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The Henry Moore Institute is closed for refurbishment until Summer 2024. Henry Moore Studios & Gardens is closed over winter and will reopen on Thursday 28 March 2024.

See & Do

What's in the Henry Moore Archive?

With an unparalleled collection of published and unpublished resources, the Henry Moore Archive documents the global impact of Moore’s work, his interests and legacies.

Much of our material is searchable through the online catalogue, and you can also book a visit to view items at your leisure in our spacious Reading Room at Perry Green.

Publications

Our collection of books, periodicals, exhibition and auction catalogues and newspaper cuttings documents Moore’s life in detail. We also house Moore’s personal library.

Books

8,500 books, including Henry Moore Catalogues Raisonnés, monographs on Moore’s life and works, and the original 5-volume Bibliography (1898 to 1991).

 

Exhibition Catalogues

10,200 solo and mixed exhibition catalogues from across the world.

 

Sale Catalogues

3,000 auction catalogues dating from 1940 to the present day.

 

Henry Moore’s Library

Moore’s personal collection of 3,370 publications, some of which are on display in Hoglands.

 

News Articles

58,000 articles dating from 1928 to the present day.

 

Periodicals

17,500 magazines and journals dating from 1924.

 

Posters

400 posters highlight the global reach of Moore’s exhibitions.

Letters & Documents

Our archive contains all sorts of fascinating insights into Moore’s life.

Correspondence

There are over 175,000 letters and documents in the archive.

Alongside personal correspondence with friends and family, Moore was in contact with influential figures across the world, as well as members of the public.

These archival papers document Moore’s management of the international production, distribution and display of his artwork via foundries, shipping agents, dealers, gallerists and collectors.

 

Miscellaneous Items

The archive contains an extensive and varied collection of artefacts, including:

  • exhibition ephemera
  • dissertations
  • conference papers
  • merchandise
  • clothing
  • architectural models

Image Archive

 

Early life

From his childhood in Castleford to coverage of international exhibitions, our image archive documents every stage of Moore’s career and life at Perry Green.

As early as the 1930s, Moore used photography to depict his work, often recording the progress of works from conception to completion and allowing him to experiment with scale.

 

Photographers’ collections

In addition to his own prints and transparencies, this collection holds material from many other photographers, both professional and amateur, including the archives of Errol Jackson, John Hedgecoe and Frank Farnham.

Image Licensing

Images from our archive collections are available for research, or to license for publication.

Please get in touch with us if you are interested in reproducing an image of Moore or his artwork for publication.

Find out more about image licensing

Film and Audio

With over 1,000 film and audio recordings, many of which were produced and aired in Moore’s lifetime, this often insightful collection from across the globe offers unparalleled first-hand accounts from the artist and many of his closest associates.

Our collection includes over fourteen hours of amateur silent Standard 8 Cinefilm shot by Moore’s foreman, Frank Farnham.  This unique footage captures the day-to-day running of the estate, the enlargement of sculptures, the team of assistants and visitors to Perry Green.

From 1967 to 1985 Henry Moore recorded a series of interviews with the photographer John Hedgecoe. Over 50 hours of conversation were captured, initially in preparation for the publication of Hedgecoe’s 1968 book Henry Spencer Moore.

We have selected a small number of clips for you to watch online. Far more footage is available to research in person at Perry Green. Please make an appointment if you’d like to view the collection.

Arrange a visit to the archive

If you are interested in viewing any of the material in the Henry Moore Archive, get in touch using the form below.

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Visit us

Henry Moore Studios & Gardens

Experience Henry Moore’s iconic work in the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside with a visit to the artist’s former home, studios and sculpture gardens.

Perry Green
Hertfordshire
SG10 6EE
United Kingdom

T:  01279 843 333
E:  ReceptionDTH@henry-moore.org