Work

Gilbreth Stopwatch

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.

Place: Salinas Valley

Braceros Picking Lettuce

Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in Toro lettuce boxes, which sit on trolleys in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick heads of lettuce and place them in Toro lettuce boxes, which sit on trolleys in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.34.03
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.03

Bracero at Doctor's Office

Photograph: A bracero lies on a stretcher while Dr. Stanley Savoy examines another bracero in an adjascent room at his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero lies on a stretcher while Dr. Stanley Savoy examines another bracero in an adjascent room at his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.25.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.25.11

Braceros in Strawberry Field

Photograph: Braceros stack wooden boxes full of strawberries at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros stack wooden boxes full of strawberries at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.52.02
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.02

Bracero Talking to Nurse

Photograph: A bracero speaks to a nurse while a Dr. Stanley Savoy listens to them in his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero speaks to a nurse while a Dr. Stanley Savoy listens to them in his clinical practice in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.25.13
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.25.13

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Braceros perform stoop labor in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros perform stoop labor in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.37.39
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.39

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Braceros fill boxes with lettuce and load them onto a truck in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros fill boxes with lettuce and load them onto a truck in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.16

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: A man standing on a truck assembles Cookie lettuce boxes, which braceros then fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A man standing on a truck assembles Cookie lettuce boxes, which braceros then fill with lettuce in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.36
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.36

Braceros in Strawberry Field

Photograph: A bracero stands beside stacked boxes of strawberries at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero stands beside stacked boxes of strawberries at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.52.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.11

Braceros Picking Onions

Photograph: Braceros pick onions and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley in California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick onions and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley in California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.31.19
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.31.19

Bracero Loading Lettuce

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
2004.0138.40.11
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.40.11

Braceros Walking Between Fields

Photograph: Braceros walk between two fields in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros walk between two fields in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.43.23
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.43.23

Braceros in Strawberry Field

Photograph: A bracero stands beside stacked boxes of strawberries at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: A bracero stands beside stacked boxes of strawberries at the edge of a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.52.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.10

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Braceros load lettuce while men assemble lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Braceros load lettuce while men assemble lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.43.10
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.43.10

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Viewed from atop a truck loaded with Toro lettuce boxes, braceros work in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Description
Photograph: Viewed from atop a truck loaded with Toro lettuce boxes, braceros work in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.40.14
catalog number
2004.0138.40.14
accession number
2004.0138

Braceros Picking Onions

Photograph: Braceros pick onions and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick onions 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
2004.0138.35.21
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.35.21

Braceros Loading Lettuce

Photograph: Braceros load Cookie lettuce boxes onto a truck while others work nearby in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros load Cookie lettuce boxes onto a truck while others work nearby in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.28
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.28

Bracero in Pepper Field

Photograph: A bracero stands in a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: A bracero stands in a pepper field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.26.26
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.26.26

Braceros at Meal Time

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
2004.0138.26.14
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.26.14

Braceros in Lettuce Field

Photograph: Braceros perform fieldwork beyond rows of of Toro lettuce boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros perform fieldwork beyond rows of 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
2004.0138.34.20
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.34.20

Braceros at Meal Time

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
2004.0138.37.30
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.37.30

Braceros Picking Lettuce

Photograph: Braceros pick lettuce while an official stands nearby in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick lettuce while an official stands nearby in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.20.15
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.20.15

Braceros Working with Short-Handled Hoes

Photograph: Braceros perform stoop labor with short-handled hoes in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros perform stoop labor with short-handled hoes in a lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, California.
Location
Currently not on view
date photographed
1956
photographer
Nadel, Leonard
ID Number
2004.0138.52.16
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.16

Braceros Picking Strawberries

Photograph: Braceros pick strawberries and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick strawberries 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
2004.0138.52.04
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.04

Braceros Picking Strawberries

Photograph: Braceros pick strawberries and place them in boxes in a field in the Salinas Valley, California.Currently not on view
Description
Photograph: Braceros pick strawberries 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
2004.0138.52.08
accession number
2004.0138
catalog number
2004.0138.52.08

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.