lettuce box with a special tool in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.12
Photograph: Braceros load Toro lettuce boxes onto a truck in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros load Toro lettuce boxes onto a truck in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.18
Photograph: A bracero lies on his bed and relaxes in a living quarter at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero lies on his bed and relaxes in a living quarter at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.35.36
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.35.36
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.22
Photograph: Braceros perform fieldwork beyond rows of of Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros perform fieldwork beyond rows of of Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.23
Photograph: Jack Bias, Executive Manager of the Grower, Shipper, Vegetable Assn., sits behind a desk and writes in his office in Salinas, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Jack Bias, Executive Manager of the Grower, Shipper, Vegetable Assn., sits behind a desk and writes in his office in Salinas, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.36
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.36
Photograph: A bracero stands in a clinical practice while Dr. Stanley Savoy sits next to him and smokes a cigar in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero stands in a clinical practice while Dr. Stanley Savoy sits next to him and smokes a cigar in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.51.14
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.51.14
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.26.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.26.22
Photograph: Braceros pick lettuce and place it in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick lettuce and place it in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.28
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.28
Photograph: Braceros have lunch next to a truck in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch next to a truck in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.31
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.31
Photograph: Doctor Stanley Savoy examines a bracero lying on a divan bed in his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Doctor Stanley Savoy examines a bracero lying on a divan bed in his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.51.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.51.12
Photograph: Braceros pick onions and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick onions and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.35.19
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.35.19
Photograph: Beyond rows of Toro lettuce boxes, braceros work in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Beyond rows of Toro lettuce boxes, braceros work in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.36.28
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.36.28
Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.32
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.32
Photograph: A bracero loads Toro lettuce boxes onto a truck in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero loads Toro lettuce boxes onto a truck in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.33.03
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.33.03

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