Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner papers, circa 1905-1984

Biographical material includes eleven folders of biographical statements and various notes by Pollock, as well as identification items such as his birth certificate and passport. Also found is a audio recording and transcript of a 1949 interview of Pollock by his neighbor William Wright.

Correspondence prior to 1956 is Jackson Pollock's, and correspondence after 1956 is Lee Krasner's concerning Pollock's artwork and estate. Correspondence is with galleries and museums that exhibited Pollock's work, including several folders concerning exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art. There is fan fan mail, student inquiries, requests for reproductions, and correspondence concerning restoration work. Correspondents of note include Thomas Hart Benton, Tony Smith, Reginald Isaacs, Clyfford Still, and Alfonso Ossorio, gallery owners Betty Parsons, Sidney Janis, and Martha Jackson, and biographers B.H. Friedman, Francis O'Connor, and Bryan Robertson. Also found are condolence letters and flower cards to Lee Krasner after Pollock's death. There is also a 1936 letter to Pollock from David Alfaro Siqueiros and postcards from Helen Frankenthaler and Clement Greenberg.

Found here are essays, articles, lectures, and biographies about Jackson Pollock. There is an original draft of the Bryan Robertson biography of Jackson Pollock, an essay by Clement Greenberg, and an essay written by Lee Krasner after Pollock's death which discusses his career, personal life, and their relationship.

James Valliere was a graduate student at the University of New Hampshire who was employed in 1963 by Lee Krasner to begin researching Pollock's early career and compile a general catalog of his work. Valliere never published the results of his research and the materials were kept by Lee Krasner. Found here is correspondence between Valliere and Lee Krasner, as well as Valliere's research correspondence with other family members, and Pollock's friends and colleagues. There is correspondence with Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pollock, Sanford McCoy (Pollock's brother), Jay Pollock, Thomas Hart Benton, Robert Motherwell, and the Art Students League of New York. Also found are transcripts and audio recordings of interviews conducted by Valliere with those who knew Pollock well, including James Brooks, Reuben Kadish, Tony Smith, Clement Greenberg, and Pollock's sister-in-law Mrs. Sanford (Arloie) McCoy wherein she reads several letters Jackson wrote to his father from New York. Also included in this series are some of Valliere's research notes and photographs of James Brooks, and Pollock's friend Daniel Miller taken during their interviews. Untranscribed audio recordings of interviews are filed in series 1.10: Audio and Video Recordings and Film.

Business records document Lee Krasner's handling of Pollock's estate and exhibition of his artwork after his death. Found here are miscellaneous business records, including price lists, lists of items loaned for exhibitions, warehouse and shipping receipts, conservation receipts, and other handwritten notes. There are lists of owners of paintings and exhibitions, a guest book from the Venice "Biennale, and a complete appraisal of 37 Jackson Pollock drawings. There is also a folder of account statements and inventory lists from the Marlborough Gallery. Legal Documents include a deposition by Francis O'Connor regarding his interviews with Pollock's therapist, Dr. Joseph Henderson.

Printed materials include books and book proofs, such as a small book in Italian critiquing Pollock's work and proofs for two biographies by Frank O'Hara and Bryan Robertson, magazines with feature articles on Pollock, and numerous newspaper and magazine clippings spanning forty years. Also found are exhibition catalogs, posters, press releases, announcements, and invitations for both Pollock's solo and group exhibitions.

Two scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings, magazine clippings, and exhibition announcements. One was created by Pollock and Krasner, and the other was created by Krasner in the years following Pollock's death.

Found here is one sketchbook containing primarily ink drawings and diagrams by an unidentified artist.

Found here are extensive photographs of Pollock. There are many photographs of Pollock as a child and teenager and with his family, of Pollock with Lee Krasner in the studio, outdoors, at their home on Long Island, and with family and friends, including photographs from a 1950 Pollock family reunion held at their home. Also found are exhibition photographs, including his 1951 solo exhibition at Betty Parsons Gallery, as well as photos of Pollock's studio, and a few other miscellaneous images. Several of the photographs of Pollock in his studio were taken by Herbert Matter, Hans Namuth, and Rudy Burckhardt. Photographs taken by Herbert Matter were previously incorrectly attributed to Wilfrid Zogbaum. Significant figures photographed with Pollock include Clement Greenberg, Helen Frankenthaler, James Brooks, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. There are also numerous photographs and slides of Pollock's works of art that have not been scanned. Photographs are arranged according to subject and chronologically within each folder.

This subseries contains a 16 mm film about Pollock, entitled, "Jackson Pollock: A Reconsideration," including a reel of outtakes, produced in 1964 by Channel 13 WNDT, the Educational Broadcasting Corporation. There are also VHS copies of the film. Also found are untranscribed audio recordings of interviews conducted by James Valliere while he was researching Pollock's early career and artwork for a never-published book on Pollock. Interviews are with artists Willem De Kooning and Alfonso Ossorio, and Pollock's friends Burton Rouche. Researchers should also see Series 1.4: James Valliere Research Material on Jackson Pollock for additional recordings of interviews with transcripts.