Joseph Cornell papers, 1804-1986, bulk 1939-1972

Subseries consists of correspondence between Cornell and friends, artists, dealers, collectors, galleries, museums, admirers, individuals whom he admired or with whom he was especially preoccupied, "helpers," and charitable institutions. Included are letters (in some instances, with photographs or poems enclosed), postcards, and greeting cards, as well as some art work, three-dimensional objects, and artifacts. Also included are some notes and printed material, such as newspaper and magazine clippings, pamphlets, brochures, publications, and publicity material, pertaining to individuals, institutions, and/or topics in which Cornell had a particular interest.

Correspondence documents some of Cornell's activities involved in creating his art work, such as his practice of using multiple copies of a single image in many of his works (as in a letter from John Allen referring to Cornell's order for multiple prints of a Loie Fuller image); his early attempts to advertise his art work (as in letters from the Blaker Advertising Agency, Columbia Records, Inc., and N. W. Ayer and Son); and his later, oftentimes hesitant, transactions with galleries and dealers, including Irving Blum, Charles Egan, Richard Feigen, Julien Levy, Robert Schoelkopf, and Eleanor Ward ( See also Series 1). Correspondence relates to the sale of his art work to galleries and individual collectors, and the exhibition of his art work in museums, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum ( See Diane Waldman and Tom Messer), Pasadena Art Museum, and Whitney Museum ( See also John Baur).

The positive reception of Cornell's art work is documented in many letters from admirers (including poet, Paul Carroll, who wrote two poems about Cornell's art work, the Fourth Grade Class at Murray Avenue School, actress, Eva Marie Saint, and author, Glenway Wescott, among others). The critical reception of Cornell's art work is documented in the many letters from people who have written or express interest in writing an article about Cornell (including Howard Griffin from Art News, David Bourdon from Life magazine, and Brian O'Doherty, author of American Masters: The Voice and the Myth, among others).

Correspondence also concerns some of Cornell's major "explorations," including ones on the singers, Maria Malibran and Giuditta Pasta (as in letters from the English scholar, Richard Coe), and the ballerina, Fanny Cerrito (as in letters from Lillian Moore). Correspondence relates to his other research and collecting activities and includes numerous letters responding to his requests for information and/or material from institutions, such as the Harvard College Library, dealers, such as C. and I. K. Fletcher, and individuals, such as Marian Hannah Winter.

Correspondence documents Cornell's preoccupations with certain dancers (such as Allegra Kent, Tanaquil LeClerq, and Tamara Toumanova), actresses (such as Lois Smith), artists (Lee Bontecou), and other young women; his relationships with other artists, both young and established, including Piero Dorazio, Ray Johnson, Hubert Kappel, Roberto Matta Echauren, Dorothea Tanning, and Pavel Tchelitchew, among others; and his friendships and shared interests with individuals, such as Wayne Andrews, Charles Henri Ford, Parker Tyler, Donald Windham, and Marian Hannah Winter (their letters often entailing an exchange of ideas on topics such as literature, music, dance, art, and the pleasures of collecting). Correspondence also documents his generosity (in terms of gift giving) toward his friends (and their children) and individuals whom he admired (as in letters and notes of thanks for gifts of art work from Valerie Adams, George Bennette, Lee Bontecou, Susan Sontag, Jessica Tandy, and Tamara Toumanova, among others); and his generosity toward institutions providing public services to the less fortunate (as in letters acknowledging and expressing gratitude for donations from the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind and the Bedside Network, among others).

General correspondence is arranged in files according to correspondent and then alphabetically according the surname of the individual or the name of the institution. Items are arranged in rough chronological order within each file. When only a few items (typically less than three) are associated with a correspondent, these are arranged into general alphabetical files. Unidentified and miscellaneous items are arranged into files at the end of the subseries.

Subseries consists of correspondence between Cornell and various members of his immediate family, including his mother, Helen S. Cornell, his sisters, Betty Cornell Benton (often addressed as Nell) and Helen Jagger, his nieces, Sissy (Jagger) Batcheller and Jean (Jagger) Plitt, and various cousins. Some printed material, primarily clippings sent to Cornell by his mother while she was living in Westhampton during her last years, can also be found. Subseries also consists of correspondence between and amongst other members of the family, including many of those listed above, as well as Cornell's brother, Robert (subseries includes only correspondence from him), his father, Joseph I. Cornell, and his cousins, Grace Sayres and Janet (Voorhis) Traphagen. Correspondence received by Robert Cornell can be found amongst his papers in Series 11.

Cornell's family correspondence documents his close and on-going relationships with his mother, sisters, and nieces; the large role that his family played in both his personal and creative life; the many interests he shared with his siblings, including art, literature, music, and Christian Science; and his collaborative work on collages with his sister, Betty. The one important family relationship not explicitly documented in the correspondence is Cornell's relationship with his brother, Robert. Since they lived together up until the month before Robert died, they did not exchange letters in a regular fashion. Some cards and notes between the two are scattered amongst Cornell's personal papers and diaries, as well as amongst Robert's papers. To a certain extent, Cornell's diary entries also document his relationship with his brother.

Family correspondence files are arranged alphabetically according to the surname of the correspondent. Items within the files are arranged in rough chronological order.

Subseries consists of holiday and birthday greeting cards to Cornell from family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances, as well as some greeting cards that were signed by Cornell but never sent.

Greeting cards are arranged in general alphabetical files according to correspondent. Unidentified, miscellaneous, and unsent cards are arranged in files at the end of the subseries.