Exquisite Surprise: The Papers of Joseph Cornell

Exhibited at the Archives' Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery and as well as its New York Research Center.
March 15 - June 15, 2007

In his personal papers, as in his art, Joseph Cornell embraced life's evanescence. Known mainly for his shadow box constructions, Cornell documented his passion for "exquisite surprises"—the poignant connections between memory and sensory experience. He recorded his impressions of music, art, ballet, his art, and the intertwined sensations of seeing, feeling, and remembering in his diaries and on scraps of paper—the backs of envelopes, magazine clippings, and wrapping papers.

Deeply romantic, with wide–ranging cultural interests, Cornell kept "dossiers" on people with whom he felt a special relationship—real or imagined—including actresses, singers, artists, ballerinas, and writers. He also collected source material for his exploration of such subjects as astronomy, books, birds, butterflies, clouds, poetry, stamps and sunsets.

This exhibition reveals Cornell's sense of wonder through his private communications, personal musings, and collected ephemera.

Images from this Exhibition

[Jackie Monnier letter to unidentified recipient], 1967 Dec. 6.	['a yellowthroat in the shrubbery in the afternoon'], 1967 May 11.	[Hans Namuth postcard to Joseph Cornell], 1967 May 9.
[Julien Levy letter to Joseph Cornell], 1967 Feb. 2.	[Ray Johnson letter to Joseph Cornell], 1966 Nov. 25.	Robert Cornell Memorial Exhibition, 1966 Jan. 4-29.
[Thomas M. Messer letter to Joseph Cornell], ca. 1966.	[Dorothea Tanning postcard to Joseph Cornell], 1965 Sep. 21.	[Arthur Stone letter to unidentified recipient], 1965 July 27.
Marcel Duchamp at an opening at Cordier and Ekstrom Gallery, New York, 1965 Jan. 14.	[Robert Cornell with a portion of his train collection], ca. 1965.	[Manhattan at night], between 1960 and 1970.
['do not lose sight of the fact that these jumble of scribblings on the spot & recollected are diametrically opp. to a natural unfoldment of the day'], 1958 Mar. 3.	['very clear, blustery, many clouds, cold but just skirting late autumn mildness enjoyed for such a spell'], 1954 Nov. 30.	['Dear Folks, Another coolish morning getting in a back-yard seance in the freshness of the early hours'], 1953 Aug. 7.
['Dear Folks, A horsefly gleamed on a yellow dahlia when I stepped out this morning;'], 1953 Aug. 3.	[Rudy Burckhardt letter to Joseph Cornell], 1953 May 6.	['In the summer let-down N Y has seemed practically like a ghost town this week and a couple of uninspired days in town have been redeemed by 'traveling' via post-cards.'], 1951 Aug. 31.
[Peiro Dorazio postcard to Joseph Cornell], ca. 1950.	[Peiro Dorazio postcard to Joseph Cornell], ca. 1950.	[Envelope containing leaves, flowers, and a feather collected by Joseph Cornell], 1949 Aug. 4.
[Sonja Sekula postcard to Joseph Cornell], ca. 1948 Jul 20.	[Joseph Cornell postcard to Elizabeth Cornell Benton], 1948 Jul 6.	[Robert Cornell letter to Elizabeth Cornell Benton], 1948 May 21.
[Robert Motherwell letter to Joseph Cornell], 1948 Mar. 4.	[Maria Motherwell letter to Joseph Cornell], 1945 Nov. 26.	[Robert Motherwell teaching], ca. 1947.
[Dorothea Tanning postcard to Joseph Cornell], 1943 Aug. 4.	elab. of point that gets lost, between 1940 and 1970.	box for Matta, between 1940 and 1970.
[Roberto Matta Echaurren letter to Joseph Cornell], between 1940 and 1970.	[Roberto Matta Echaurren letter to Joseph Cornell], between 1940 and 1970.	[The Cornell family], ca. 1915.
[Three bird cutouts], 19--.	[Common Squirrel, House Mouse, Rat], 1900.	[House where Joseph Cornell was born], between 1890 and 1950.