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: Two braceros look at a notice board in an office in Stockton, California, which says how many braceros are needed from which growers association.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Two braceros look at a notice board in an office in Stockton, California, which says how many braceros are needed from which growers association.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.24.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.24.01
Photograph: Toilet facilities stand at a bracero camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Toilet facilities stand at a bracero camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.24.27
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.24.27
Photograph: Jack Bias, Executive Manager of the Grower, Shipper, Vegetable Assn., and Ben Lopez, the field representative for the Growers Assn., talk in Bias' office in Salinas, California.
Description
Photograph: Jack Bias, Executive Manager of the Grower, Shipper, Vegetable Assn., and Ben Lopez, the field representative for the Growers Assn., talk in Bias' office in Salinas, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.39
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.39
Photograph: An agent from the Texas growers association selects braceros for distribution among his association members in Hidalgo, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: An agent from the Texas growers association selects braceros for distribution among his association members in Hidalgo, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.14.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.18
Photograph: A bracero performs stoop labor in a pepper field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero performs stoop labor in a pepper field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.33.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.33.11
Photograph: Rows of braceros' living quarters stand next to a road at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Rows of braceros' living quarters stand next to a road at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.36.29
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.36.29
Photograph: A bracero loads a Toro lettuce box onto a truck in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero loads a Toro lettuce box 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
2004.0138.40.19
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.19
Photograph: Braceros work in a field near Salinas in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros work in a field near Salinas in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.30.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.30.02
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
2004.0138.37.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.25
Photograph: Braceros stand in line outside a dining hall at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand in line outside a dining hall at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.47.21
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.47.21
Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists during processing at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros dictate information to clerk typists during processing at the Hidalgo Processing Center, Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.14.28
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.14.28
Photograph: A bracero empties cucumbers from a can into a bag held by another bracero at the edge of a field in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero empties cucumbers from a can into a bag held by another bracero at the edge of a field in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.45.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.45.25
Photograph: An official checks a bracero's hands for calluses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: An official checks a bracero's hands for calluses at the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.11.41
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.11.41
Photograph: Braceros wait to board buses in Stockton, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait to board buses in Stockton, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.39.13
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.39.13
Photograph: Braceros, walking from the Mexican town of Monterrey to the processing center three miles away, pass the grave of a fallen compatriot.
Description
Photograph: Braceros, walking from the Mexican town of Monterrey to the processing center three miles away, pass the grave of a fallen compatriot.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.10.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.10.34
Photograph: A bracero sits in bed and reads an English grammar book in a living quarter at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero sits in bed and reads an English grammar book in a living quarter at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.44.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.44.16
Photograph: Viewed from a plane flying overhead, a river flows past nearby fields in California.
Description
Photograph: Viewed from a plane flying overhead, a river flows past nearby fields in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.19.29
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.19.29
Photograph: Braceros check for mail at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros check for mail at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.27.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.27.23
Photograph: Braceros talk, smoke, listen to the radio, and eat strawberries in a living quarter at a camp in California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros talk, smoke, listen to the radio, and eat strawberries in a living quarter at a camp in California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.21.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.21.16
Photograph: A bracero sits on a bed and writes a letter in a living quarter at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero sits on a bed and writes a letter in a living quarter at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.21.32
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.21.32
Photograph: Braceros wait next to a notice board in an office in Stockton, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait next to a notice board in an office in Stockton, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.24.21
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.24.21
Photograph: A bracero lies on his bed and smokes a cigarette at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero lies on his bed and smokes a cigarette at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.32.24
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.32.24
Photograph: A bracero cuts another's hair next to railroad tracks near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero cuts another's hair next to railroad tracks near the Monterrey Processing Center, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.09.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.09.02
Photograph: Braceros are served dinner in a dining hall at a camp in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros are served dinner in a dining hall at a camp in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.28.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.28.23

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