This collection spans the years 1980-2004, and is comprised of published books, correspondence between Pohrt and authors and publishers, manuscripts, and artwork. The published books have been removed from the collection and catalogued separately. It is divided into 4 main series; Correspondence, Manuscripts, Ephemera and Artwork. The collection was divided into these four series to facilitate the addition of materials to the collection. The repository also holds a box of facsimiles of items in the collection used in an exhibit at the Ann Arbor District Library Exhibit in Fall, 2003.
The Correspondence series is arranged into subseries according to the correspondent or organization (usually publishing houses) in alphabetical order. Under each correspondent the materials are further divided into folders by date span and arranged chronologically. Under the publishing houses, materials are divided under subheadings according to project (book title) and arranged chronologically.
The Manuscript series contains manuscript material by Jim Harrison, Barry Lopez, and Tom Pohrt, and is arranged alphabetically by creator and book title.
The Ephemera series consists of calendars with illustrations by Pohrt, exhibit catalogs, flyers and brochures announcing events and public appearances, and other printed ephemera.
The Artwork series contains unbound preliminary drawings, paintings and sketches created by Pohrt to illustrate some of his most well-known books. The pieces of art are of various sizes and in a variety of media (e.g., pencil, watercolor, pen and ink). Many are stored in linen-covered cardboard portfolios, while others are tipped into handmade booklets and scrapbooks.
Tom Pohrt was born in Flint, Michigan in 1953. He graduated from Flint Northern High School and attended courses at the Flint campus of the University of Michigan. Without any formal training or education in art, Pohrt developed his creative skills in line drawing and watercolors.
During and after college, he worked in automobile factories. At this time he also began a small publishing venture, Bear Claw Press, with his brother, Karl Pohrt, and a friend. The first author they published was Howard Norman in 1978. The press was eventually awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1977.
His first illustration endeavors took place in 1978 when he illustrated Who Met the Ice Lynx by Howard Norman and The Man Who Kept Cigars in His Cap by Jim Henen. The first was published by Bear Claw press and the second by Grey Wolf Press. At this point in his life, these projects were just for fun and Pohrt was not even considering being an illustrator full time.
In the early eighties, Pohrt and Barry Lopez, an author known for his books on natural history and the environment intended for adult audiences, teamed up on a project that would put Pohrt on the map as an illustrator and allowed him to consider being a full-time illustrator. After 10 years of planning, Crow and Weasel was published by North Point Press in 1990. It received much critical recognition and was turned into a play for the 1994-1995 season of the Sundance festival in Utah.
Following the success of Crow and Weasel , Pohrt has worked steadily on several projects throughout the years including venturing out to author and illustrate his own children’s book. In the following decade he illustrated Miko, Little Hunter Of The North by Bruce Donehower (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1990), A Child's Anthology of Poetry by Elizabeth Hauge Sword and Victoria McCarthy (Ecco Press, 1995), Lessons from the wolverine by Barry Hostun Lopez (Key Porter Books, 1997), An Old Shell :Poems of the Galápagos by Tony Johnston (Farrar, Straus & Giroux , 1999), and Trickster and the Fainting Birds by Howard Norman (Harcourt Brace, 1999). He illustrated and wrote Coyote Goes Walking (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1995) and Having a Wonderful Time (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1999).
In recent years he illustrated The Tomb of the Boy King by John Frank (Francis Foster Books / Farrar, Straus & Giroux , 2001), The Boy Who Ran to the Woods by Jim Harrison (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2001), 2003 -- illustrated The Wishing Bone and Other Poems by Stephen Mitchell (Candlewick Press, 2003), and The Little Gentleman by Philippa Pearce (Greenwillow Books, 2004)
Over the years he has worked with various publishers such as North Point Press (eventually absorbed into Farrar, Straus & Giroux); Farrar, Straus & Giroux; Ecco Press; Harcourt Brace; Atlantic Monthly Press; Candlewick Press; and Greenwillow Books. Some of the authors and poets he has worked with are Barry Lopez, Howard Norman, Jim Henen, Tony Johnston, Jim Harrison, John Frank, Stephen Mitchell, and Philippa Pearce.
Tom Pohrt and his family make their home in Ann Arbor, Michigan.