David Pollack Collection of Cereal Boxes
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
David Pollack is a New York-based architect and designer. This collection consists of approximately 300 breakfast cereal boxes and other items of food packaging collected by Pollack from the 1970s through the 2000s. The bulk of the collection consists of cereal boxes, many of which feature athletes, popular culture figures, entertainment cross-promotions for newly released films, or fictional spokescharacters for specific cereals, such as Kellogg's Corn Flakes' "Sweetheart of the Corn" and Rice Krispies' Snap, Crackle, and Pop. Olympians are prominently featured throughout the collection, documenting the breakfast cereal industry's long-standing association with athletics, especially Kellogg Corn Flakes and Wheaties' "Breakfast of Champions" promotion. In addition to the specific items present in the collection, the materials also document the intersection of food advertising, design, and marketing with athletics and popular culture in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Biographical Note
David Pollack is a New York-based architect and designer. He studied psychology at New York University, and earned his BS in Environmental Design from Cornell University.
Arrangement
Items are arranged chronologically by expiration date.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of approximately 300 breakfast cereal boxes and other items of food packaging collected by David Pollack from the 1970s through the 2000s. The bulk of the collection consists of cereal boxes, many of which feature athletes, popular culture figures, entertainment cross-promotions for newly released films, or fictional spokescharacters for specific cereals, such as Kellogg's Corn Flakes' "Sweetheart of the Corn" and Rice Krispies' Snap, Crackle, and Pop. Olympians are prominently featured throughout the collection, documenting the breakfast cereal industry's long-standing association with athletics, especially Corn Flakes and Wheaties' "Breakfast of Champions" promotion. In addition to the specific items present in the collection, the materials also document the intersection of food advertising, design, and marketing with athletics and popular culture in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Subjects
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; David Pollack Collection of Cereal Boxes; MSS 512; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by David Pollack in October 2017; the accession number associated with this gift is 2017.181.
Appraisal
The following items were appraised out of the collection at the point of acquisition by the curator: one can of Diet Pepsi, one sleeve of Dixie Cups (box retained in collection), an E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial figurine, and an internet starter optical disk.
About this Guide
Processing Information
At the time of accessioning, cereal boxes were flattened, sorted according to size, arranged chronologically by the expiration date on the box, and described on the collection-level with a box inventory.