Leo Castelli Gallery records, circa 1880-2000, bulk 1957-1999

General Correspondence is extensive at circa 24.6 linear feet and consists primarily of the gallery's and Leo Castelli's named and subject correspondence files concerning the gallery's daily operations, exhibitions, artwork installation and fabrication, appraisals, inquiries, loans, sales, consignments, personal and business relationships with artists, and other topics. The general correspondence is arranged either by name of correspondent or topic, and is with museums and galleries, collectors, business associates, artists, employees, and friends. Notes, scattered photographs and slides, and printed materials are often found as enclosures. Leo Castelli's personal correspondence is also found here and consists primarily of solicitations, requests for advice, notes of thanks, congratulations, and invitations.

Letters written by artists in the gallery's stable are somewhat limited. There are scattered letters from artists Christo, Chryssa, Nassos Daphnis, Hanne Darboven, Marisol, Dan Flavin, Jasper Johns, Frederick Kiesler, Robert Morris, Hans Namuth, Bruce Nauman, Nam June Paik, Ray Parker, James Rosenquist, Edward Ruscha, Salvatore Scarpitta, Frank Stella, Cy Twombly, and Jack Tworkov. There are also letters about artists in this series filed under the artists' name.

Collectors represented in the correspondence include the De Menil family, Mrs. Henry Epstein, Ben Heller, Giuseppe Panza, Alan Power, John and Kimiko Powers, Robert and Carolyn Rowan, Robert and Ethel Scull, and Burton and Emily Tremaine. Museums and galleries for which there is considerable correspondence includes the Dwan Gallery, Ferus Gallery, the Jewish Museum (NYC), Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), Pasadena Art Museum, Sidney Janis Gallery, Stedelijk Museum, Walker Art Center (MN), Whitney Museum of American Art, and numerous European galleries including Galerie Bruno Bischofberger (Switzerland) and Ileana Sonnabend Galerie (Paris).

Of interest is correspondence between Leo Castelli and Ileana Sonnabend in the early 1960s describing artists and artwork, gallery openings, and collaborations between the Leo Castelli Gallery and the Sonnabend Gallery in Paris. Additionally, the correspondence between Leo Castelli and his staff while he was traveling in Europe during the summers of 1961-1967 gives insight into the daily activities of the gallery during its earlier years. Also found are a series of handmade postcards from artist Paul Waldman, oversized letters from Hanne Darboven, and a letter from Marcel Duchamp (June 1960) requesting Castelli's participation in the "Arts Committee for American Chess."

The materials arranged in General Correspondence were originally marked by the gallery as "correspondence" files upon accessioning, and, are thus arranged into their own series. However, in some cases, there appears to be little difference between the General Correspondence and the Administrative Files. Thus, researchers are encouraged to reference both series.

Some records, generally from the 1960s, appear to have suffered water damage and for preservation reasons have been physically placed in a separate box at the end of the collection, but are listed alphabetically in the folder list.