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: Officials review braceros' documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Officials review braceros' documents at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.17.29
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.17.29
Photograph: A bracero works in a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero works in a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.26.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.26.25
Photograph: A bracero stands in front of a living quarter at a camp in the Western United States.
Description
Photograph: A bracero stands in front of a living quarter at a camp in the Western United States.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.30.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.30.12
Photograph: A bracero lies in his bed in a living quarter at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero lies in his bed in a living quarter at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.21.21
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.21.21
Photograph: A bracero with a short-handled hoe at his side stoops down in a pepper field in California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero with a short-handled hoe at his side stoops down in a pepper field in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.49.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.49.23
Photograph: A bracero speaks to a nurse while a Dr. Stanley Savoy reviews a document at a clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero speaks to a nurse while a Dr. Stanley Savoy reviews a document at a clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.25.08
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.25.08
Photograph: Braceros have dinner in a dining hall at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have dinner in a dining hall at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.47.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.47.16
Photograph: Three braceros sit and play cards in a living quarter at a camp in California, while a fourth bracero looks on from the doorway.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Three braceros sit and play cards in a living quarter at a camp in California, while a fourth bracero looks on from the doorway.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.28.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.28.01
Photograph: Three braceros sit and play cards in a living quarter at a camp in California, while a fourth bracero looks on from the doorway.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Three braceros sit and play cards in a living quarter at a camp in California, while a fourth bracero looks on from the doorway.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.28.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.28.02
Photograph: Braceros sit and stand at the edge of a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit and stand at the edge of a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.45.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.45.02
Photograph: An official distributes paychecks to braceros near the Horseshoe Club in Stockton, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An official distributes paychecks to braceros near the Horseshoe Club in Stockton, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.24.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.24.06
Photograph: Braceros wait in a line near Hidalgo, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in a line near Hidalgo, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.05.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.05.04
Photograph: A vendor offers items for sale to braceros at a bus stop in Stockton, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A vendor offers items for sale to braceros at a bus stop in Stockton, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.39.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.39.10
Photograph: Shower facilities stand in a bracero camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Shower facilities stand in a bracero camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.24.29
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.24.29
Photograph: Braceros lie on their beds in a living quarter at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros lie on their beds in a living quarter at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.51.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.51.04
Photograph: A bracero stands in a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero stands in a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.56.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.56.06
Photograph: Eugenio de Azorena stands behind his desk and speaks to someone while smoking in his office, Mexico City, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Eugenio de Azorena stands behind his desk and speaks to someone while smoking in his office, Mexico City, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.15.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.15.23
Photograph: A bracero lies in bed in a living quarter at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero lies in bed in a living quarter at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.38.28
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.38.28
Photograph: Braceros load Farm Fresh lettuce boxes onto a truck in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros load Farm Fresh lettuce boxes onto a truck in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.43.03
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.43.03
Photograph: Braceros returning home wait in line to board a bus in Stockton, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros returning home wait in line to board a bus in Stockton, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.19.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.19.02
Photograph: Braceros stand at a street corner in Watsonville, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand at a street corner in Watsonville, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.55.32
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.55.32
Photograph: Braceros cross the Mexico-U.S. border while walking over the Reynosa-Hidalgo bridge.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros cross the Mexico-U.S. border while walking over the Reynosa-Hidalgo bridge.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.05.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.05.34
Photograph: Braceros board buses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Braceros board buses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.04.26
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.04.26
Photograph: Three wooden huts stand near a shed and railroad tracks at a bracero camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Three wooden huts stand near a shed and railroad tracks at a bracero camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.22.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.22.23

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