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 places heads of lettuce in a Toro lettuce box in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero places heads of lettuce in a Toro lettuce box in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.15
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.15
Photograph: A vendor offers a liquid to the braceros who stand around him at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: A vendor offers a liquid to the braceros who stand around him at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.24.34
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.24.34
Photograph: Standing on a truck, a bracero leans against a stack of Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Standing on a truck, a bracero leans against a stack of Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.25
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.25
Photograph: Standing on a truck, a bracero leans against a stack of Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Standing on a truck, a bracero leans against a stack of Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.22
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.22
Photograph: Braceros walk on a road between a pepper field and a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros walk on a road between a pepper field and a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.35
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.35
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 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 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 have lunch at the edge of a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.26.15
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.26.15
Photograph: A bracero packs onions into a box in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero packs onions into a box in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.31.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.31.23
Photograph: A bracero with a short-handled hoe tucked into his belt pulls a pepper plant in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero with a short-handled hoe tucked into his belt pulls a pepper plant in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.26.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.26.23
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.23
Photograph: Beyond a stack of strawberry boxes, braceros work in a strawberry field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Beyond a stack of strawberry boxes, braceros work in a strawberry field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.52.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.12
Photograph: Braceros fill boxes with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros fill boxes with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.43.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.43.18
Photograph: Braceros' living quarters stand in a row at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros' living quarters stand in a row at a camp in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.36.30
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.36.30
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros have lunch at the edge of a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.26.21
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.26.21
Photograph: Dr. Stanley Savoy examines a bracero's teeth at his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Dr. Stanley Savoy examines a bracero's teeth at his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.25.06
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.25.06
Photograph: A bracero removes bad leaves from a head of lettuce while standing in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero removes bad leaves from a head of lettuce while standing in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.36
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.36
Photograph: Braceros load boxes of Farm Fresh lettuce onto a truck in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros load boxes of Farm Fresh lettuce onto a truck in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.12
Photograph: Braceros pick lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.56.31
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.56.31
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 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 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

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