Exquisite Surprise: The Papers of Joseph Cornell
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. For a more detailed description of the Archives' collection, see the Joseph Cornell papers, 1804-1986 bulk 1939-1972.
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Susan Romm essay inspired by an artwork by Joseph Cornell
- Date
- 1971 Mar. 12
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Marilyn Siegel letter to Joseph Cornell
- Date
- 1971 Jan. 25
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Didi Shaw letter to Joseph Cornell
- Date
- 1970 [i.e. 1971] Jan. 25
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David Conway letter to Joseph Cornell
- Date
- 1971 Jan. 24
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Hermit in the garden
- Date
- 1971 January
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Underwater Chirsmas tree
- Date
- 1971
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George Brecht letter to Joseph Cornell
- Date
- 1967 Jul. 19
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Tony Curtis letter to Joseph Cornell
- Date
- 1964 Feb. 27
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