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: Salinas Valley

Bracero Picking Lettuce

Photograph: A bracero picks lettuce while an official watches him in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero picks lettuce while an official watches him in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.56.30
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.56.30

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Farm Fresh lettuce boxes stand on a truck while braceros work in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Farm Fresh lettuce boxes stand on a truck while braceros work in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.13
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.13

Braceros Picking Lettuce

Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.55.07
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.55.07

Bracero at Doctor's Office

Photograph: A bracero lies on a stretcher while Dr. Stanley Savoy examines another bracero in an adjascent room at his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero lies on a stretcher while Dr. Stanley Savoy examines another bracero in an adjascent room at his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.25.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.25.12

Bracero at Doctor's Office

Photograph: A bracero exits the clinical practice of Dr. Stanley Savoy in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero exits the clinical practice of Dr. Stanley Savoy in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.25.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.25.02

Bracero in Pepper Field

Photograph: A bracero hoes a row in a pepper field near Salinas, California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero hoes a row in a pepper field near Salinas, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.30.03
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.30.03

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: A man uses a machine to assemble lettuce boxes, which braceros fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: A man uses a machine to assemble lettuce boxes, which braceros fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.43.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.43.01

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: A man on a truck assembles Cookie lettuce boxes, which braceros pick up to fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A man on a truck assembles Cookie lettuce boxes, which braceros pick up to fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.37
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.37

Bracero Preparing a Meal

Photograph: A bracero prepares food and slices onions in a kitcken at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero prepares food and slices onions in a kitcken at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.35.39
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.35.39

Bracero Cleaning Head of Lettuce

Photograph: A bracero removes the bad leaves from a head of lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero removes the bad leaves from a head of lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.43
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.43

Braceros on Lettuce Truck

Photograph: Braceros stand on a truck loaded with Cookie lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand on a truck loaded with Cookie lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.32
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.32

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: A man on a truck uses a machine to assemble Cookie lettuce boxes, which braceros pick up to fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A man on a truck uses a machine to assemble Cookie lettuce boxes, which braceros pick up to fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.39
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.39

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Standing on a truck, braceros fill boxes with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California, while others bring the lettuce.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Standing on a truck, braceros fill boxes with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California, while others bring the lettuce.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.43.20
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.43.20

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: A man on a truck uses a machine to assemble Toro lettuce boxes, which braceros pick up to fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A man on a truck uses a machine to assemble Toro lettuce boxes, which braceros pick up to fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.07
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.07

Braceros in Pepper Field

Photograph: Braceros work in a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros work in a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.26.30
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.26.30

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: A man on a truck assembles Cookie lettuce boxes, which braceros pick up to fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A man on a truck assembles Cookie lettuce boxes, which braceros pick up to fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.38
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.38

Braceros Packing Lettuce

Photograph: Braceros pack a Cookie lettuce box in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pack a Cookie lettuce box in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.17
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.17

Braceros Packing Lettuce

Photograph: Braceros pack a Cookie lettuce box in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pack a Cookie lettuce box in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.22

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Beyond rows of Toro lettuce boxes, braceros work in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Beyond rows of Toro lettuce boxes, braceros work in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.36.26
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.36.26

Braceros Picking Lettuce

Photograph: Braceros pick lettuce and put it into boxes, which sit on trolleys in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick lettuce and put it into boxes, which sit on trolleys in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.08
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.08

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Braceros work in a field with two rows of Toro lettuce boxes in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros work in a field with two rows of Toro lettuce boxes in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.33
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.33

Bracero at Doctor's Office

Photograph: Dr. Stanley Savoy sits in an examination room with a bracero and a nurse at his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Dr. Stanley Savoy sits in an examination room with a bracero and a nurse at his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.25.05
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.25.05

Bracero at Doctor's Office

Photograph: Dr. Stanley Savoy examines a bracero's back to check for respiratory illness in his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Dr. Stanley Savoy examines a bracero's back to check for respiratory illness in his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.51.20
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.51.20

Braceros Working with Short-Handled Hoes

Photograph: Braceros stoop down with short-handled hoes to cultivate a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros stoop down with short-handled hoes to cultivate a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.52.17
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.17

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.