The Tate has acquired the controversial Barry Joule collection of material related to Francis Bacon. This comprises 1,200 items, including photographs and documents, which were given to neighbour Mr Joule a few days before the artist’s death. Initially the Bacon Estate questioned its authenticity and even its ownership. Valued at around £20 million, it is probably the Tate Archive’s most important acquisition.
Tatearchive
Tate acquires Bacon archive
Barry Joule collection makes its way into public hands
1 February 2004