Pollock, Jackson, b. 1912 d. 1956
PainterNew York, N.Y., East Hampton, N.Y. (Show Bio)
Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner papers, circa 1905-1984
15.6 linear ft. (partially microfilmed on 14 reels)
Reel(s): 3046-3049
Papers of Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner document both the artists' careers and Krasner's involvement related to Pollock's exhibits, publications and sales after his death. Included are photographs, biographical material, correspondence, writings by others, research material collated by James Valliere, printed material, scrapbooks, artwork by others, and audio and video recordings of interviews of Pollock and Lee Krasner.
REELS 3046-3049: Biographical material; letters, 1929-1956, from Thomas Hart Benton, Alfonso Ossorio, Tony Smith, Clyfford Still, and others; correspondence, 1956-1975, between Pollock's widow, painter Lee Krasner, and galleries, museums, publishers and others; notes and doodles; typescripts of books and articles about Pollock; transcripts of interviews about Pollock conducted by James Valliere, 1963-1968, with James Brooks, Clement Greenberg, Reuben Kadish, among others; scrapbooks of printed material; clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, 1943-1973; ca. 300 photographs, 1914-1969, of Pollock, his family, friends, studio, artwork and exhibition installations; a guest book, 1950; and a list of works restored and owners of paintings.
REELS 3771-3780 (Krasner's papers): Biographical material including awards, address books, and mementos from a trip to England; correspondence, undated and 1941-1984; interviews; miscellaneous writings about Lee Krasner; notes and lectures written by Krasner; business records including sales and accounts from the Robert Miller Galleries, 1981-1982, and material from the "Lee Krasner Retrospective", 1983; financial records, 1967-1977; inventories from the Marlborough Gallery, the Pace Gallery, and the Robert Miller Gallery; price lists; mailing lists; guest list, 1982, for the Robert Miller Gallery; a scrapbook, 1965, from the Whitechapel Gallery exhibition; exhibition catalogs, 1942-1984 and announcements; press releases; clippings and magazine articles; miscellaneous printed material (oversize posters have not been microfilmed); photographs, undated and 1929-1984, of Lee Krasner and of works of art; and negatives and transparencies. Material (ca. 2.0 linear ft.) relating to Jackson Pollock, undated and 1905-1984, consists of correspondence, mainly letters to Krasner concerning Pollock; business records; printed material, 1905-1983; and photographs, undated and 1979.
UNMICROFILMED: Audio and Video recordings include two phonograph records of an interview of Lee Krasner conducted by John Gruen, 1964, for the Caspar Citron Show (duplicated on 1 cassette); reel-to-reel tapes of James Valliere's untranscribed interviews about Pollock with Alfonso Ossorio, Burton Rouche, William Wright, and Willem de Kooning and reel-to reel, transcribed interviews with Daniel T. Miller, Mrs. Sanford McCoy, Clement Greenberg, and James Brooks; an untranscribed interview of Lee Krasner on the Martha Dean radio show. Motion picture film includes a 16mm film (transferred to video, 30 min., b&w), "Jackson Pollock: A Reconsideration," with Bryan Robertson of the Whitechapel Art Gallery, London. Robertson interviews Lee Krasner and James Valliere, and shows and discusses about 25 Pollock paintings and drawings in chronological order. The film was directed by Bud Myers and produced by Colin Clark for Channel 13/WNDT, Educational Broadcasting, N.Y. Other footage consists of brief outtakes of Krasner and Pollock outside their Long Island home. From the Krasner papers, unfilmed material includes eleven audio tapes, 1971-1980, of interviews with Lee Krasner; 2 video tapes, 1982 and 1983, entitled "Pollock a Beaubourg";
Donated 1983 by Lee Krasner, Pollock's widow and in 1985 by Eugene V. Thaw, executor of Lee Krasner's estate. The two collections were merged as one in 2007.
How to Use this Collection
- COLLECTION IS BEING PROCESSED AND DIGITIZED, AND IS CLOSED TO RESEARCHERS.
- Pollock's papers: microfilm reels 3046-3049 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Krasner's papers: microfilm reels 3771-3780 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. - Please read the Finding Aid for more detailed information on this collection.
- Selected images of documents in this collection are online.
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