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: Monterrey Processing Center

Braceros on Railroad Tracks

Photograph: Braceros walk along railroad tracks near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros walk along railroad tracks near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.06.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.06.16

Braceros Waiting Behind Fence

Photograph: Braceros wait behind a barbed wire fence at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait behind a barbed wire fence at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.04.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.04.12

Braceros Waiting in Line

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
2004.0138.06.44
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.06.44

Checking Bracero's Hands

Photograph: An official checks a bracero's hands for calluses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official checks a bracero's hands for calluses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.13.13
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.13.13

Braceros Getting in Line

Photograph: Braceros enter a barbed wire enclosure for processing while more wait beyond the fence at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Braceros enter a barbed wire enclosure for processing while more wait beyond the fence at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.09.17
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.09.17

Braceros Getting in Line

Photograph: Braceros line up to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros line up to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.17.30
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.17.30

Braceros Waiting in Line

Photograph: Supervised by an armed guard, braceros wait in line to be processed through the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, while others wait outside the barbed wire enclosure.
Description
Photograph: Supervised by an armed guard, braceros wait in line to be processed through the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, while others wait outside the barbed wire enclosure.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.07.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.07.12

Braceros on Railroad Tracks

Photograph: Braceros sit on railroad tracks near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit on railroad tracks near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.10.41
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.10.41

Preparing a Meal for Braceros

Photograph: Young men prepare sandwiches and pan dulce for braceros at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Young men prepare sandwiches and pan dulce for braceros at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.03.33
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.03.33

Braceros Getting Processed

Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists during processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists during processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.13.27
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.13.27

Braceros at Processing Center

Photograph: A drainage ditch runs past waiting braceros at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A drainage ditch runs past waiting braceros at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.04.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.04.18

Braceros Waiting at Processing Center

Photograph: A crowd of braceros waits to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A crowd of braceros waits to be processed at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.06.05
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.06.05

Braceros Waiting at Processing Center

Photograph: Braceros wait in long lines grouped by state of origin at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico. Vendors, including women and children, sell refreshments in the sun.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in long lines grouped by state of origin at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico. Vendors, including women and children, sell refreshments in the sun.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.03.42
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.03.42

Braceros Getting Processed

Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists while others wait in line for processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists while others wait in line for processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.17.31
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.17.31

Braceros Presenting Documents

Photograph: Braceros present their documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros present their documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.04.41
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.04.41

Vaccinating Braceros

Photograph: A bracero is vaccinated while others wait in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero is vaccinated while others wait in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.16.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.16.16

Braceros Waiting at Processing Center

Photograph: Braceros sit waiting in the shadow of a building at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit waiting in the shadow of a building at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.16.28
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.16.28

Braceros on Train

Photograph: Braceros - in silhouette - sit in a train looking outside in crepuscular light near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Braceros - in silhouette - sit in a train looking outside in crepuscular light near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.11.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.11.10

Selling Food to Braceros

Photograph: At the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, a woman offers food for sale to braceros as they wait in line.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: At the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico, a woman offers food for sale to braceros as they wait in line.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.04.40
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.04.40

Checking Bracero's Hands

Photograph: An official examines a bracero's hands for calluses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official examines a bracero's hands for calluses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.17.21
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.17.21

Checking Bracero's Hands

Photograph: An official checks a bracero's hands for calluses while another official reviews a bracero's documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official checks a bracero's hands for calluses while another official reviews a bracero's documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.13.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.13.22

Braceros Walking in Line

Photograph: Braceros walk in line amidst a sandstorm at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Braceros walk in line amidst a sandstorm at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.10.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.10.01

Braceros Waiting in Line

Photograph: Braceros wait in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in line at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.07.27
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.07.27

Braceros Waiting at Processing Center

Photograph: Beyond railroad tracks, braceros wait in a large group for processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Beyond railroad tracks, braceros wait in a large group for processing at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.01.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.01.01

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.