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Knoll (Polly) Papers
0058
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Table of contents
Title: Polly Knoll Papers
Creator:
Knoll, Polly
Identifier/Call Number: 0058
Contributing Institution:
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Special Collections and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
106.5 Linear Feet
(251 boxes)
Date (inclusive): circa 1960-2017
Abstract: Polly Knoll was an Arabian Horse photographer who was active from the 1960s until the early 2000s. The collection includes
photographic negatives and prints, as well as notes from her photo shoots and drafts of her writings.
Advance notice required for access.
Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository
and the copyright holder.
[Box/folder# or item name], Polly Knoll Papers, Collection no. 0058, W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library, Special Collections
and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona by Polly Knoll's daughter Jan Burgan in 2020.
Polly Knoll was born on May 31, 1932, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to parents Evan W. and Grace Muriel Ost. Her passion for photography
was inherited from her father, a photographer and cinematographer.
Along with her interest in photography, Knoll developed a deep love for horses. She studied various aspects of riding, including
dressage and jumping, and gained expertise in driving harness horses. Later, she and her husband, Merle, owned Brooknoll,
a farm in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, which featured a private half-mile racing track. Following their divorce in the late 1960s,
the farm was divided.
Knoll's photography career began in the 1960s, shortly after the birth of her daughter, Jan. While previously employed as
a secretary, she had also pursued photography studies for several years, attending night classes. Her professional career
began with work for prominent farms in Wisconsin, capturing images of horses at Arabian horse competitions in the Midwest.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, she shifted her focus to photographing horses on farms.
In 1972, Knoll took one of her most famous photographs: a portrait of the stallion *Morafic, owned by Gleannloch Farms. Notably,
Knoll chose to photograph the stallion without a halter, framed against the dark background of a barn door. This photograph
catapulted Knoll to recognition in the field. She occasionally added hand-illustrations to her black and white photographs
using oil paint and a toothpick with cotton at the end.
In 1984, Knoll captured another career-defining image, this time featuring the stallion Ruminaja Ali. This photograph would
later be used for the cover of her 2010 book,
Treasures of a Lifetime. The book showcases a portfolio of her career's photographs and provides background stories for some of the photo shoots.
Polly Knoll's work was also featured in prestigious Arabian Horse publications, including
Arabian Horse World.
In addition to visiting farms, Knoll covered three major annual events: The Egyptian Event, the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show,
and the United States Nationals. Knoll also ventured abroad to photograph Arabian horses, embarking on trips to Egypt, Afghanistan,
and Pakistan in 1978, returning to Egypt in 1980 and 1984, and visiting Austria in the mid-1990s.
Knoll's photography career brought her into contact with not only horses and owners but also the occasional celebrity. In
1991, Knoll photographed actor and Arabian horse owner Patrick Swayze, capturing him with his horse Tammen, standing with
his back to the camera. This image was used in a poster, with proceeds benefiting the International Arabian Horse Association's
youth and judges' education programs.
Furthermore, Knoll was an active member of several organizations, including the Pyramid Society, the Wisconsin Arabian Horse
Association, and the Arabian Horse Association. In 2013, the Pyramid Society honored her with one of its highest accolades,
the Trustees Award, recognizing her lengthy career and unwavering dedication to the Pyramid Society and the Egyptian Arabian
horse breed.
Polly Knoll passed away on November 24, 2019, at the age of 87.
The collection contains photographic prints and negatives of Polly Knoll's work, accompanied by captions providing details
about the photographs. Additionally, it includes notebooks associated with Knoll's photography sessions, drafts of her writings,
as well as programs and materials from horse shows. The photographs within the collection document horses in various settings,
both on farms and at events. These events include prominent gatherings such as the Egyptian Event, the Scottsdale Arabian
Horse Show, and the United States Nationals. Furthermore, the collection encompasses photographic prints and negatives featuring
not only Polly Knoll but also her family, horse breeders, and owners. Additionally, there are images of celebrities who owned
horses and frequented horse shows, as well as images capturing international locales, including Egypt and Austria.
The collection is organized into the following series: Series 1. Photographic Prints and Negatives and Series 2. Textual Materials.
Ferris, Joe. "An Interview with Polly Knoll."
Desert Heritage Magazine, accessed November 15, 2022, https://www.desertheritagemagazine.com/NEW/articles/breeder/16_polly%20knoll.pdf.
Jensen, Karla. "Feature Artist: Polly Knoll."
LocaLeben Magazine, May 22, 2015, https://www.localeben.com/2015/05/22/feature-artist-polly-knoll/.
Kocinski, Maily. "Remembering Polly Knoll."
Arabian Horse World, February 12, 2020, https://arabianhorseworld.com/remembering-polly-knoll/.
"Polly Knoll Obituary,"
Legacy.com, November 24, 2019, https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/polly-knoll-obituary?pid=194557039
W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center Records, Collection no. 0062, W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library, Special Collections and
Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library Postcard and Notecard Collection, Collection no. 0015, W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library,
Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
The following items have been removed from the collection and added to the University Library's circulating collection and
the Special Collections and Archives Rare Books Collection.
Gleannloch Farms.
Gleannloch Farms: The Legacy. Barksdale: Texas, 1981.
Knoll, Polly.
Treasures of a Lifetime. Beaver Dam, Wisconsin: Kazraffa Publishing, 2010.
The Pyramid Society.
Program: The Egyptian Event. Lexington, Kentucky: The Pyramid Society, 1987.
The collection was processed by Rob Strauss, with the assistance of Special Collections and Archives student assistants: Iman
Mirza, Marissa Matthews, Leila Al-Shibibi, Radhika Epps, Luis Frausto, and Elsie Voong between 2021 and 2024.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Arabian horse