You can learn a lot about censuses and surveys, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the people who work here through artifacts. Interesting census-related artifacts date to the nation's first census, when enterprising potters produced crockery celebrating the 1790 Census and its results. More than 225 years later, the Census Bureau and National Archives and Records Administration have accumulated a treasure trove of items, including enumerators' badges, cardboard desks, obsolete technology, and historic maps.

Learn more about some of these interesting artifacts and their importance to the censuses and surveys we conduct by visiting the #ArtifactFriday posts on the Census Bureau's social media pages. If you miss a post, visit the History Web site's Census Artifacts section for monthly updates.