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: A bracero sharpens a short-handled hoe with a knife at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero sharpens a short-handled hoe with a knife at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.52.14
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.14
Photograph: Braceros sit beside suitcases and other belongings in Stockton, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit beside suitcases and other belongings in Stockton, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.39.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.39.34
Photograph: Braceros, using short-handled hoes, cultivate the soil in a field in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros, using short-handled hoes, cultivate the soil in a field in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.31.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.31.11
Photograph: Braceros unload from a truck at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros unload from a truck at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.27.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.27.25
Photograph: Braceros sit and stand near trucks at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit and stand near trucks at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.33
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.33
Photograph: Braceros kneel on the ground between living quarters during an outdoor camp service in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros kneel on the ground between living quarters during an outdoor camp service in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.46.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.46.06
Photograph: A bracero carries a plate of food and gets a drink in a dining hall at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero carries a plate of food and gets a drink in a dining hall at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.47.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.47.25
Photograph: Braceros perform stoop labor and hoe rows with short-handled hoes in a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros perform stoop labor and hoe rows with short-handled hoes in a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.31.13
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.31.13
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
2004.0138.37.36
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.36
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
2004.0138.34.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.04
Photograph: A row of tents stands beside a wooden barn at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A row of tents stands beside a wooden barn at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.22.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.22.06
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
2004.0138.04.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.04.25
Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.55.08
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.55.08
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: Braceros wait in front of the Pajaro Steam Bath in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in front of the Pajaro Steam Bath in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.27.07
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.27.07
Photograph: A sign inside a building at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, lists how many braceros were processed that day and how many are expected in Hidalgo, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A sign inside a building at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, lists how many braceros were processed that day and how many are expected in Hidalgo, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.16.41
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.16.41
Photograph: A bracero talks to an official during processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero talks to an official during processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.03.03
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.03.03
Photograph: One bracero shaves while another stands in the doorway of a bathroom at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: One bracero shaves while another stands in the doorway of a bathroom at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.35.33
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.35.33
Photograph: Braceros wait to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, while others wait to enter the center outside along the railroad tracks.
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, while others wait to enter the center outside along the railroad tracks.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.04.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.04.04
Photograph: Braceros line up Cookie lettuce boxes next to a truck in a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros line up Cookie lettuce boxes next to a truck in a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.56.24
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.56.24
Photograph: Braceros returning home line up to board a bus in Stockton, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros returning home line up to board a bus in Stockton, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.19.17
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.19.17
Photograph: Beds sit in a bracero living quarter at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Beds sit in a bracero living quarter at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.25.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.25.22
Photograph: A bracero lies on a bed in a living quarter at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero lies on a bed in a living quarter at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.35.35
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.35.35
Photograph: Braceros sit and have lunch at the edge of a pepper field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit and have lunch at the edge of a pepper field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.56.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.56.04

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