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: Braceros pick strawberries in a field near Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick strawberries in a field near Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.26.01
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.26.01
Photograph: Braceros check for mail at the Gondo Labor Camp near Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros check for mail at the Gondo Labor Camp near Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.53.09
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.53.09
Photograph: Braceros check for mail at the Gondo Labor Camp near Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros check for mail at the Gondo Labor Camp near Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.53.12
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.53.12
Photograph: Braceros walk between their living quarters at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros walk between their living quarters at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.38.31
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.38.31
Photograph: Braceros wait in the shadow of a building in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros wait in the shadow of a building in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.31.38
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.31.38
Photograph: A paycheck from the J. J. Crosetti Company to bracero Antonio Garcia sits on the ground in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A paycheck from the J. J. Crosetti Company to bracero Antonio Garcia sits on the ground in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.36.43
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.36.43
Photograph: A bracero removes an envelope from a mail slot at the Gondo Labor Camp near Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero removes an envelope from a mail slot at the Gondo Labor Camp near Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.53.07
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.53.07
Photograph: Braceros look into the window of a shoe shop in the town of Watsonville, California, while others walk the streets.
Description
Photograph: Braceros look into the window of a shoe shop in the town of Watsonville, California, while others walk the streets.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.29.35
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.29.35
Photograph: Braceros walk the streets in Watsonville, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros walk the streets in Watsonville, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.29.31
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.29.31
Photograph: Braceros stand in line in front of a living quarter and check for mail at the Gondo Labor Camp near Watsonville, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand in line in front of a living quarter and check for mail at the Gondo Labor Camp near Watsonville, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.53.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.53.11
Photograph: Braceros stand and walk outside their living quarters at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand and walk outside their living quarters at the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.38.29
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.38.29
Photograph: A paycheck from the J. J. Crosetti Company to bracero Javier Guzman sits on the ground in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A paycheck from the J. J. Crosetti Company to bracero Javier Guzman sits on the ground in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.36.42
catalog number
2004.0138.36.42
accession number
2004.0138
Photograph: A bracero gets a haircut on the second-story porch of a building in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero gets a haircut on the second-story porch of a building in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.44.13
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.44.13
Photograph: Braceros sit in a truck bed and are driven along the road leading to the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros sit in a truck bed and are driven along the road leading to the Gondo Labor Camp in Watsonville, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.27.18
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.27.18
Photograph: Viewed from across a street, the Los Gatitos cafe stands beside a growers association office in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Viewed from across a street, the Los Gatitos cafe stands beside a growers association office in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.42.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.42.16
Photograph: Braceros examine their paychecks outside of a building in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros examine their paychecks outside of a building in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.44.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.44.11
Photograph: Braceros stand across the street from a movie theater in the town of Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand across the street from a movie theater in the town of Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.29.39
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.29.39
Photograph: Braceros stand in front of a surplus shop in the town of Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand in front of a surplus shop in the town of Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.29.28
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.29.28
Photograph: Braceros stand near the entrance to a cafe in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand near the entrance to a cafe in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.55.27
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.55.27
Photograph: Braceros stand in front of a cafe in Watsonville, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros stand in front of a cafe in Watsonville, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.55.33
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.55.33
Photograph: Braceros line up outside a movie theater in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros line up outside a movie theater in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.29.44
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.29.44
Photograph: A paycheck from the J. J. Crosetti Company to bracero Javier Guzman sits on the ground in Watsonville, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A paycheck from the J. J. Crosetti Company to bracero Javier Guzman sits on the ground in Watsonville, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.31.41
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.31.41
Photograph: Paychecks are distributed to braceros outside a building in Watsonville, California.
Description
Photograph: Paychecks are distributed to braceros outside a building in Watsonville, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.44.08
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.44.08
Photograph: Braceros line up outside a movie theater in Watsonville, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros line up outside a movie theater in Watsonville, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.29.43
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.29.43

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