Lawrence Pool Parlor Pocket Pad*The Met Store Online

Gift a small notepad to the artist in your life.

Featuring on the cover of this small, softcover pocket pad is a detail from Pool Parlor (1942), the first artwork by Jacob Lawrence (American, 1917–2000) to enter The Met collection. It was purchased as a prizewinner in the Museum’s 1942 “Artists for Victory” competition, an exhibition celebrating contemporary American art during World War II. Lawrence is renowned for his depictions of Black life and history, and this painting illustrates a scene along Harlem’s Lenox Avenue, which was known at the time for its pool parlors.