Letter from Cornell presenting Duchamp with a thaumatrope, a toy which consists of a small disk of paper or cardboard with images on both sides and string attached to the parallel edges so that it can be spun, creating an optical illusion. <br>Two envelopes accompany the letter, one very small and blue and one standard letter-sized. <br>Presumably the small envelope originally held the thaumatrope, which is no longer present although Cornell has made a crayon rubbing of it on the verso of the letter.
Citation:
Joseph Cornell. Joseph Cornell, Flushing, N.Y. letter to Marcel Duchamp, New York, N.Y., between 1955 and 1968. Joseph Cornell papers, 1804-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Use Note:
Current copyright status is undetermined
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution Washington, D.C. 20560
