Work

The tools, rules, and relationships of the workplace illustrate some of the enduring collaborations and conflicts in the everyday life of the nation. The Museum has more than 5,000 traditional American tools, chests, and simple machines for working wood, stone, metal, and leather. Materials on welding, riveting, and iron and steel construction tell a more industrial version of the story. Computers, industrial robots, and other artifacts represent work in the Information Age.

But work is more than just tools. The collections include a factory gate, the motion-study photographs of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, and more than 3,000 work incentive posters. The rise of the factory system is measured, in part, by time clocks in the collections. More than 9,000 items bring in the story of labor unions, strikes, and demonstrations over trade and economic issues.

Photograph: A bracero family sits in their home in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero family sits in their home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.01
Photograph: A boy and a man with a donkey walk past a water pipe in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A boy and a man with a donkey walk past a water pipe in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.18
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: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico, as a man tends to his donkey.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico, as a man tends to his donkey.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.17
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.17
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.16
Photograph: Women talk and work while toddlers stand nearby in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Women talk and work while toddlers stand nearby in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.10
Photograph: One woman kneels as another stands in the doorway to a house in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: One woman kneels as another stands in the doorway to a house in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.07
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.07
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.15
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.15
Photograph: A bracero's family sit and stand in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico, as pigs eat.
Description
Photograph: A bracero's family sit and stand in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico, as pigs eat.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.06
Photograph: A bracero's family sit and stand in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero's family sit and stand in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.04
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
2004.0138.08.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.12
Photograph: A woman works at home surrounded by a radio, icons, furniture, and a painting of the Virgen de Guadalupe [Virgin Mary] in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A woman works at home surrounded by a radio, icons, furniture, and a painting of the Virgen de Guadalupe [Virgin Mary] in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.08
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.08
Photograph: A woman works at a table as children stand nearby in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: A woman works at a table as children stand nearby in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.02
Photograph: A woman works at home surrounded by a radio, icons, furniture, and a painting of the Virgen de Guadalupe [Virgin Mary] in San Mateo, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: A woman works at home surrounded by a radio, icons, furniture, and a painting of the Virgen de Guadalupe [Virgin Mary] in San Mateo, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.09
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.09
Photograph: A bracero's family stands in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero's family stands in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.13.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.13.01
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.
Description
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.14
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.14
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Two men ride a horse and a donkey down a street in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.13
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.13
Photograph: A woman stands in front of children in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A woman stands in front of children in a bracero family home in San Mateo, Mexico.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.03
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.03
Photograph: A bracero's family sit and stand in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico, as pigs eat.
Description
Photograph: A bracero's family sit and stand in the courtyard of their home in San Mateo, Mexico, as pigs eat.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.08.05
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.08.05

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